Moderate lake effect snow developed over higher terrain south of Marquette in the early morning of the 25th.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS MQT wrote it up.
Moderate lake effect snow developed over higher terrain south of Marquette in the early morning of the 25th.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Marquette, MI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 24, 6:06 PM EST, 5 hours 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 706 PM EDT MON MAR 24 2014 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 415 PM EDT MON MAR 24 2014 WV IMAGERY AND RUC ANALYSIS INDICATED A MID/UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER WRN NOAM AND A TROUGH FROM HUDSON BAY THROUGH MUCH OF THE ERN CONUS. AN UPSTREAM SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED ARCTIC COLD FRONT EXTENDED FROM NEAR JAMES BAY TO FAR NW MN. TO THE NORTH OF THE FRONT 19Z TEMPS ONLY RANGED FROM 0F TO 5F. AT THE SFC...WRLY LOW LEVEL FLOW PREVAILED AHEAD OF THE FRONT WITH ONLY SCT-BKN DIURNAL CU/SC OVER UPPER MICHIGAN. TONIGHT...AS THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND COLD FRONT MOVE ACROSS THE NRN GREAT LAKES SOME WEAK Q-VECT CONV...SFC-700 MB MOISTENING AND LOW LEVEL CONV SHOULD SUPPORT SCT LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS OR FLURRIES...PER UPSTREAM OBS. THE GREATEST PCPN CHANCES AND POTENTIAL FOR SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS OF AN INCH OR LESS IS EXPECTED DOWNWIND FROM LAKE SUPERIOR WHERE EVEN SMALL GAPS IN THE ICE COVER WILL ADD HEAT/INSTABILITY. UPSLOPE FLOW INTO THE HIGHER TERRAIN WILL ALSO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE PCPN. LOOK FOR MIN TEMPS MAINLY IN THE SINGLE DIGITS ABOVE ZERO BUT A FEW BLO ZERO READINGS ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE EASTERN INTERIOR FCST AREA WHERE WINDS WILL BE LIGHTER AHEAD OF THE FRONT IN THE EVENING. TUESDAY...AS HIGH PRESSURE AND SUBSIDENCE BUILD INTO THE WRN LAKES...THE 850-700 MB MOISTURE DEPARTS AND WINDS BACK TO WRLY...EXPECT THE PCPN TO DIMINISH WITH ONLY A LIGHT DUSTING OF ACCUMULATION AT MOST. WITH 925/850 MB TEMPS ONLY TO AROUND -16/-22C...TEMPS WILL STRUGGLE THROUGH THE MID TEENS...MORE THAN 20 DEGREES BELOW SEASONAL AVERAGES. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 438 PM EDT MON MAR 24 2014 THE EXTENDED PORTION OF THE FORECAST IS TRENDING TOWARDS A MORE ACTIVE AND SPRING LIKE PATTERN. A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE MOVING OVER THE UPPER GREAT LAKES REGION TO START THE PERIOD WILL LEAD TO ANOTHER VERY COLD NIGHT ACROSS THE UPPER GREAT LAKES REGION ON TUESDAY NIGHT. THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS FOR CLOUDS LINGERING...BUT WITH THE VERY LIMITED OPEN WATER ON LAKE SUPERIOR WOULD THINK THERE IS A LACK OF SUPPORT FOR LAKE ENHANCED CLOUDS TO LINGER. THUS...WOULD EXPECT CLEARING SKIES AND A DECENT OPPORTUNITY FOR RADIATIONAL COOLING WITH WINDS BECOMING LIGHT. SINCE PWAT VALUES ARE AROUND 30 PERCENT OF NORMAL...OPTED TO TREND TEMPS DOWN (BASED OFF THE LAST TWO NIGHTS OF LOWS)...ESPECIALLY IN THE TRADITIONAL INTERIOR COLD SPOTS. THIS PRODUCES LOWS BELOW ZERO OVER PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THE U.P. AND IN THE TEENS BELOW ZERO OVER THE INTERIOR. BASED OFF THE TRENDS IN THE LONGER RANGE MODELS...THIS WILL LIKELY BE THE LAST REALLY COLD NIGHT ACROSS THE REGION. THE SURFACE RIDGE WILL QUICKLY SHIFT EAST OF THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY AND ALLOW SOUTHERLY FLOW TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE LOW TAKING SHAPE IN THE CENTRAL PLAINS. THIS SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO QUICKLY WARM INTO THE 20S (AIDED BY MORNING SUNSHINE). BUT HIGH CLOUDS WILL BE QUICKLY STREAMING OVER THE AREA THROUGH THE DAY AHEAD OF THE NEXT SYSTEM. COULD EVEN SEE A ISOLATED SHOWER OR TWO DEVELOPING UNDER THE MID LEVEL WAA LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. THE FIRST WAVE FROM THE SYSTEM WILL AFFECT THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT...AS A SURFACE TROUGH EXTENDING NORTHEAST FROM THE DEVELOPING SURFACE LOW MOVES EAST OVER THE CWA. BROAD MID LEVEL WARM AIR ADVECTION AND ISENTROPIC ASCENT ON THE 280-295K SFCS SHOULD LEAD TO A SWATH OF LIGHT SNOW. AS WITH THE NEXT SYSTEM...MODELS VARY SIGNIFICANTLY WITH THE STRENGTH AND LOCATION OF THIS AREA OF SNOW. THE 12Z ECMWF IS THE FARTHEST NORTH (OVER LAKE SUPERIOR) AND WEAKEST...12Z CANADIAN FARTHEST SOUTH (ACROSS THE U.P.) AND STRONGEST...WHILE THE GFS IS IN BETWEEN. FELT THAT THE GFS WAS A GOOD COMPROMISE BETWEEN THE SOLUTIONS AND FOLLOWED THAT FOR TIMING AND SNOWFALL AMOUNTS. THAT GIVES A GENERAL 1-3 INCHES OF SNOW FOR THE CWA (GREATEST NORTH THIRD) THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY. NEXT WAVE OF PRECIP WILL ARRIVE AS THE LOW PULLS OUT OF THE CENTRAL PLAINS AND THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES REGION. STILL SOME DIFFERENCES IN THE EXACT TRACK/TIMING BUT AT LEAST INITIALLY THE MODELS ARE CONSISTENT IN A TROUGH EXTENDING NORTH-NORTHEAST OVER WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR. AS FOR THE LOW...THE 12Z GFS CONTINUES TO MOVE THE LOW THROUGH MUCH FASTER THAN THE 12Z GEM AND 12Z ECMWF (270MI/520MI NORTHEAST AT 12Z FRIDAY RESPECTIVELY). THE 12Z GEM WAS MUCH FARTHER TO THE NORTHWEST AND BROUGHT IN MUCH MORE WARM AIR (0C 850MB LINE IN FAR WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN AT 00Z FRIDAY). 12Z ECMWF...EVEN WITH IT/S FARTHER SOUTHWEST LOW TRACK (THROUGH CENTRAL LOWER MI ON FRIDAY) HAS THE 0C 925MB TEMP AREA SLIDING THROUGH SOUTHERN UPPER MICHIGAN DURING THE DAY THURSDAY. THE GFS ON THE OTHER HAND...MOVES THE LOW THROUGH SO FAST THAT THE WARM AIR DOESN/T HAVE TIME TO PULL INTO THE AREA AND KEEPS IT AS ALL SNOW. ESSENTIALLY...THESE DIFFERENCES ARE DUE TO THE HANDLING OF THE DISTURBANCE THAT IS WELL OFFSHORE IN THE PACIFIC AND WON/T COME ON SHORE UNTIL TUESDAY NIGHT. IT WILL PROBABLY BE 24-36HRS BEFORE THE MODELS CAN LOCK INTO A SOLUTION...BUT FEEL A SEVERAL MEMBER COMPROMISE IS REASONABLE (GEM/ECMWF FOR TIMING AND GFS/ECMWF/UKMET FOR TRACK AND ECMWF FOR THERMAL PROFILE). FELT WEIGHTING MORE HEAVILY TOWARDS THE ECMWF WAS WARRANTED BASED OFF THE CONSISTENCY IN THE LOW TRACK WITH THE 00Z ENSEMBLE MEMBERS. UNFORTUNATELY...THESE DIFFERENCE IN THE LOW TRACK AFFECT BOTH THE PRECIPITATION TYPE FOR A PORTION OF THE AREA AND ALSO WHERE THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION WILL BE LOCATED WITH THE DEFORMATION BAND ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE LOW. AS THE LOW IS TAKING SHAPE ON THURSDAY...SHOULD SEE A TROUGH SETTING UP OVER WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR AND WOULD EXPECT THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION TO BE OVER THE WESTERN THIRD OF THE CWA AND THE WESTERN LAKE AS IT WILL BE ENHANCED BY MID-LEVEL FGEN. OVER THE REST OF THE AREA AND ESPECIALLY THE SOUTH CENTRAL...WOULD EXPECT THE WAA PRECIPITATION TO SHIFT OUT AND DIMINISH AND POTENTIALLY CUT OUT THE DEEPER MOISTURE ON THURSDAY. THIS COULD LEAD TO MORE OF A FOG/DRIZZLE PERIOD...BUT WITH THE UNCERTAINTY WITH THE LOW TRACK WILL JUST KEEP THINGS AS SNOW WITH RAIN MIXED IN AT TIMES. THEN AS THE LOW MOVES UP AND THROUGH THE AREA...THE HEAVIER BAND OF PRECIP WILL SHIFT EAST ACROSS THE CWA THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. ALL IN ALL...THE CONDITIONS WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING WILL LIKELY LEAD TO A PERIOD OF MESSY TRAVEL/COMMUTES AND WILL CONTINUE TO HIGHLIGHT IN THE HWO. BEHIND THE LOW...HIGH PRESSURE WILL SETTLE OVER THE AREA FOR FRIDAY NIGHT AND INTO SATURDAY. 850MB TEMPS OF -12C ARE PRETTY MARGINAL FOR ANY LAKE EFFECT IF POCKETS OF OPEN WATER DEVELOP ON LAKE SUPERIOR...SO WILL GO WITH DRY CONDITIONS ON FRIDAY NIGHT. THE HIGH WILL SHIFT EAST ON SATURDAY AND SOUTHERLY FLOW SHOULD LEAD TO HIGHS IN THE 30S. FOCUS THEN TURNS TO THE NEXT SERIES OF WAVES COMING FROM THE WESTERN CONUS AND BRINGING ANOTHER UNSETTLED PERIOD TO THE AREA THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK. THE FIRST POTENTIAL WAVE LOOKS TO RUN EAST ON THE U.S./CANADIAN BORDER ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND SHOULD HAVE A LIMITED AFFECT ON THE LAND CWA. BEHIND THIS WAVE...MUCH WARMER AIR WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA AND CURRENT INDICATIONS ARE FOR TEMPERATURES TO BE AT OR EVEN SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL FOR SUNDAY. GFS CONTINUES TO SHOW ISSUES WITH SNOW COVER AND SURFACE TEMPS...SO WILL LEVERAGE THE CANADIAN/ECMWF FOR HIGHS ON SUNDAY. SHOULD SEE 40S OVER MUCH OF THE AREA (EXCEPT OVER THE EAST WITH WINDS OFF LAKE MICHIGAN) AND THERE IS EVEN THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME 50S ALONG THE WISCONSIN BORDER. THE NEXT SHORTWAVE AND COLD FRONT WILL BE SHIFTING THROUGH THE AREA LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND SUNDAY NIGHT AND WITH THE EXPECTED THERMAL PROFILE...THAT PRECIPITATION SHOULD MAINLY FALL AS RAIN. LIKE THE END OF THIS WEEK...ANOTHER LOW TAKING SHAPE IN THE PLAINS STATES ON SUNDAY WILL LIKELY MOVE THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES REGION ON MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT...BRINGING ANOTHER WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION EVENT TO THE AREA. INITIAL THOUGH ON P-TYPE IS FOR A MIX INITIALLY AND TRANSITIONING TO ALL SNOW THROUGH THE DAY/EVENING. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 706 PM EDT MON MAR 24 2014 WITH THE PASSAGE OF A DISTURBANCE TONIGHT...SCT -SHSN WILL THEN LIKELY DEVELOP AT KIWD/KSAW WITH POTENTIAL OF BRIEF MVFR VIS AT TIMES...ESPECIALLY AT KIWD. BY LATE TONIGHT INTO TUE MORNING...THE COMBINATION OF LOW LEVEL CONV AND UPSLOPE FLOW WILL BE ENOUGH TO SUPPORT MVFR CIGS. WILL BE VFR CONDITIONS INTO THIS EVENING BEFORE THE SNOW ARRIVES. && .MARINE...(FOR THE 4 PM LAKE SUPERIOR FORECAST ISSUANCE) ISSUED AT 415 PM EDT MON MAR 24 2014 A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE NRN LAKES TONIGHT. BEHIND THE FRONT...WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST AND INCREASE TO 15 TO 25 KT TONIGHT AND 20 TO 30 KTS ON TUESDAY...WITH THE HIGHEST GUSTS OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF LAKE SUPERIOR. WINDS WILL QUICKLY DIMINISH TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY AS ANOTHER HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE MOVES OVER THE AREA. A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM DEVELOPING IN THE CENTRAL PLAINS ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY WILL MOVE THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES REGION LATE THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. WIND STRENGTH/DIRECTION WILL DEPEND ON THE EXACT TRACK OF THE LOW...BUT AT THIS TIME NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS OF 15 TO 25 KTS ARE EXPECTED. && .MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UPPER MICHIGAN... NONE. LAKE SUPERIOR... NONE. LAKE MICHIGAN... NONE. && SHORT TERM...JLB LONG TERM...SRF AVIATION...07 MARINE...JLB
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 428 PM EDT MON MAR 24 2014 MIZ001>007-009>014-084-085-251200- KEWEENAW-ONTONAGON-NORTHERN HOUGHTON-BARAGA-MARQUETTE-ALGER-LUCE- GOGEBIC-IRON-DICKINSON-MENOMINEE-DELTA-SOUTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- SOUTHERN HOUGHTON-NORTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- 428 PM EDT MON MAR 24 2014 /328 PM CDT MON MAR 24 2014/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN AND CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES REGION THURSDAY THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY WILL BRING WET SNOW TO UPPER MICHIGAN. MODERATE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. ACROSS SOUTHERN UPPER MICHIGAN...THE SNOW MAY MIX WITH RAIN AND SLEET DURING THE DAY THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. LSZ162-240>251-263>267-251200- LAKE SUPERIOR WEST OF A LINE FROM SAXON HARBOR WI TO GRAND PORTAGE MN BEYOND 5NM-SAXON HARBOR WI TO BLACK RIVER MI- BLACK RIVER TO ONTONAGON MI- ONTONAGON TO UPPER ENTRANCE OF PORTAGE CANAL MI- UPPER ENTRANCE OF PORTAGE CANAL TO EAGLE RIVER MI- EAGLE RIVER TO MANITOU ISLAND MI- MANITOU ISLAND TO POINT ISABELLE MI- POINT ISABELLE TO LOWER ENTRANCE OF PORTAGE CANAL MI- LOWER ENTRANCE OF PORTAGE CANAL TO HURON ISLANDS MI INCLUDING KEWEENAW AND HURON BAYS-HURON ISLANDS TO MARQUETTE MI- MARQUETTE TO MUNISING MI-MUNISING TO GRAND MARAIS MI- GRAND MARAIS TO WHITEFISH POINT MI- LAKE SUPERIOR FROM SAXON HARBOR WI TO UPPER ENTRANCE TO PORTAGE CANAL MI 5NM OFF SHORE TO THE US/CANADIAN BORDER INCLUDING ISLE ROYALE NATIONAL PARK- LAKE SUPERIOR FROM UPPER ENTRANCE TO PORTAGE CANAL TO MANITOU ISLAND MI 5NM OFF SHORE TO THE US/CANADIAN BORDER- LAKE SUPERIOR WEST OF LINE FROM MANITOU ISLAND TO MARQUETTE MI BEYOND 5NM FROM SHORE- LAKE SUPERIOR EAST OF A LINE FROM MANITOU ISLAND TO MARQUETTE MI AND WEST OF A LINE FROM GRAND MARAIS MI TO THE US/CANADIAN BORDER BEYOND 5NM FROM SHORE- LAKE SUPERIOR FROM GRAND MARAIS MI TO WHITEFISH POINT MI 5NM OFF SHORE TO THE US/CANADIAN BORDER- 428 PM EDT MON MAR 24 2014 /328 PM CDT MON MAR 24 2014/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN LAKE SUPERIOR...CENTRAL LAKE SUPERIOR AND WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A FEW NORTHWESTERLY GALE FORCE GUSTS TO 35 KNOTS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER EASTERN LAKE SUPERIOR ON FRIDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. LMZ221-248-250-251200- GREEN BAY NORTH OF LINE FROM CEDAR RIVER MI TO ROCK ISLAND PASSAGE-SEUL CHOIX POINT TO POINT DETOUR MI- 5NM EAST OF A LINE FROM FAIRPORT MI TO ROCK ISLAND PASSAGE- 428 PM EDT MON MAR 24 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. KLUBER
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
An NWS employee measured 3.5 inches of lake effect snow in eight hours over higher terrain just south of Marquette.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, March 2014
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 507949.