Michigan, 2015

Winter Weather in Michigan, December 26 to 27, 2015

December 26 to 27, 2015 · NWS MQT · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

A low pressure center moving along a cold front dropped slowly through the Upper Great Lakes and generated moderate snow over mainly the northwest half of Upper Michigan from the 26th into the 27th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS MQT wrote it up.

A low pressure center moving along a cold front dropped slowly through the Upper Great Lakes and generated moderate snow over mainly the northwest half of Upper Michigan from the 26th into the 27th.

What forecasters said that day

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 Dec 26, 5:52 AM EST, 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 26, 5:52 AM EST, 8 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 26, 4:48 AM EST, 1 hour 12 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Northern Houghton

When
December 26, 6:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where
Northern Houghton forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
46.992, -88.652 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The spotter in Chassell measured six inches of snow in just over 12 hours.

Winter Weather, Southern Houghton

When
December 26, 7:00 AM EST to December 27, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Southern Houghton forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
46.992, -88.652 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was a public report of seven inches of snow in Nisula in 24 hours.

Winter Weather, Ontonagon

When
December 26, 8:00 AM EST to December 27, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Ontonagon forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
46.778, -89.305 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An observing station near Ontonagon measured six inches of snow over 24 hours.

Winter Weather, Marquette

When
December 26, 9:00 AM EST to December 27, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Marquette forecast zone
Reported by
Social Media
Coordinates
46.663, -87.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was a report via social media from ten miles northwest of Negaunee near County Road 510 of an estimated 8 to 10 inches of snowfall over a 24-hour period. The observer near Big Bay measured 7 inches of snow over the same period.

Winter Weather, Baraga

When
December 26, 9:00 AM EST to December 27, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Baraga forecast zone
Reported by
Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates
46.700, -88.352 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The fire department estimated that five inches of snow fell in L'anse over 24 hours.

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Michigan in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, December 2015

Sources

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 611486, 611485, 611484, 611481, 611487.