A disturbance moving through the area brought brief moderate snow to portions of central Upper Michigan on the 30th. The snow caused slippery roads and likely contributed to a couple of accidents in Marquette and Dickinson counties.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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.
A disturbance moving through the area brought brief moderate snow to portions of central Upper Michigan on the 30th. The snow caused slippery roads and likely contributed to a couple of accidents in Marquette and Dickinson counties.
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 30, 5:32 AM CST, 3 hours 28 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 632 AM EST WED DEC 30 2015 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 500 AM EST WED DEC 30 2015 WATER VAPOR IMAGERY AND RAP ANALYSIS SHOW SPLIT FLOW OVER NAMERICA WITH THE SRN STREAM FEATURING A TROF THAT DOMINATES MOST OF THE W HALF OF THE CONUS. CONFLUENCE CONTINUES TO RESIDE OVER SE CANADA WHERE THE SRN STREAM MERGES WITH THE NRN STREAM. A SHORTWAVE IS NOTED OVER MO...AND IR IMAGERY INDICATES A SLIGHT INCREASE IN COLDER CLOUD TOPS OVER IA WITH THIS FEATURE DURING THE LAST FEW HRS. THIS WAVE WILL PLAY A ROLE IN THE WEATHER HERE TODAY AS IT LIFTS NE THRU LWR MI. NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR...850MB TEMPS OF -10C/-11C ARE JUST COLD ENOUGH FOR LES...BUT LACK OF ANY ENHANCING FACTORS HAS RESULTED IN THE LES BEING QUITE LIGHT. IN ADDITION...WITH THE DGZ ABOVE THE LAKE INDUCED CONVECTIVE LAYER...THE SNOW IS A FINE SNOW WITH LOW SNOW TO WATER RATIOS. LIGHT WINDS OVER ERN LAKE SUPERIOR HAVE ALLOWED LAND BREEZE TO HOLD LIGHT LIGHT LES OFFSHORE OF LUCE AND ALGER COUNTIES OVERNIGHT. AS AFOREMENTIONED SHORTWAVE LIFTS THRU LWR MI TODAY...PERIOD OF SYNOPTIC FORCING WILL LEAD TO SOME -SN SPREADING ACROSS THE FCST AREA LATE THIS MORNING THRU ROUGHLY THE MID AFTN HRS. FORCING WILL ALSO GIVE A BOOST TO THE ONGOING LIGHT LES...THOUGH SHORT DURATION OF FORCING WITH DGZ STILL WELL ABOVE THE LAKE INDUCED CONVECTIVE LAYER SUGGESTS ENHANCEMENT OF THE LES WILL NOT BE NOTEWORTHY. LOW-LEVEL WINDS WILL VEER TODAY THRU THIS EVENING AS SHORTWAVE PASSES BY TO THE SE. SO AREAS AFFECTED BY LES WILL SHIFT FROM THE NE TO N WIND FAVORED SNOW BELTS THIS MORNING TO THE NW WIND FAVORED SNOW BELTS LATE THIS AFTN/EVENING THEN TO THE W/NW FAVORED LOCATIONS LATER TONIGHT. AWAY FROM LES...EXPECT ANY SNOW ACCUMULATION TO BE UNDER 1 INCH TODAY. AREAS THAT ARE AFFECTED BY LES SHOULDN'T SEE ANYTHING MORE THAN 1-2 INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION PER 12HRS. .LONG TERM...(THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 411 AM EST WED DEC 30 2015 A QUIET LONG TERM AHEAD...WITH LITTLE PRECIPITATION EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND...ESPECIALLY AWAY FROM LAKE SUPERIOR. THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT...BROAD TROUGHING OVER THE EAST HALF OF CANADA WILL ALLOW FOR WNW TO NW FLOW TO CONTINUE ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES. A SHARPER EMBEDDED TROUGH AXIS WILL CROSS THE CWA THURSDAY NIGHT...BUT OVERALL FORCING AND MOISTURE ALOFT ARE LIMITED...SO DO NOT EXPECT ANY SYNOPTIC PRECIP. WITH MARGINAL LAKE-850HPA DELTA TEMPS AND CLOUD-LAYER WINDS OSCILLATING BETWEEN W AND WNW...RAGGED LES SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED ALONG LAKE SUPERIOR ON THURSDAY. BEHIND THE TROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...LES SHOULD BECOME STRONGER AND INCREASE IN COVERAGE AS DELTA TEMPS BECOME MORE FAVORABLE AND INVERSION HEIGHTS RISE TO 7 TO 8KFT. WITH MUCH OF THE CLOUD LAYER WITHIN THE DGZ...A FEW FLUFFY INCHES OF SNOW CANNOT BE RULED FOR THE WNW WIND SNOW BELTS ACROSS THE WEST AND FAR NORTHEAST. FRIDAY...WARM ADVECTION WILL QUICKLY END LES FROM WEST TO EAST THROUGH THE DAY. A FAIRLY STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR BREEZY WEST WINDS. HOWEVER...A STRENGTHENING INVERSION WITH THE WAA MAY INTRODUCE ENOUGH STABILITY TO LIMIT MIXING OF STRONGER WINDS ALOFT. AT THIS TIME...WINDS GUSTING TO AS HIGH AS 35MPH FOR AREAS EXPOSED TO A WEST WIND ACROSS THE KEWEENAW AND NORTHEAST WILL BE POSSIBLE. SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...A REX BLOCKING PATTERN DEVELOPING OVER THE WESTERN CONUS WILL KEEP UPPER MI ON THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE EASTERN TROUGH. AT TIMES...THE H8 TEMP GRADIENT IS AS MUCH AS 10C WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE CWA. OUTSIDE OF A WEAK TROUGH CROSSING THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT...PRECIP WILL BE CONFINED TO LIGHT LES ACROSS MAINLY THE EASTERN CWA WHERE COLDER TEMPS RESIDE. THE NEXT CHANCE FOR ANY APPRECIABLE PRECIP IS NOT UNTIL LATE TUESDAY. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 631 AM EST WED DEC 30 2015 LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AIDED BY UPSLOPING OFF LAKE SUPERIOR WILL WORK TO MAINTAIN PREVAILING LOW END MVFR/HIGH END IFR CONDITIONS AT KIWD/KCMX/KSAW THROUGH MUCH OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. IFR CONDITIONS SHOULD BE MORE LIKELY AT KIWD TODAY WHERE UPSLOPE FLOW WILL BE MORE FAVORABLE. EXPECT SOME -SN AT TIMES...WHICH WILL PERIODICALLY LOWER VIS TO IFR TODAY AS A DISTURBANCE ENHANCES SNOWFALL A BIT. && .MARINE...(FOR THE 4 AM LAKE SUPERIOR FORECAST ISSUANCE) ISSUED AT 500 AM EST WED DEC 30 2015 EXPECT LIGHT WINDS MOSTLY UNDER 15KT TODAY AS WEAK PRES GRADIENT DOMINATES THE UPPER GREAT LAKES REGION. UPPER GREAT LAKES WILL THEN BECOME SITUATED BTWN LARGE HIGH PRES OVER THE ROCKIES AND LOW PRES IN NE CANADA. THIS WILL RESULT IN A TIGHTENING PRES GRADIENT AND INCREASING WINDS TONIGHT THRU FRI. IN FACT...IT NOW APPEARS WINDS WILL REACH GALE FORCE OVER ALL BUT FAR WRN LAKE SUPERIOR ON FRI. WINDS IN THE 15-25KT OR 20-30KT RANGE WILL THEN PREVAIL SAT/SUN WITH THE LIGHTEST WINDS OVER FAR WRN LAKE SUPERIOR. && .MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UPPER MICHIGAN... NONE. LAKE SUPERIOR... NONE. LAKE MICHIGAN... NONE. && SHORT TERM...ROLFSON LONG TERM...KLUBER AVIATION...ROLFSON MARINE...ROLFSON
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 334 AM EST WED DEC 30 2015 MIZ001>007-009>014-084-085-311100- KEWEENAW-ONTONAGON-NORTHERN HOUGHTON-BARAGA-MARQUETTE-ALGER-LUCE- GOGEBIC-IRON-DICKINSON-MENOMINEE-DELTA-SOUTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- SOUTHERN HOUGHTON-NORTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- 334 AM EST WED DEC 30 2015 /234 AM CST WED DEC 30 2015/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN AND CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. LSZ162-240>251-263>267-311100- 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- 334 AM EST WED DEC 30 2015 /234 AM CST WED DEC 30 2015/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN LAKE SUPERIOR...CENTRAL LAKE SUPERIOR AND WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY WESTERLY GALES TO 35 KNOTS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN LAKE SUPERIOR ON FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. LMZ221-248-250-311100- 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- 334 AM EST WED DEC 30 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. KLUBER
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI
736 AM EST WED DEC 30 2015
...TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
...DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 AM HEAVY SNOW 4 N NEGAUNEE 46.56N 87.61W
12/30/2015 M2.2 INCH MARQUETTE MI TRAINED SPOTTER
24 HOUR SNOWFALL
&&
NWS MARQUETTE MI
IRIS SYSTEMSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 948 AM EST WED DEC 30 2015 MIZ001>007-009>014-084-085-302200- KEWEENAW-ONTONAGON-NORTHERN HOUGHTON-BARAGA-MARQUETTE-ALGER-LUCE- GOGEBIC-IRON-DICKINSON-MENOMINEE-DELTA-SOUTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- SOUTHERN HOUGHTON-NORTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...COPPER HARBOR...ONTONAGON...HOUGHTON... HANCOCK...L'ANSE...GWINN...MARQUETTE...GRAND MARAIS...MUNISING... NEWBERRY...IRONWOOD...IRON RIVER...IRON MOUNTAIN...MENOMINEE... ESCANABA...GLADSTONE...MANISTIQUE...KENTON...SIDNAW...SENEY 948 AM EST WED DEC 30 2015 /848 AM CST WED DEC 30 2015/ ...LIGHT SNOW MAY RESULT IN SLIPPERY TRAVEL TODAY... LIGHT SNOW MOVING OVER WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE REST OF UPPER MICHIGAN INTO EARLY AFTERNOON. THE SNOW WILL TAPER OFF BY THIS EVENING. THOUGH OVERALL SNOW AMOUNTS WILL BE LESS THAN AN INCH TODAY IN MOST AREAS...A THIN LAYER OF SNOW COULD RESULT IN SLIPPERY CONDITIONS ON UNTREATED ROADS. USE CAUTION IF TRAVELING TODAY. JLA
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Brief moderate snow likely contributed to an accident in the Iron Mountain area on the morning of the 30th. An Iron Mountain man was hospitalized after his vehicle slid off the roadway on Pine Mountain and Beverly roads.
Brief moderate snow likely contributed to an accident on County Road 550 at the halfway location between Big bay and Marquette. An SUV slid off the road, hit a power poll and landed in a ditch. The female driver of the SUV sustained minimal injuries and was taken by ambulance to the UP Health System in Marquette.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, December 2015
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: 611500, 611501.