Winter Weather and Cold in Michigan, January 6 to 8, 2015

Name: Winter Weather and Cold in Michigan, January 6 to 8, 2015
Start: 2015-01-06T06:00
End: 2015-01-08T00:00
Location: Michigan

January 6 to 8, 2015 · NWS MQT · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

The passage of another Arctic cold front brought another bout of lake effect snow and blowing snow to the northwest wind snow belts near Lake Superior from the 6th into the 7th. Bitter cold wind chills were once again reported over portions of Upper Michigan on the morning of the 7th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 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: 10

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.

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 Jan 6, 5:18 AM EST, 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 6, 5:18 AM EST, 42 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 6, 5:33 AM EST, 27 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

7 winter weather, 3 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Alger

When: January 6, 6:00 AM EST to January 7, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Alger forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.451, -86.548 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake effect snowfall totals for the 24-hour period ending on the morning of the 7th included 5.7 inches ten miles south of Grand Marais and 5.0 inches at Munising. Northwest to north winds gusting between 35 and 40 mph caused considerable blowing and drifting of snow creating occasional whiteout conditions especially for open areas along Lake Superior. Highway M-28 was closed from Harvey to Munising from the evening of the 6th through the morning of the 7th due to extreme blowing and drifting of snow. Area schools were closed on the 7th.

Winter Weather, Luce

When: January 6, 7:00 AM EST to January 7, 9:00 AM EST
Where: Luce forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.368, -85.509 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake effect snowfall totals over a 24-hour period included 6.5 inches at Newberry and 5.6 inches near Pine Stump Junction. Northwest winds gusting to 25 mph at times caused some blowing of snow especially in open areas.

Winter Weather, Northern Houghton

When: January 6, 8:00 AM EST to January 7, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Northern Houghton forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.992, -88.652 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Houghton and Chassell measured six hours of snow in 12 hours on the 6th, and Atlantic Mine measured six inches in 24 hours. Northwest winds gusting between 35 and 40 mph caused considerable blowing and drifting of snow and reduced visibility across much of the county to one quarter mile or less in blowing snow. Wind chills lowered to 25 to 30 below zero on the morning of the 7th. Schools were closed on the 7th due to the harsh winter weather.

Winter Weather, Ontonagon

When: January 6, 8:00 AM EST to January 7, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Ontonagon forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.778, -89.305 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The observer north of Greenland measured 4.5 inches of lake effect snow in 24 hours. Northwest wind gusting between 25 and 30 mph also produced some blowing and drifting of snow.

Winter Weather, Keweenaw

When: January 6, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Keweenaw forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 47.283, -88.212 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Observers across the county measured between 3 to 6 inches of lake effect snow through the period. Northwest winds gusting over 40 mph at times caused extreme blowing and drifting of snow creating occasional whiteout conditions.

Winter Weather, Baraga

When: January 6, 9:30 AM EST to January 7, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Baraga forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.700, -88.352 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was a public report of six inches of lake effect snow in 12 hours at Baraga on the 6th. Wind chills lowered between 20 and 25 below zero on the morning of the 7th.

Winter Weather, Marquette

When: January 6, 8:00 PM EST to January 7, 11:00 AM EST
Where: Marquette forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 46.663, -87.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake effect snow and extreme blowing and drifting of snow due to gusty northwest winds to 35 mph closed Highway M-28 from just east of Harvey to Munising. Wind chills|also lowered between 20 and 30 below zero on the morning of the 7th. Schools were closed on the 7th due to the harsh winter weather.

Cold/Wind Chill, Gogebic

When: January 7, 1:00 AM CST to January 8, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Gogebic forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 46.496, -89.796 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills remained between 25 and 30 below zero through the period.

Cold/Wind Chill, Iron

When: January 7, 1:00 AM CST to January 8, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Iron forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 46.209, -88.530 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills remained between 25 and 30 below zero through the period.

Cold/Wind Chill, Dickinson

When: January 7, 1:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Dickinson forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 46.009, -87.870 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills remained between 20 and 30 below zero through the period.

What these are

Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
Cold/Wind Chill: Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Michigan in 2015 Every state in 2015 This day in weather history Warnings in Michigan, January 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 555673, 555678, 555664, 555684, 555718, 555669, 555709, 555695, 555700, 555702.