Lake Superior, 2016

Marine High Wind in Lake Superior, December 7, 2016

December 7, 2016 · NWS MQT · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A tightening pressure gradient over Lake Superior produced storm force winds at Stannard Rock on the evening of the 7th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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 tightening pressure gradient over Lake Superior produced storm force winds at Stannard Rock on the evening of the 7th.

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 7, 4:34 PM EST, 1 hour 26 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 7, 4:34 PM EST, 1 hour 26 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 7, 4:36 PM EST, 1 hour 24 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

1 marine high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Marine High Wind, Manitou Island to Marquette Mi and W of Grand Marais Mi to Us/Canadian Border Beyond 5nm of Shore

When
December 7, 6:00 PM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Manitou Island to Marquette Mi and W of Grand Marais Mi to Us/Canadian Border Beyond 5nm of Shore forecast zone, Stannard Rock Light
Measured
51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by
C-MAN Station
Coordinates
47.180, -87.230

The Stannard Rock Light station measured storm force west wind gusts through the period with a peak gust to 51 knots.

What these are

Marine High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 48 knots or more over water.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Lake Superior in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather history

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: 668351.