The passage of a cold front produced a brief bout of moderate lake effect snow over portions of Marquette County from late evening on the 16th into the early morning of the 17th.
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.
The passage of a cold front produced a brief bout of moderate lake effect snow over portions of Marquette County from late evening on the 16th into the early morning of the 17th.
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 Feb 16, 7:17 PM EST, 1 hour 43 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 717 PM EST TUE FEB 16 2016 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 231 PM EST TUE FEB 16 2016 UPPER AIR PATTERN CONSISTS OF A 500 MB RIDGE IN THE WESTERN U.S. WITH A TROUGH IN THE UPPER GREAT LAKES THIS MORNING. THIS TROUGH MOVES EAST INTO THE LOWER GREAT LAKES WED MORNING WITH THE RIDGE MOVING INTO THE ROCKIES 00Z THU. LAKE EFFECT SNOW EVENT WILL BE WINDING DOWN ON WED WITH INVERSION HEIGHTS FALLING AND DRY AIR MOVING INTO THE AREA. HAVE IT RAMPING UP TONIGHT IN NNW LAKE EFFECT SNOW BELTS AND THIS WAS ALREADY COVERED IN THE PREVIOUS FORECAST. OVERALL...DID NOT MAKE TOO MANY CHANGES TO THE GOING FORECAST FOR TEMPERATURES OR WEATHER. COULD SEE UP TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW TONIGHT THROUGH WED MORNING IN A FEW PLACES. .LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 443 PM EST TUE FEB 16 2016 THE SFC HIGH THAT WAS OVERHEAD DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY WILL SHIFT E TO THE LOWER GREAT LAKES OVERNIGHT. DRY WEATHER WILL START US OFF WEDNESDAY NIGHT...ALTHOUGH THERE WERE SOME HINTS THAT THE NEXT ROUND OF WAA PRECIP COULD BE COMING IN EARLIER THAT THE THURSDAY AFTERNOON PERIOD. THE NEXT SFC LOW WILL BE OVER SW CANADA...WITH A TROUGH STRETCHING INTO E MT AND SD. STILL EXPECTING A WINTRY MIX OF PRECIP TO MOVE INTO THE SW THIRD OF UPPER MI EARLY THURSDAY EVENING...AND SLOWLY MOVE TO THE E OVERNIGHT...AS PRECIP EITHER ENDS OR CHANGES OVER TO MAINLY RAIN OVER THE W LATE THURSDAY NIGHT. FEW SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE ONGOING FCST PRECIP AMOUNT OR TYPE WISE. PLENTY OF WARM AIR OVERHEAD FRIDAY...WITH HIGHS TOPPING OUT NEAR 40...SHOULD BRING RAIN TO THE ENTIRE AREA. CURRENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE SFC LOW WILL TRACK ACROSS ONTARIO/LAKE SUPERIOR FRIDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING...BEFORE MOVING ALONG THE ONTARIO/QUEBEC BORDER BY 12Z SATURDAY. THIS WILL FINALLY ALLOW ENOUGH COOL AIR ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE LOW TO TRANSITION PRECIP BACK TO ALL SNOW LATER SATURDAY. A TROUGH WILL LINGER ACROSS THE UPPER GREAT LAKES THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING...WITH A CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS REMAINING POSSIBLE ON NW TO N WINDS OFF LAKE SUPERIOR. WHILE DRIER AIR MOVES IN FOR THE END OF THE WEEKEND AND START OF THE NEXT WORK WEEK...COOL N-NW WINDS WILL REMAIN. WILL BE DIFFICULT TO TAKE OUT SLIGHT CHANCE/CHANCE SNOW SHOWERS NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z WEDNESDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 710 PM EST TUE FEB 16 2016 COLDER AIR IN THE WAKE OF A SECONDARY COLD FRONT WL FLOW OVER LK SUP IN A NNW FLOW AND RESULT IN MORE NMRS SHSN TONIGHT THAT WL BRING IFR VSBYS AT TIMES. THE LOWEST CONDITIONS ARE MORE LIKELY TO PREDOMINATE AT IWD AND KCMX...WITH UPSLOPE FLOW AND SHARPER LLVL CONVERGENCE ABLE TO FOCUS SOME HEAVIER SHSN. IFR CONDITIONS MAY BE POSSIBLE AT SAW AS WELL...BUT THESE LOWER VSBYS WL BE MORE TRANSIENT. MVFR CIGS WILL PREDOMINATE ACROSS THE TAF SITES THROUGH WED MORNING...BUT THEN IMPROVEMENT TO VFR IS EXPECTED WED AFTERNOON AS WINDS BACK SW WITH A SFC RIDGE MOVING ACROSS THE AREA. && .MARINE...(FOR THE 4 PM LAKE SUPERIOR FORECAST ISSUANCE) ISSUED AT 231 PM EST TUE FEB 16 2016 EXPECT NNW WINDS FOLLOWING A COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE TO INCREASE UP TO 30 KTS INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON WED UNDER A TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT AHEAD OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING INTO FAR NW ONTARIO ON WED MORNING. THERE MAY BE POCKETS OF HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY OVER PORTIONS OF THE NCENTRAL LAKE TONIGHT WITH THE INFLUX OF ARCTIC AIR. WINDS WILL DIMINISH TO UNDER 20KT WED AS HIGH PRESSURE ARRIVES OVER THE UPPER LAKES. STRONGER SSE GALES UP TO 40KT WILL THEN DEVELOP THU NIGHT UNDER A TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THE DEPARTING HIGH AND ANOTHER APPROACHING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM. OVER THE E HALF OF THE LAKE...S GALES TO 35 KTS ARE LIKELY AT LEAST PART OF THE TIME ON THU AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. THE LOW WILL PASS OVER OR JUST N OF LAKE SUPERIOR FRI. STRONG W TO NW WINDS UP TO 30KT WILL THEN FOLLOW INTO FRI NIGHT AND SAT WITH A FEW GALE FORCE GUSTS POSSIBLE. && .MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UPPER MICHIGAN... NONE. LAKE SUPERIOR... NONE. LAKE MICHIGAN... NONE. && SHORT TERM...07 LONG TERM...KF AVIATION...VOSS MARINE...07
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 348 PM EST TUE FEB 16 2016 MIZ001>007-009-084-085-172100- KEWEENAW-ONTONAGON-NORTHERN HOUGHTON-BARAGA-MARQUETTE-ALGER-LUCE- GOGEBIC-SOUTHERN HOUGHTON-NORTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- 348 PM EST TUE FEB 16 2016 /248 PM CST TUE FEB 16 2016/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN AND CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT LAKE EFFECT SNOW AND PATCHY BLOWING SNOW MAY LEAD TO POOR VISIBILITY NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR TONIGHT. SNOW BELTS FAVORED BY NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS OVER WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN WILL SEE LIGHT TO POTENTIALLY MODERATE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY LAKE EFFECT SNOW AND PATCHY BLOWING SNOW MAY LEAD TO POOR VISIBILITY NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR WEDNESDAY MORNING. A WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION...INCLUDING FREEZING RAIN...MAY IMPACT WEST AND CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT REPORTS OF SNOWFALL AND REDUCED VISIBILITY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MARQUETTE. THE PUBLIC MAY ALSO SUBMIT REPORTS TO OUR OFFICE VIA OUR WEBSITE OR THROUGH FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. MIZ010>014-172100- IRON-DICKINSON-MENOMINEE-DELTA-SOUTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- 348 PM EST TUE FEB 16 2016 /248 PM CST TUE FEB 16 2016/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION...INCLUDING FREEZING RAIN...MAY IMPACT WEST AND CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. LSZ162-240>251-263>267-172100- 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- 348 PM EST TUE FEB 16 2016 /248 PM CST TUE FEB 16 2016/ 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...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY SOUTHEAST GALES TO 35 KNOTS ARE POSSIBLE LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING OVER MAINLY THE EAST HALF OF LAKE SUPERIOR. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. LMZ221-248-250-172100- 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- 348 PM EST TUE FEB 16 2016 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...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY SOUTHEAST GALES TO 35 KNOTS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. KF
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
There was a public report via social media of four inches of lake effect snow in four hours near the Dead River Basin off County Road 510. The observer near Green Garden measured three inches of snow during the same time period.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, February 2016
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: 621218.