Michigan, 2020

Winter Weather in Michigan, December 13 to 15, 2020

December 13 to 15, 2020 · NWS MQT · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

An Arctic cold front moving across the area generated moderate lake effect snow showers over the northwest wind snow belts of west and north central Upper Michigan from the evening of the 13th into the morning of the 15th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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  • 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
7

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.

An Arctic cold front moving across the area generated moderate lake effect snow showers over the northwest wind snow belts of west and north central Upper Michigan from the evening of the 13th into the morning of the 15th.

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. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Baraga

When
December 13, 8:00 PM EST to December 14, 5:30 PM EST
Where
Baraga forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
46.700, -88.352 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The spotter outside Baraga measured nearly eight inches of lake effect snow in approximately 21 hours. The observer at Herman measured six inches of snow in just over 12 hours.

Winter Weather, Ontonagon

When
December 13, 8:00 PM EST to December 14, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Ontonagon forecast zone
Reported by
Social Media
Coordinates
46.778, -89.305 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was a social media report of four inches of lake effect snow in approximately 14 hours at Mass City.

Winter Weather, Northern Houghton

When
December 13, 8:00 PM EST to December 14, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Northern Houghton forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
46.992, -88.652 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The observer in Painesdale measured 4.7 inches of lake effect snow in 12 hours.

Winter Weather, Marquette

When
December 13, 8:00 PM EST to December 14, 2:00 PM EST
Where
Marquette forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
46.663, -87.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A social media report noted more than four inches of lake effect snow from the north shore of Lake Independence in Big Bay in approximately 18 hours. The observer near Big Bay measured nearly six inches of snow during the event.

Winter Weather, Gogebic

When
December 13, 8:00 PM CST to December 14, 8:00 AM CST
Where
Gogebic forecast zone
Reported by
Social Media
Coordinates
46.496, -89.796 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was a social media report of 4.5 inches of lake effect snow in 12 hours at Bessemer.

Winter Weather, Luce

When
December 14, 10:00 AM EST to December 15, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Luce forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
46.368, -85.509 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The observer six miles south of Pine Stump Junction measured 7 inches of lake effect snow in 24 hours.

Winter Weather, Alger

When
December 14, 10:00 AM EST to December 15, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Alger forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
46.451, -86.548 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The observer in Munising measured 8.7 inches of lake effect snow in 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 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, December 2020

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: 929616, 929617, 929619, 929620, 929618, 929621, 929622.