Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Michigan, April 1, 2023

Name: Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Michigan, April 1, 2023
Start: 2023-04-01T00:00
End: 2023-04-01T11:30
Location: Michigan

April 1, 2023 · NWS MQT · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

A strong mid-level low pressure system moving from the Central Plains into the Lower Great Lakes dumped heavy snow over portions of west and central Upper Michigan on the 1st.

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.

A strong mid-level low pressure system moving from the Central Plains into the Lower Great Lakes dumped heavy snow over portions of west and central Upper Michigan on the 1st.

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 Mar 31, 2:28 PM EST, 9 hours 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 31, 2:28 PM EST, 9 hours 32 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 31, 2:55 PM EST, 9 hours 5 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Mar 31, 6:21 PM EST, 5 hours 39 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

8 winter storm, 2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Marquette

When: April 1, 12:00 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where: Marquette forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 46.663, -87.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm total observer and spotter snowfall reports from late on March 31st to late morning of April 1st included 17 inches at Watson and Arnold, 14 inches at K.I. Sawyer and Little Lake, 10 inches at Gwinn and the National Weather Service in Negaunee Township and 5 to 8 inches from Clarksburg and Ishpeming through Marquette to Harvey. The heavy snow combined with strong northeast winds gusting as high as 45 mph caused power outages across portions of southern Marquette County.

Winter Storm, Delta

When: April 1, 12:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where: Delta forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 45.792, -86.871 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm total observer and spotter snowfall reports from late on March 31st to late morning of April 1st included 10 inches in Garden, 5-9 inches in the Escanaba-Gladstone area and 7-9 inches in the Rapid River area. The heavy snow combined with northeast winds gusting to 45 mph at times caused power outages across portions of Delta County. The precipitation started out as a mix of rain and freezing rain before changing over to all snow by around 4 am.

Winter Storm, Luce

When: April 1, 12:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where: Luce forecast zone
Reported by: Social Media
Coordinates: 46.368, -85.509 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Social media snowfall reports from the morning of the 1st included 12 inches at Halfway Lake and Newberry. The heavy snow combined with strong northeast winds gusting as high as 45 mph caused considerable drifting of snow and widespread power outages across portions of Luce County.

Winter Storm, Alger

When: April 1, 12:00 AM EST to 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)

Observer and social media snowfall reports from the morning of the 1st included an estimated 12 inches at Chatham, 9 inches at Munising and 5-6 inches in the Au Train-Deerton area. The heavy snow combined with strong northeast winds gusting as high as 45 mph caused considerable blowing and drifting of snow and sporadic power outages across portions of Alger County.

Winter Storm, Southern Schoolcraft

When: April 1, 12:00 AM EST to 11:30 AM EST
Where: Southern Schoolcraft forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.043, -86.177 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Observer snowfall reports on the morning of the 1st included 5 to 7 inches from Manistique to Parent Bay. There were estimated higher snowfall totals of 8-10 inches well inland from Lake Michigan across southern Schoolcraft County. The heavy snow combined with strong northeast winds gusting as high as 45 mph caused power outages across portions of southern Schoolcraft County.

Winter Storm, Northern Schoolcraft

When: April 1, 12:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where: Northern Schoolcraft forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 46.043, -86.177 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An estimated widespread snowfall of 8 to 10 inches occurred over northern Schoolcraft County on the morning of the 1st. The heavy snow combined with strong northeast winds gusting as high as 45 mph caused sporadic power outages across portions of northern Schoolcraft County.

Winter Weather, Baraga

When: April 1, 12:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Baraga forecast zone
Reported by: Social Media
Coordinates: 46.700, -88.352 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was a social media report of 5 inches of snow five miles southeast of Mount Arvon during the early morning of the 1st.

Winter Storm, Dickinson

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where: Dickinson forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.009, -87.870 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm total observer and spotter snowfall reports from late on March 31st to late morning of April 1st included 17 inches at Sagola and 14 to 17 inches from Iron Mountain to Norway. The heavy snow combined with strong northeast winds gusting as high as 40 mph caused power outages across portions of Dickinson County.

Winter Storm, Iron

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to 7:30 AM CST
Where: Iron forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.209, -88.530 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Spotter and social media storm total snowfall reports from late on March 31st to late morning of April 1st included 14 inches at Caspian, 12 inches near Peavy Falls Dam|and 10 inches in Crystal Falls.

Winter Weather, Gogebic

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to 6:00 AM CST
Where: Gogebic forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.496, -89.796 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Observer snowfall reports from late on March 31st into the morning of April 1st ranged from 3-4 inches in the Ironwood-Bessemer area to 8 inches eleven miles west-southwest of Watersmeet.

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
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

Every storm in Michigan in 2023 Every state in 2023 This day in weather history Warnings in Michigan, April 2023

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1090465, 1090468, 1090470, 1090471, 1090473, 1090474, 1090477, 1090467, 1090469, 1090472.