Winter Storm in Presque Isle, Michigan

A strong winter storm system with blizzard conditions impacted much of the Great Lakes heading into the Christmas Holiday. Heavy wet snow moved into Northern Michigan the evening of 12/22 with some drizzle and rain closer to Saginaw Bay and the Lake Huron shoreline. The arctic front blasted through overnight with temperatures falling into the teens and staying there through much of the weekend. As colder air moved into the region, lake effect processes kicked into gear. This led to the highest snowfall totals in the typical northwest-flow belts of northern lower and eastern upper Michigan. Storm totals through Christmas ranged from 2 to 5' closer to Saginaw Bay to a wide swath of 1 to 2 feet in northwest Lower. Localized amounts exceeding 30 were observed in the Gaylord area with the highest storm total report across the lower peninsula coming from Mancelona at 36.7. Many areas across the eastern upper peninsula also received over 30 of snow, including Dafter (31) and Sault Ste Marie (43.1 from 12/22 - 12/26). Winds gusting into the 45 to 55mph range (with some higher gusts near the Lake Michigan shore) led to significant blowing and drifting snow with white-out conditions across most of the region. Travel was significantly impacted across most of the state through Christmas with numerous accidents, abandoned vehicles, and road closures.