Winter Storm — Central Chippewa County, Michigan

2024-11-28 to 2024-11-30 · Central Chippewa County, Michigan

Event narrative

Accumulating snow began on the 28th. A period of intense snow associated with a vigorous lake effect snow band was noted between 0100EST and 1300EST on the 29th where 13inches fell in 12 hours, measured by the official snow observer on the SE side of town. Additional public reports indicate snowfall totals on the 29th could have been as high as 2-3feet in some areas where the band persisted longer closer to the Soo Locks. Another, though less, intense period was noted between 1300EST on the 30th through midnight on the 1st, where 7 inches fell in 12hrs, as this lake effect band wavered over time. Highest recorded snow depth for this period was 26 inches, achieved by midnight on December 1. 72-hour snowfall total of 26.2 inches ending 1900EST November 30th. A report from Sugar Island had accumulating snow beginning on the 28th, with accumulations around a foot by morning on the 29th...and enough to bring snow totals up to 20 inches by 4pm. By the afternoon of December 1st, 60-hour snowfall totals reached as high as 42 inches.

Wider weather episode

A prolonged period of cyclonic flow settled into the Upper Great Lakes starting on Thanksgiving night as the first in a series of disturbances moved into the region. Upper level troughing then settled in for the weekend, spanning the last couple days of November and the first couple days of December, bringing an unseasonably cold air mass over the unseasonably warm Great Lakes, resulting in an extended period of significant lake effect snow. Despite wind shifts that shifted the position of the most intense snow bands through the weekend, 1-3inch per hour snowfall rates within these bands resulted in 12hour totals of 12inches or more. The NWS Gaylord, MI office, located 9miles SSW of Gaylord, set an all-time calendar-day snowfall record of 24.8inches for the calendar date of 11-29-2024, with more to come through the next 3 days into December 2. Some areas of Otsego County received as much as 4feet of snow through the entire event.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1224988. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.