Winter Storm in Manistee, Michigan

Trained observer 1 mile N of Wellston, MI reported 11.8 inches of snow by 1000EST on the 12th, with snowfall rates of 1 inch per hour at times. 4.8 inches of this fell overnight. Additional trained spotter reports from the Brethren, MI area of 8 inches ending 1800 on December 12, on top of an additional 4 inches that fell during the day on the 11th.

Strong upper level troughing digging into the region brought another round of Arctic air overtop anomalously warm lake temperatures for mid-December, resulting in another round of impressive lake enhanced snowfall totals across the region. Lighter background flow initially resulted in development of disorganized lake effect/enhanced snow bands, including a couple mesolows...one which crossed northern Lower Michigan during the day on the 11th, and another that developed over the UP along lake aggregate troughing on the 11th, which was ejected SE into the morning of the 12th as a more focused trough axis swung into the region. This was followed by more stereotypical NW flow lake effect for the day on the 12th. This resulted in periods of hazardous travel, and snowfall totals close to 24 inches in 24-48 hours. By 1900EST on the 12th, total snowfall for the 2024-25 winter season at the NWS Gaylord, MI office was 83 inches, over half of the normal snowfall for an entire winter season for the Gaylord area. 81.2 inches of this fell since 0000EST on November 28th (Thanksgiving Day).