Winter Storm in Iron, Michigan

Several rounds of wintry precipitation occurred from the evening of the 28th through the evening of the 30th. First, a round of thunderstorms and sleet during the evening of the 28th resulted in slippery conditions. Then, freezing rain and sleet late on the 29th turned to heavy snow on the 30th, accumulating 6 to 10 inches. Key results: travel delays, school and business closures.

Long duration and very complex series of impactful marine, winter, and convective events took place across Upper Michigan beginning Friday March 28 and persisted into early Monday morning, March 31. The event developed initially as a glaze of ice from freezing drizzle Friday morning, then evolved into a convective event which produced widespread freezing rain and sleet thunderstorms, mixed with small hail. This then became heavy snow in the Keweenaw Peninsula and widespread sleet and freezing rain Friday night before a break was observed Saturday. The next wave moved in Saturday evening and again produced widespread freezing rain, sleet, and some snow. Finally, the last wave moved in Sunday into Sunday night, which produced widespread freezing rain, sleet, and heavy snow. Friday reports included widespread 0.5-1' of liquid equivalent precipitation in the wintry mix; Saturday, 2 to 8 inches of snow and 0.5-1' of liquid was observed across the forecast area; and Sunday, 4 to 12 inches was observed across most of the forecast area, except in and around Marquette, which observed 12-20 inches. WFO Marquette observed 18.9 inches of snow and 2.74 of liquid on March 30th, breaking both previous records. Freezing rain amounts of 0.1-0.5 inches were observed in multiple areas during the event. An estimated 75,000 people and many businesses lost power or were closed, and multiple roads were deemed impassible from ice or downed power lines, prompting multiple road closures and at least two 911 centers to advise against travel. Multiple businesses, schools, churches, and local government buildings were closed during this event. Ad-hoc warming shelters were established in various churches in heavily hit areas.