Blizzard in Delta, Michigan

There were blizzard conditions with frequent wind gusts of 40-50 mph and snowfall of 8-20 in Delta County. The Escanaba ASOS (KESC) peak gust was 37 mph before it stopped reporting. Road closures included M-35 due to downed power lines. Up to around 25% of customers without power. Key Impacts: Very difficult to impossible travel, road closures, power outages.

A surface low pressure rapidly deepened 22 mb in 24 hours as it tracked northeastward from the mid-Mississippi Valley to Chicago to the Georgian Bay, bringing blizzard conditions to the UP on the 28th and 29th. Rain turned to snow during the afternoon and evening of the 28th with a few inches of heavy, wet snow developing and sticking to trees. As the low moved east, cold air quickly rushed in and heavy snow continued through the early morning hours of the 29th. Winds increased from the north with 40'60 mph wind gusts. The combination of these winds and the snow/ice-laden trees resulted in significant/locally extreme tree damage, especially in the greater Marquette area, where 62% of customers of the local utility lost power. In terms of these impacts, it was one of the most impactful storms in recent memory. Travel conditions became difficult to impossible with heavy blowing and drifting snow and near-zero visibility.