Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in Keweenaw, Michigan

Wind chills as low as -35F were observed on the 23rd and 24th, and as low as -20F on the 25th and 26th. Key impacts: school and business closures.

An Arctic airmass entered the UP late on the 22nd, with very cold wind chills of -25F or lower persisting at times through the morning of the 26th. The coldest wind chills occurred during the mornings of the 23rd and 24th, when minimum values ranged from -30 to -55F in the central and western UP, and -25 to -25F in the eastern UP. For some areas in the central and western UP, this was the coldest 3 and 4 day stretch since January 2019. Numerous schools, businesses, and services were closed on Friday the 23rd and Saturday the 24th.

In addition to the cold temperatures, blizzard conditions accompanied the initial push of cold air during the afternoon and evening of the 22nd in the Keweenaw, with whiteout conditions leading to several traffic accidents and road closures. Another round of heavy accumulating lake effect snow occurred in the northeastern UP on the 23rd, with very low visibilities resulting in at least one road closure.