Heavy Snow — Mackinac, Michigan

2013-04-11 to 2013-04-12 · Mackinac, Michigan

Wider weather episode

A large and complex low pressure system lifted toward the southern and western Great Lakes region, bumping into high pressure over northern Ontario and Quebec. The high helped anchor cold air in place at low levels, while warm and moist air surged in aloft ahead of the low. This resulted in a wide mix of wintry precipitation, developing on the afternoon of the 11th, and ending late that night. Eastern Upper Michigan was far enough north to get mostly snow, with up to nine inches measured in Pickford. In northern Lower, snow transitioned to sleet and freezing rain, and in some places to just rain before dwindling. Ice amounts were substantial near Saginaw Bay, with 3/4 of an inch of ice in parts of Gladwin County. Trees and large limbs were downed, and power outages were common. Another pocket of lighter ice accumulations, around a quarter of an inch, extended from the Grand Traverse Bay region, east to near Gaylord.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 450050. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.