Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in Alcona, Michigan

One of the most brutal cold air outbreaks in recent memory - the coldest since at least January 1994 - plunged into the Great Lakes region. Near- to below-zero temperatures were accompanied by blustery northwest winds. Away from the warming influence of Lake Michigan, wind chills sunk to 30 below zero or colder. The coldest wind chills observed were -44 near Cedarville, -39 near Engadine, -36 at Sault Ste Marie, and -33 at West Branch and Houghton Lake. All of these were reached in the morning hours of the 7th. As a result, school closings were widespread across northern Michigan on the 7th.