Winter Weather — Baraga, Michigan

2018-12-05 to 2018-12-06 · Baraga, Michigan

Event narrative

There was a report of 5.5 inches of lake effect snow just south of Baraga over an eight-hour period. The observer near Pelkie measured 4.6 inches of snow during the same period.

Poor visibility and slick roads from the lake effect snow contributed to a fatal head-on car crash near L'anse Bay just before 6 am on the 6th. A 31-year-old male was pronounced dead at the scene, and a 37-year-old female sustained critical injuries from the crash. Highway US-41 between Menge Creek Road and Plains Cutoff Road was closed several hours following the deadly crash.

Wider weather episode

An upper disturbance and an associated surge of very cold air across Lake Superior resulted in moderate lake effect snow over the higher terrain of western Upper Michigan and northeast Upper Michigan from the 5th into the 6th.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 793215. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.