Winter Weather — Marquette, Michigan

2019-01-24 to 2019-01-25 · Marquette, Michigan

Event narrative

Snowfall across the county ranged from two to locally five inches over an 18-hour period ending on the morning of the 25th. Northwest winds gusting to 25 to 30 mph on the afternoon of the 24th also caused reduced visibility at times in blowing snow.

Troopers from the MSP Negaunee post responded to a two-vehicle crash on US-41 near Brebner Road in Negaunee Township on the afternoon of the 24th. The crash investigation determined that a 2004 Toyota Avalon driven by an 81-year cold male from Sands Township was eastbound on US-41 and while attempting a left turn drove into the path of a westbound 2006 Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck driven by a 57-year old from Champion. A 78-year old female passenger in the Toyota Avalon was killed in the crash. Both drivers were transported to UP Health Systems in Marquette for treatment of injuries.

In a separate incident, a Northern Michigan University student hiking and taking photographs in the Yellow Dog River near County Road 510 became disoriented in the snow and blowing snow that hit the area on the afternoon of the 24th. Search crews looked for the male student for several days until his deceased body was located on the afternoon of the 27th just south of County Road 510. It was determined he died of exposure.

Wider weather episode

A deep upper low pressure system from Hudson Bay into the Great Lakes brought a surge of Arctic air across the Upper Great Lakes which generated moderate to heavy lake effect snow and bitter cold temperatures across much of Upper Michigan from the 24th into 26th.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 804274. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.