Northern Houghton storm history

A Chassell man died in a rollover-crash in Houghton County's Portage Township on the evening of the 29th. MSP troopers said the driver, a 50 year-old man from Chassell, was traveling south on Superior Road near Haapapuro Road when he lost control of his vehicle on the snow-covere…

The Houghton County Sheriff's department responded to a distress call of four people swept out by a current into Lake Superior when a sandbar collapsed at Big Traverse Beach. Several people on the beach assisted in the rescue by using inflatable tubes and were able to get all fou…

The observer at Kearsarge measured 12 inches of snowfall in approximately seven hours. North winds gusting as high as 50 mph at times also whipped up three to four foot snow drifts during the event. The inclement weather also contributed to a deadly car crash on Highway US-41 in …

The Houghton County Sheriff reported a fatal two-vehicle accident on Highway M-26 near Dollar Bay on the morning of the 8th. It is believed that several inches of lake effect snow caused the slippery conditions which contributed to the accident. A 2002 Honda Accord collided head-…

There were blizzard conditions with frequent wind gusts of 40-55 mph and snowfall of 8-12 in Northern Houghton County. The Houghton ASOS (KCMX) peak gust was 55 mph. Isolated power outages. Key Impacts: Very difficult to impossible travel, power outages.

Light freezing rain resulted in up to 0.25 of ice accretion, causing slippery roads. Key impacts: transportation delays.

Measured at the Houghton County Airport (KCMX).

Up to 7 inches of snow, combined with temperatures plummeting below freezing, resulted in slippery roadways from the evening of the 18th through the morning of the 19th. Key impacts: travel delays, school closures.

Heavy snowfall totaling 1 to 2 feet along with winds gusting 40 to 60 miles per hour resulted in blizzard conditions. Twelve percent of customers (around 3,500) lost power across the county. Several hospital facilities were closed due to the storm. Key impacts: transportation del…

The first accumulating snowfall of the year brought 2 to 5 inches to the area. Key impacts: transportation delays.

Several rounds of wintry precipitation occurred from the evening of the 28th through the evening of the 30th. First, a round of thunderstorms and sleet during the evening of the 28th resulted in slippery conditions. Then, heavy snow developed on the 30th, accumulating 8 to 14 inc…

Heavy snow and gusty winds occurred on the 23rd into early on the 24th, resulting in treacherous travel conditions and snowfall accumulations of 8 to 16 inches. Key impacts: travel delays, school and business closures.

The Houghton County Memorial Airport ASOS KCMX reported 1/4 mile visibility or lower from 1215 to 1908EST on the 5th, with wind gusts ranging from 35 to 50 mph. Winds at the GLOS Weather Station PCLM4 Portage Canal were above 35 mph from about 1030 to around 2100EST. Peak winds a…

Moderate to heavy snow and high winds resulted in blizzard conditions from around 1500 to 2000 EST on February 28th. Winds gusted as high as 51 mph at Houghton County Memorial Airport, and 3-11 inches of snow occurred. A flash freeze resulted in roadways becoming impassible in th…

Moderate to heavy snow and high winds resulted in blizzard conditions from around 1500 to 2000 EST on the 28th. Winds gusted as high as 51 mph at Houghton County Memorial Airport, and 3-11 inches of snow occurred. A flash freeze resulted in roadways becoming impassible in the Hou…

The CO-OP observer KSGM4 reported an event total snowfall of 14 inches, but no more than 10 per 24 hours. The CO-OP observer QNCM4 Quincy Hill reported an event total snowfall of 10.1 inches with no more than 6.9 per 24 hours. The CO-OP observer PDLM4 reported an event total snow…

The combination of lake effect snow showers and very strong winds created blizzard conditions in Upper Michigan's Copper Country on the afternoon and evening of the 6th. The Houghton County Airport reported 7.5 consecutive hours of blizzard conditions and white out conditions wer…

The Houghton County Airport ASOS measured strong westerly winds through the period with a peak gust of 64 mph. Tree branches were reported down throughout portions of the county on the 27th.

Bitter cold wind chills in the 25 below to nearly 40 below zero range were reported throughout much of the period. Schools were closed throughout Houghton County on the 20th and 21st due to the bitter cold.

The snow spotter in Twin Lakes measured a five-day lake effect snow total of 31,9 inches while the observer in Painesdale measured a five-day total of 27.4 inches.

Two-day snowfall totals across northern Houghton County included 16.7 inches at Painesdale, 10.5 inches at Twin Lakes and 9.7 inches at Quincy Hill.

The CocoRaHS site at Twin Lakes measured 6.9 inches of lake effect snow over 24 hours.

Lake effect snowfall totals over a three-day period included 26.8 inches at Twin Lakes and 24.9 inches at Painesdale. Northwest winds gusting to 40 mph at times also caused considerable blowing and drifting of snow and reduced visibility. Houghton-Keweenaw County Schools were clo…

Observers across northern Houghton County measured between 4 and 7 inches of snow over an approximate 14-hour period.

Spotters across northern Houghton County reported slippery conditions from a light glaze of ice due to freezing rain on the morning of the 4th.

Lake enhanced snowfall totals over a 24-hour period included 9.5 inches at Chassell, 7.8 inches at Quincy Hill, 7.5 inches at Painesdale, 7.3 inches at Hancock and 6.2 inches at Twin Lakes. Northwest winds gusting as high as 40 mph also caused considerable blowing and drifting of…

The observer at Painesdale measured 9.5 inches of lake effect snow in 24 hours.

Lake effect snowfall reports over a 48-hour period included 17 inches at Painesdale, 15.7 inches at Twin Lakes, 13.5 inches at Alston and 11 inches at Houghton. Northwest winds gusting to 35 mph at times also caused considerable blowing snow, reducing visibility to one mile or le…

Observers across much of northern Houghton County measured between 4 and 7 inches of snow over 24 hours.

North winds briefly gusted to 58 mph at the Houghton County Airport ASOS around 7 am.

Occasional west to northwest wind gusts between 55 and 60 were reported across the area which resulted in sporadic power outages.

West winds briefly gusted to 58 mph at the Houghton County Airport ASOS on the evening of the 7th.

The Houghton County Airport ASOS measured a peak west wind gust of 58 mph during the late afternoon of the 22nd.

Observers reported a widespread 4 to 6 inches of wet snow across the county over less than a 30-hour period. The heavy snow combined with northeast wind gusts to 45 mph caused some minor tree damage, sporadic power outages and hazardous travel.

Lake effect snowfall reports over 24 hours included 12 inches at Chassell and 11 inches at Painesdale and Twin Lakes. The heavy snow combined with blowing snow from westerly winds gusting over 35 mph resulted in near-blizzard conditions at times.

Spotter snowfall reports from the afternoon of the 24th into the early evening of the 25th included 11 inches at Chassell and Kearsarge and 10 inches at Twin Lakes.

Observer lake effect snowfall reports over an approximate 36-hour period included 9.5 inches at Painesdale, 8 inches at Kearsarge and 5 inches at Quincy Hill. Northwest winds gusting over 35 mph at times also caused lowered visibility in blowing snow.

Observers between Painesdale and Hancock measured between 4.0 and 4.5 inches of lake effect snow over a 24-hour period.

Observer 24-hour lake effect snowfall reports included 11.4 inches at Twin Lakes and 4.6 inches at Painesdale.

Observers at Quincy Hill and near Redridge measured nearly 5 inches of lake effect snow in 24 hours.

Storm total lake effect snowfall over a five-day period included 38.6 inches at Calumet-Tamarack, 36.2 inches at Painesdale and 32.8 inches at Quincy Hill. North winds gusting over 35 mph at times caused considerable blowing and drifting of snow and lowered visibility. Snow drift…

Observers from Houghton north to Calumet measured between 8 and 14 inches of lake effect snow in less than 24 hours, highest near Calumet. North winds gusting to 40 mph at times also resulted in considerable blowing and drifting of snow and occasional whiteout conditions at times…

Several days of well above normal to near record warm high and low temperatures and continued snowmelt led to periods of dense fog over northern Houghton County from the 25th into the 28th. The dense fog also led to the disruption or cancellation of flights in and out of Houghton…

Observer snowfall reports over a 48-hour period included 9.4 inches at Painesdale and 8 inches at Chassell. Northwest winds gusting near 40 mph also caused near whiteout conditions in blowing snow during the event.

The observer at Twin Lakes measured 3.7 inches of lake effect snow over a two-hour period.

The observer at Painesdale measured 7 inches of snow over 24 hours. Other locations across northern Houghton County observed 24-hour snowfall in the 2 to 4 inch range.

Local broadcast media shared a public report of 10 inches of snow in Chassell in less than a 24-hour period. Lesser amounts of 2 to 4 inches were observed across the rest of northern Houghton County.

Heat indices were around 100 degrees across much of northern Houghton County.