Historic snowfall blankets Northern Michigan as record-breaking totals reported

NORTHERN MICHIGAN — Northern Michigan residents experienced a historic snowfall over the holiday weekend, with record-breaking totals in some areas.

According to Sean Christensen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Gaylord, this weather event was driven by a powerful lake-effect snowstorm that delivered significant amounts of snow to the region.

"The highest one-day total we observed was 24.8 inches on Friday, Nov. 29, here in Gaylord," Christensen said. "To put that into perspective, the average total snowfall for the entire month of November in this area is just 18 inches. This single day far exceeded our monthly average, making it a truly exceptional event."

The snowfall totals varied across the region due to the localized nature of lake-effect snow. In Gaylord, the four-day total since Thanksgiving reached 43.7 inches. Meanwhile, Petoskey recorded a comparatively modest 13.2 inches.

Christensen said lake-effect snow occurs when cold air passes over the warmer waters of the Great Lakes, creating snow bands that deposit large amounts of snow in narrow, localized areas.

"Unlike a widespread snowstorm where snow totals are fairly consistent across a region, lake-effect snow results in significant disparities," he said.

Despite the snowfall, the impact on local communities was relatively manageable. Christensen confirmed there were no reports of widespread power outages, although isolated outages were noted in the Bellaire area.

"Lake-effect snow tends to be light and fluffy, which is fortunate because heavy, wet snow would have caused much greater problems," Christensen said.

While this event set records, the region is bracing for even more snow later this week.

"We’re tracking a smaller system that could bring additional lake-effect snow," Christensen said. "Some areas could see several more inches, but it’s unlikely to match the totals we’ve just experienced."

As for whether Northern Michigan could expect a snowier-than-usual winter, Christensen said long-term trends are difficult to predict for lake-effect snow.

"It’s hard to draw any conclusions about increasing snowfall based on one event. However, we’re always monitoring and analyzing data to better understand these phenomena," he said.

The National Weather Service relies on advanced tools and expertise to predict significant snowfall events.

"We use an ensemble of weather models, along with years of localized knowledge, to forecast these conditions accurately," Christensen said. "Our meteorologists have seen many of these events and know what to look for."

While the snow might have made travel difficult for those looking to get home after the Thanksgiving holiday, area ski resorts rejoiced in the fresh snowfall, with several able to open for the first day of the skiing season over the weekend.

— Contact reporter Annie Doyle at (231) 675-0099 and adoyle@charlevoixcourier.com.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: How much did it snow in Michigan this weekend? Record totals reported