Gaylord, Mich. – Northern Michigan just closed out one of its snowiest winters in recent memory, with more than 146 inches recorded in Sault Ste. Marie, burying stretches of I-75 and M-28 under repeated lake-effect blasts.
According to the National Weather Service in Gaylord, the meteorological winter from December through February delivered well above normal snowfall across much of northern Lower and eastern Upper Michigan. Sault Ste. Marie logged 146.7 inches of snow, a surplus of more than 65 inches above average, ranking as the second snowiest winter on record there. Traverse City recorded 99.0 inches, more than 20 inches above normal, while Gaylord measured 104.7 inches.
Alpena tallied 64.7 inches of snow, roughly 11.5 inches above average, and Houghton Lake finished nearly 4 inches above normal. February alone featured multiple significant snow events, including single-day totals exceeding 6 inches in parts of northeast Lower Michigan.
Temperatures told a split story. While December through February averaged slightly below normal in several locations, February ended milder than average in many communities. Sault Ste. Marie saw winter temperatures average 17.1 degrees, about 2 degrees below normal, with lows plunging to minus 19 degrees in late January.
Heavy snow frequently impacted travel corridors including I-75, US-131, M-32 and US-23, especially during intense lake-effect bands. Rapid shifts between Arctic cold and late-month thaws also led to icy stretches and fluctuating road conditions.
As March begins, a warming trend is underway. However, with deep snowpack still in place across interior northern Michigan, additional meltwater and late-season snow events remain possible in the weeks ahead.
