Marquette, Michigan – A clipper system is bringing widespread light snow and dangerous cold to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula today, with the most significant snowfall expected in northwest wind snowbelt areas.
According to the National Weather Service in Marquette, most of the U.P. will receive less than 1 inch of snow today, but localized totals of up to 4 inches are possible in northwest-facing snowbelts, including areas near Ironwood and Ontonagon, where dry, fluffy snow may accumulate more efficiently.
High temperatures today are expected to range from 15 to 20 degrees, with colder conditions settling in tonight. Breezy north winds will combine with the cold air to produce subzero wind chills, with values falling into the single digits below zero across much of the region.
Forecasters say the cold pattern will persist into New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, with lake-effect snow showers possible in favored areas. High temperatures are expected to reach only 10 to 15 degrees on New Year’s Eve and 8 to 14 degrees on New Year’s Day.
Overnight lows will drop to 3 below zero to 2 above zero inland, and 5 to 10 degrees near the lakeshores. Wind chill values during the overnight and early morning hours may fall well below zero, especially in interior western counties.
While snowfall amounts are generally light, untreated roads may become slick, particularly where fluffy snow accumulates or where blowing snow reduces visibility. Outdoor plans for New Year’s celebrations should account for the bitter cold, and residents are urged to dress in layers and limit prolonged exposure.
Drivers across the Upper Peninsula should remain alert for changing road conditions and monitor updated forecasts as lake-effect snow showers continue into the holiday period.
