January 29, 2013: Snowfall Well Below Average
Nation Weather Service Alerts
Despite a “flurry” of snowfall lately, most of the U.P. is running well below average on snowfall this season. To date, the National Weather Service (NWS) near Negaunee has measured 74.2 inches; that’s around 40 inches below the 30-year average to this date. To the northwest at Calumet, Michigan Tech’s Keweenaw Research center reports a seasonal total of 100.8 inches. Lake-effect really picked up the last two weeks after a slow December and first half of January. To the south in Escanaba, a weather watcher there reports just over 32 inches for the season. The average season will produce about 50 inches of snow at the Capital of the Banana Belt, so that total is not too far below average. Out on the far eastern end, the Sault is bucking the trend of the rest of the U.P. To date, nearly 85 inches have fallen so far; that’s close to a half-foot above average.
The next system coming up from the southwest should drop most of its system snow over eastern areas. At this point, it appears that the best chance of six inches or more of snow is over the east—places like Newberry, Manistique and Grand Marais. Farther west, lighter amounts are expected. In fact, there may not be more than an inch or two through much of south-central Upper Michigan west of Iron Mountain. In the north-wind snow belts (the Gogebic Range around Ironwood and the higher elevations around Marquette) in excess of six inches of snow will likely fall.
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