NEGAUNEE TOWNSHIP -- Temperatures should normally be in the 20s, 10s, and even single digits around this time of year. But the U.P. thermometer has been reading 30s and even 40s in December and January. And according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Matt Zika, there's no real change in sight.
"There's nothing suggesting that we're going to jump out of this pattern and get into a longer term where we're going to see a lot of storms and snow," said Zika.
Not only has it been a mild winter, but also a dry one.
We have seen a few snow storms over the last two months, but a lot of people want to know what's happened to the usual U.P. snow.
"If people are looking for where there's the most snow on the ground in the U.P. right now, they would probably have to head out west in some of the higher terrain areas in Ontonagon county and in Houghton county where there's closer to 18" or 19" on the ground in a few places," Zika said.
The National Weather Service in Marquette county normally sees 42" of snowfall in December. We only had about 25" of snow last month. That means almost half of our snow is missing.
Downtown Marquette is even worse at only 20 percent of normal snow; everybody in the U.P. is behind in snow totals this winter.
What's to blame for this unusual drought? La Nina, the weather pattern that usually spells a wetter winter season is coming up short.
"So far, it's panned out where that La Nina isn't nearly as strong as it looked like it may have been," Zika explained, "and that's probably playing a role, at this point, into why we haven't had as much snow."
Last year's winter was also drier than normal.
But luckily for anyone wanting more snow, the winter season usually lasts until April in Upper Michigan, meaning there's still plenty of time to make up for our lost snowflakes.
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