000
CSUS53 KMQT 032159
CLMMQT

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI                                
500 PM EST WED DEC 3 2003

................................... 

...THE MARQUETTE CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER 2003...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1971 TO 2000
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1961 TO 2003

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR'S         
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)      
                                          NORMAL                      
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH              73   11/09/1999                                    
 LOW              -13   11/29/1976                                    
HIGHEST            49   11/20        MM      MM       MM  MM          
LOWEST              5   11/08        MM      MM       MM  MM          
AVG. MAXIMUM     36.0              36.6    -0.6       MM              
AVG. MINIMUM     24.8              22.9     1.9       MM              
MEAN             30.4              29.7     0.7       MM              
DAYS MAX >= 90      0                MM      MM       MM              
DAYS MAX <= 32      8                MM      MM       MM              
DAYS MAX >= 80      0                                 MM              
DAYS MAX >= 60      0                                 MM              
DAYS MAX <= 60     30                                 MM              
DAYS MIN <= 32     27                MM      MM       MM              
DAYS MIN <= 0       0                MM      MM       MM              
DAYS MIN >= 60      0                                 MM              
DAYS MIN <= 40     30                                 MM              
DAYS MIN <= 30     24                                 MM              

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM           MM   MM                                            
 MINIMUM           MM   MM                                            
TOTALS           3.13              3.27   -0.14       MM              
DAILY AVG.       0.10              0.11   -0.01       MM              
DAYS >= .01        16                MM      MM       MM              
DAYS >= .10         7                MM      MM       MM              
DAYS >= .50         3                MM      MM       MM              
DAYS >= 1.00        0                MM      MM       MM              
DAYS >= 0.25        4                                 MM              
DAYS >= 0.75        0                                 MM              
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.80   11/12 TO 11/13                MM              
 STORM TOTAL       MM                                 MM              
 (MM/DD(HH))            MM                                            

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL           48.9   1991                                          
 24 HR TOTAL     19.2   11/27/2001 TO 11/27/2001                      
 SNOW DEPTH        MM   MM                                            
TOTALS           23.5              22.6     0.9       MM              
 LIQUID EQUIV    2.30              2.30    0.00       MM              
SINCE 7/1        34.1              28.6     5.5       MM              
 LIQUID 7/1      3.40              2.90    0.50       MM              
SNOWDEPTH AVG.      2                MM      MM       MM              
DAYS >= TRACE      18                MM      MM       MM              
DAYS >= 1.0         9                MM      MM       MM              
DAYS >= 3.0         3                                 MM              
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH         5   11/30                         MM  MM          
                        11/29                                         
                        11/13                                         
 24 HR TOTAL      6.6   11/12 TO 11/13                MM              
 STORM TOTAL       MM                                 MM              
 (MM/DD(HH))            MM                                MM          

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL    1031              1050     -19       MM              
 SINCE 7/1       2095              2258    -163       MM              
COOLING TOTAL       0                 0       0       MM              
 SINCE 1/1        262               229      33       MM              

FREEZE DATES
RECORD
 EARLIEST     MM                                                      
 LATEST       MM                                                      
EARLIEST                        MM                                    
LATEST                          MM                                    
.................................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              MM                                    
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION  MM                                    
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    MM        DATE   MM                   
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    45/360    DATE  11/12

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   45
AVERAGE SKY COVER             MM                                      
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR            0
NUMBER OF DAYS PC              0
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          0

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     MM                                           

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH 
THUNDERSTORM              1     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                0     RAIN                       1
LIGHT RAIN                9     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          4     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       2
LIGHT SNOW               17     SLEET                      2
FOG                       9     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      3
HAZE                      0                                           
                                                                    
-  INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.                                      
R  INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.                                
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.                                       
T  INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.                                          

&&

 ...NOVEMBER 2003 MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR UPPER MICHIGAN...

...NEAR TO SOMEWHAT BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION...
...SNOWFALL GENERALLY BELOW NORMAL EXCEPT ACROSS THE WEST...
...LEAST SNOWY NOVEMBER ON RECORD IN MARQUETTE CITY...
...NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES...

NOVEMBER CLIMATE STATISTICS FOR THE MARQUETTE NWS IN NEGAUNEE TOWNSHIP
                                    
                                    NORMAL   DEPARTURE
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE         30.4     29.7   PLUS    0.7
AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE    36.0     36.6  MINUS    0.6
AVERAGE LOW TEMPERATURE     24.8     22.9   PLUS    1.9
HEATING DEGREE DAYS         1031     1050  MINUS     19 
COOLING DEGREE DAYS            0        0             0 
TOTAL PRECIPITATION         3.13     3.27  MINUS   0.14
TOTAL SNOWFALL              23.5     22.6   PLUS    0.9

HIGHEST TEMPERATURE:  49 ON 11/20
LOWEST TEMPERATURE:   5 ON 11/8
GREATEST CALENDAR DAY PRECIPITATION:  0.73 ON 11/4
GREATEST 24 HOUR PRECIPITATION:       0.80 ON 11/12-11/13
GREATEST CALENDAR DAY SNOWFALL:       4.0 ON 11/15
GREATEST 24 HOUR SNOWFALL:            6.6 ON 11/12-11/13
PEAK WIND SPEED: 45 MPH FROM THE NORTH ON 11/12

DAILY RECORD SNOWFALL ON 11/7: 2.5 (OLD RECORD 1.4...1995)
DAILY RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE TIED ON 11/8: 23 (23...1991)
DAILY RECORD SNOWFALL TIED ON 11/13: 4.0 (4.0...1992)
DAILY RECORD HIGH LOW TEMPERATURE ON 11/18: 38 (37...1991/2001)

                     NOVEMBER CLIMATE HIGHLIGHTS

WEATHERWISE...NOVEMBER 2003 WAS A FAIRLY TYPICAL LATE FALL MONTH 
THAT FEATURED FEW EXTREMES IN TEMPERATURE OR PRECIPITATION. UPPER 
TROUGHING AND SOMEWHAT BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES DOMINATED THE FIRST 
TEN DAYS OF THE MONTH...BUT THIS PATTERN TRANSITIONED TO A MORE 
ZONAL AND MILDER FLOW LATER. ALTHOUGH TEMPERATURES AVERAGED 5 TO 10 
DEGREES BELOW NORMAL THE FIRST 9 DAYS OF NOVEMBER AND THE DEPARTURE 
FROM THE MEAN FOR THE BALANCE OF THE MONTH WAS ONLY FIVE DEGREES OR 
SO ABOVE AVERAGE...THE NUMBER OF WARMER DAYS WAS GREATER THAN THE 
NUMBER OF DAYS WITH ABOVE NORMAL READINGS. SO...MOST PLACES OBSERVED 
A SLIGHTLY WARMER NOVEMBER THAN NORMAL. BECAUSE THE MONTH WAS 
GENERALLY CLOUDY...WHICH TYPICALLY RESULTS IN COOLER DAYS BUT WARMER 
NIGHTS...THE DEPARTURE OF MINIMUM TEMPERATURES FROM THE MEAN WAS 
QUITE A BIT MORE POSITIVE THAN THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE ANOMALY.

THE COLDEST WEATHER OCCURRED BETWEEN 11/6 AND 11/9...WHEN DAILY 
TEMPERATURES WERE 10 TO 15 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THE COLDEST MORNING 
WAS 11/8...WHEN THE MERCURY SANK INTO THE SINGLE NUMBERS ABOVE ZERO 
AWAY FROM THE MODERATING INFLUENCE OF LAKE SUPERIOR AND EVEN TO A 
FRIGID 5 BELOW ZERO AT CHAMPION IN MARQUETTE COUNTY. ON THE FLIP 
SIDE...THE WARMEST TIME OF THE MONTH WAS 11/16-11/20. DURING THESE 
FIVE DAYS...THE DEPARTURE OF DAILY TEMPERATURES FROM NORMAL WAS 
NEARLY +10 DEGREES. THE AFTERNOON OF 11/20 WAS THE WARMEST...AND THE 
THERMOMETER READ IN THE 50S AT MOST PLACES...INCLUDING A BALMY 59 AT 
MENOMINEE. LOW TEMPERATURES DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 11/17-11/18 DID 
NOT FALL BELOW THE UPPER 30S OR LOWER 40S...AND A FEW PLACES 
ESTABLISHED NEW RECORD HIGH MINIMUMS FOR 11/18. 

ALTHOUGH NO CRIPPLING WINTER STORMS STRUCK THE UPPER GREAT LAKES IN 
NOVEMBER...MODERATELY STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS DID CAUSE 
WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION ON 11/3-11/4...11/11-11/13...11/17- 
11/18...AND 11/22-11/24. FOR THE MOST PART...TEMPERATURES WERE HIGH 
ENOUGH THAT AT LEAST A GOOD PORTION OF THE PRECIPITATION FELL AS 
RAIN OR A WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION...SO SNOWFALL TENDED TO BE 
LOWER THAN USUAL. IN FACT...MARQUETTE CITY RECORDED A PALTRY 1.4 
INCH MONTHLY SNOW TOTAL...BREAKING THE RECORD LOW SNOWFALL OF 1.6 
INCHES THAT FELL THERE DURING THE VERY MILD NOVEMBERS OF 1999 AND 
1990. THE EXCEPTION WAS ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF WESTERN UPPER 
MICHIGAN... WHERE MORE OF THE SYNOPTIC SCALE PRECIPITATION FELL AS 
SNOW AND GREATER LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADDED TO THE ACCUMULATION. PHOENIX 
IN KEWEENAW COUNTY LED REPORTING STATIONS WITH 31.7 INCHES OF THE 
WHITE STUFF DURING NOVEMBER. SINGLE STORM SNOW TOTALS WERE AS GREAT 
AS 10 INCHES AT PELKIE NEAR THE BARAGA-HOUGHTON COUNTY LINE AND 
IRONWOOD DURING A 11/23-11/24 STORM. THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION FELL 
DURING THE 11/17-11/18 EVENT...WHEN TEMPERATURES WERE HIGH ENOUGH TO 
RESULT IN ONLY RAIN. AN INCH OR MORE OF RAIN ACCUMULATED IN A SWATH 
ACROSS WEST CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN...AND 2.03 INCHES OF RAIN 
INUNDATED BARAGA.

THE MOST SEVERE STORM OVERALL WAS THE ONE THAT OCCURRED ON 11/12- 
11/13. ALTHOUGH PRECIPITATION TOTALS WERE NOT EXTREME...UP TO 8 
INCHES OF SNOW AND 1.15 INCHES OF LIQUID EQUIVALENT PRECIPITATION 
FELL ACROSS THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA...THE BIGGEST IMPACT FROM THIS 
STORM SYSTEM WAS THE GUSTY NORTH WIND THAT DEVELOPED LATE IN THE DAY 
ON 11/12 AND THE FOLLOWING NIGHT AS THE LOW CENTER TO THE EAST 
DEEPENED RAPIDLY. WIND GUSTS EXCEEDED 50 MPH AT A NUMBER OF 
LOCATIONS...INCLUDING 62 MPH AT STANNARD ROCK LIGHTHOUSE...53 MPH AT 
ESCANABA... 52 MPH AT IRON MOUNTAIN AND MANISTIQUE...AND 48 MPH AT 
COPPER HARBOR AND THE HOUGHTON COUNTY AIRPORT. THESE STRONG WINDS 
BLEW DOWN NUMEROUS TREES AND CAUSED A NUMBER OF POWER OUTAGES. THE 
COMBINATION OF FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW REDUCED VISIBILITY BELOW ONE 
QUARTER MILE AT TIMES OVER THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA LATE IN THE DAY ON 
11/12 AND EAST OF MARQUETTE NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR DURING THE OVERNIGHT 
ON 11/12-11/13... WHEN NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED FOR A 
FEW HOURS IN ALGER AND LUCE COUNTIES.

SOME OTHER TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION OBSERVATIONS ACROSS UPPER 
MICHIGAN IN NOVEMBER 2003 INCLUDE:

NEWBERRY...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 33 (NEAR NORMAL)
           PRECIPITATION 3.73 INCHES (ABOUT 1 INCH ABOVE NORMAL)
           SNOWFALL 12.4 INCHES (ABOUT 1 INCH BELOW NORMAL)

IRONWOOD...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 28.7 (0.2 DEGREE BELOW NORMAL)
           PRECIPITATION 2.72 INCHES (0.17 INCH BELOW NORMAL)
           SNOWFALL 26.3 INCHES (0.5 INCH BELOW NORMAL)

IRON MOUNTAIN...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 32.2 (0.6 DEGREE ABOVE NORMAL)
                PRECIPITATION 1.91 INCHES (0.13 INCH BELOW NORMAL)
                SNOWFALL 2.3 INCHES (4.0 INCHES BELOW NORMAL)

WATTON (BARAGA COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 29.4 DEGREES
                         PRECIPITATION 2.89 INCHES
                         SNOWFALL 13.7 INCHES

BARK RIVER (DELTA COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 33.6 DEGREES
                            PRECIPITATION 2.89 INCHES
                            SNOWFALL 4.3 INCHES

PHOENIX (KEWEENAW COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 30.5 DEGREES
                            PRECIPITATION 3.97 INCHES
                            SNOWFALL 31.0 INCHES

STEPHENSON (MENOMINEE COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 33.2 DEGREES
                                PRECIPITATION 2.73 INCHES
                                SNOWFALL 2.0 INCHES

MARQUETTE CITY...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 34.6 DEGREES
                 PRECIPITATION 2.82 INCHES
                 SNOWFALL 1.4 INCHES

CALUMET...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 31.0 DEGREES
          PRECIPITATION 3.37 INCHES
          SNOWFALL 19.8 INCHES

                     NOVEMBER WEATHER SUMMARY

THE ELEVENTH MONTH OF 2003 BEGAN ON A TRANQUIL BUT CHILLY NOTE WITH 
A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE UPPER GREAT LAKES. AFTER FALLING 
TO BETWEEN 26 AND 36 AT DAWN ON 11/1...THE MERCURY RECOVERED TO 34 
TO 44 IN THE AFTERNOON WITH A DECENT AMOUNT OF SUNSHINE. SKIES BECAME 
CLOUDY DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 11/1-11/2 AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT 
APPROACHING FROM THE NORTHWEST...BUT LOWS STILL FELL TO 25 TO 35. 
DESPITE THE CLOUD COVER...A MILDER SOUTHWEST WIND IN ADVANCE OF THE 
FRONT PUSHED THE THERMOMETER TO BETWEEN 37 AND 45. SINCE THE LOWER 
LEVELS WERE SO DRY...THERE WAS NO PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE 
FRONTAL PASSAGE DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 11/2-11/3. LOWS AT DAWN ON 
11/3 WERE 27 TO 36.

DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING ON 11/3...A MIXED BAG OF SNOW... 
SLEET...FREEZING RAIN...AND RAIN OVERSPREAD UPPER MICHIGAN AS A 
DISORGANIZED STORM SYSTEM APPROACHED FROM THE SOUTHWEST. THIS WINTRY 
MESS CONTINUED THROUGH THE DAY ON 11/4 BEFORE WINDS TURNED TO THE 
NORTHWEST BEHIND THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND PUSHED COLDER BUT DRIER 
AIR BACK OVER THE NORTHWEST GREAT LAKES DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 
11/4-11/5. AS MUCH AS 4 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATED OVER THE 
HIGHER TERRAIN OF NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST UPPER MICHIGAN...WITH 
GENERALLY AN INCH OR TWO ELSEWHERE. ANY ICE ACCUMULATION WAS 
NEGLIGIBLE BECAUSE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES ON 11/3 ROSE ABOVE FREEZING 
IN AREAS WHERE RAIN FELL LATER. HIGHS RANGED FROM 30 AT MOHAWK IN 
KEWEENAW COUNTY TO 40 ALONG THE LAKE MICHIGAN SHORE. LOWS AT DAWN ON 
11/4 RANGED BETWEEN 27 AT IRONWOOD AND 37 AT MENOMINEE...SO THE 
PRECIPITATION TENDED TO BECOME MAINLY RAIN OVER THE SOUTHEAST 
COUNTIES OF UPPER MICHIGAN. IN FACT...HIGHS ON 11/4 REACHED 46 AT 
MENOMINEE AND ESCANABA...BUT REMAINED AROUND A CHILLY 32 OVER THE 
INTERIOR NORTH CENTRAL AND WEST...WHERE THE PRECIPITATION STAYED A 
WINTRY MIX. 

AFTER THE MAIN BATCH OF PRECIPITATION ENDED LATE BY LATE IN THE DAY 
ON 11/4...THERE WERE LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS DURING THE OVERNIGHT 
AND INTO 11/5...BUT THE RATHER SHALLOW NATURE OF THE INCOMING COLD 
AIR LIMITED ACCUMULATIONS TO A FEW INCHES AT MOST. THE MERCURY AT 
DAWN ON 11/5 SANK AS LOW AS 22 AT SILVER CITY IN ONTONAGON COUNTY 
AND AT PHOENIX IN KEWEENAW COUNTY...BUT REMAINED WELL ABOVE FREEZING 
OVER THE WARMER SOUTHEAST AND EVEN AS HIGH AS 37 AT MANISTIQUE. 
DAYTIME TEMPERATURES ON 11/5 REACHED BETWEEN 33 OVER THE HIGHER 
TERRAIN OF THE NORTHWEST AND 41 AT MENOMINEE AND STEPHENSON IN 
MENOMINEE COUNTY. CLOUDS AND FLURRIES LINGERED INTO 11/6 AS MUCH 
COLDER AIR SURGED INTO UPPER MICHIGAN ON THE HEELS OF WEST WINDS 
GUSTING OVER 40 MPH ON THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA...BUT AN APPROACHING 
RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE DISSIPATED THE CLOUD COVER TO ALLOW FOR A 
MOSTLY SUNNY AFTERNOON. MORNING LOWS ON 11/6 RANGED FROM 14 AT 
IRONWOOD TO 27 AT NEWBERRY AND MANISTIQUE. THE INCREASING SUNSHINE 
ON 11/6 BOOSTED DAYTIME TEMPERATURES BACK INTO THE 30S...BUT THE 
GUSTY WIND MADE THE AIR FEEL COLDER.

LAKE EFFECT SNOW DEVELOPED OVER THE WESTERN U.P. DURING THE 
OVERNIGHT ON 11/6-11/7 AS A POTENT UPPER AIR DISTURBANCE AND 
REINFORCING COLD FRONT CROSSED THE UPPER GREAT LAKES. THE HEAVIEST 
SNOW FELL NORTH OF ONTONAGON...AND THERE WAS PLENTY OF BLOWING SNOW 
AS WELL WITH WEST WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS 45 MPH ON THE KEWEENAW. 
THE LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS BEGAN IN EARNEST OVER THE EAST DURING 
THE MORNING ON 11/7 AS THE WIND SHIFTED MORE NORTHWEST. ALTHOUGH THE 
ARRIVAL OF DRIER AIR DIMINISHED THE SNOW SHOWERS OVER WESTERN UPPER 
MICHIGAN BY LATER IN THE DAY ON 11/7...SIGNIFICANT SNOW LINGERED 
OVER THE EAST THROUGH THE MORNING ON 11/8 DUE TO THE LONGER FETCH OF 
THE COLD NORTHWEST FLOW ACROSS EASTERN LAKE SUPERIOR. TWO HEART IN 
LUCE COUNTY MEASURED 10 INCHES OF THE WHITE STUFF ON 11/7-11/8. 
ACCUMULATIONS OVER THE WESTERN SNOW BELTS WERE A MORE CONSERVATIVE 3 
TO 6 INCHES...WITH AREAS JUST WEST OF PELKIE ON THE BARAGA-HOUGHTON 
COUNTY LINE TO HERMAN OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF BARAGA COUNTY 
REPORTING THE GREATEST SNOWFALL. LITTLE IF ANY SNOW FELL OVER THE 
SHELTERED SOUTH CENTRAL COUNTIES OF UPPER MICHIGAN...WHERE SKIES 
WERE JUST PARTLY CLOUDY. THE SNOW SHOWERS AND CLOUD COVER DISSIPATED 
COMPLETELY DURING THE DAY ON 11/8 AS A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE MOVED 
INTO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES. TEMPERATURES DURING THESE TWO DAYS WERE 
WELL BELOW NORMAL. LOWS ON 11/7 WERE MAINLY IN THE TEENS TO LOWER 
20S...WITH THE MERCURY FALLING AS LOW AS 11 NEAR CRYSTAL FALLS. 
THERMOMETERS READ MAINLY IN THE 20S DURING THE AFTERNOON ON 11/7... 
BUT HIGHS RANGED FROM 18 AT WATTON IN BARAGA COUNTY TO 30 AT 
STEPHENSON. THE MORNING OF 11/8 WAS THE COLDEST SO FAR OF THE 
SEASON...WITH MINIMUM TEMPERATURES FALLING INTO THE SINGLE NUMBERS 
ABOVE ZERO AWAY FROM THE MODERATING INFLUENCE OF LAKE SUPERIOR AND 
EVEN TO A FRIGID 5 BELOW ZERO AT CHAMPION IN MARQUETTE COUNTY. THE 
MERCURY NEAR THE LAKE SHORES HELD IN THE MORE MODERATE TEENS. 
DESPITE THE RETURN OF SUNSHINE IN THE AFTERNOON...TEMPERATURES 
RECOVERED ONLY TO 22 AT HOUGHTON TO 32 AT MCMILLAN IN LUCE COUNTY 
AND MANISTIQUE DURING THE DAY.

THE OVERNIGHT ON 11/8-11/9 WAS QUITE COLD AGAIN UNDER MOSTLY CLEAR 
SKIES...BUT AN INCREASING SOUTHWEST WIND ON THE BACK SIDE OF HIGH 
PRESSURE DROPPING INTO THE LOWER GREAT LAKES PREVENTED TEMPERATURES 
FROM FALLING QUITE AS LOW AS THE MORNING BEFORE. LOWS ON 11/9 RANGED 
FROM 4 ABOVE AT IRON MOUNTAIN TO 19 AT COPPER HARBOR. THE 
COMBINATION OF MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES AND THE MILDER SOUTHWEST FLOW ON 
11/9 PUSHED TEMPERATURES BACK TO NORMAL OR EVEN A BIT ABOVE...WITH 
READINGS TOPPING OUT FROM 35 AT MUNISING TO 46 AT SILVER CITY. 
CLOUDS INCREASED LATER IN THE DAY ON 11/9 AS THE RETURN SOUTHWEST 
FLOW ALSO TRANSPORTED MOISTER AIR BACK INTO THE GREAT LAKES. THE 
CLOUDS ACTED AS AN INSULATING BLANKET DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 
11/9-11/10...AND LOWS ON 11/10 WERE QUITE A BIT HIGHER THAN ON THE 
PREVIOUS MORNING...MAINLY IN THE 30S. THE MILD AND MOIST SOUTHWEST 
FLOW AHEAD OF A LOW PRESSURE TROUGH CAUSED SOME LIGHT RAIN AND 
DRIZZLE ON 11/10 INTO 11/11 BEFORE THE TROUGH PASSED AND SKIES 
CLEARED BY LATE AFTERNOON ON VETERANS DAY. ALTHOUGH SOME LIGHT SNOW 
AND SLEET WAS MIXED IN WITH THE RAIN OVER HIGHER TERRAIN AT THE 
ONSET OF THE PRECIPITATION ON 11/10...THERE WAS NO SNOW OR ICE 
ACCUMULATION. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WERE GENERALLY LIGHT AND NO MORE THAN 
0.10 TO 0.20 INCH AT MOST SPOTS...BUT TWO HEART DID MEASURE 0.28 
INCH. HIGH TEMPERATURES ON 11/10 ROSE TO 35 TO 45...AND READINGS 
DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 11/10-11/11 REMAINED ABOVE FREEZING IN THE 
30S EVERYWHERE AND EVEN AS HIGH AS 41 AT MANISTIQUE. DAYTIME HIGHS 
ON 11/11 SOARED AS HIGH AS 57 AT SILVER CITY WITH AN EARLY RETURN OF 
SUNSHINE...BUT REMAINED A BIT COOLER NEAR 40 AROUND NEWBERRY...WHERE 
THE CLOUDS WERE THE LAST TO BREAK LATER IN THE DAY.

ALTHOUGH THE PACIFIC AIRMASS FOLLOWING THE LOW PRESSURE TROUGH WAS 
NOT PARTICULARLY COLD...MAINLY CLEAR SKIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE HIGH 
PRESSURE RIDGE FOLLOWING THE TROUGH DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 11/11- 
11/12 ALLOWED LOW TEMPERATURES TO FALL AS LOW AS THE MID 20S OVER 
INTERIOR SECTIONS OF UPPER MICHIGAN AWAY FROM THE GREAT LAKES 
SHORES...WHERE READINGS STAYED IN THE 30S. TEMPERATURES LATE AT 
NIGHT TENDED TO RISE WITH INCREASING CLOUDS IN ADVANCE OF A STORM 
SYSTEM APPROACHING FROM THE NORTHERN PLAINS SO THAT BY THE TIME 
PRECIPITATION BEGAN AROUND DAWN ON 11/12...TEMPERATURES WERE ABOVE 
FREEZING AND HIGH ENOUGH SO THAT JUST RAIN FELL. THE RAIN WAS 
INTERMITTENT EARLY IN THE DAY BUT TENDED TO BECOME MORE STEADY WEST 
TO EAST IN THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON AS THE LOW PRESSURE CENTER 
DREW CLOSER. ONCE THE LOW SHIFTED EAST INTO NORTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN 
LATER ON 11/12 AND INTO NORTHERN LAKE HURON BY MIDNIGHT ON 11/13... 
WINDS TURNED MORE NORTH...AND ENOUGH COLD AIR RETURNED TO CHANGE THE 
RAIN OVER TO SNOW OVER THE WEST BY SUNSET AND OVER THE EAST LATER IN 
THE EVENING. THE MOST PRECIPITATION AND SNOW FELL OVER THE KEWEENAW 
PENINSULA...WITH LITTLE IF ANY RAIN AND SNOW ACROSS THE SOUTH 
CENTRAL. BY THE TIME LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS BEHIND THE STORM ENDED 
ON 11/13...AS MUCH AS 8 INCHES HAD FALLEN AT LAURIUM IN HOUGHTON 
COUNTY AND AT PHOENIX. MOST OTHER PLACES JUST INLAND FROM THE LAKE 
SUPERIOR SHORE FROM IRONWOOD TO NEWBERRY PICKED UP 2 TO 5 INCHES OF 
THE WHITE STUFF. MOHAWK RECORDED 1.15 INCHES OF LIQUID EQUIVALENT 
PRECIPITATION...BUT AREAS SOUTH OF IRON MOUNTAIN SAW NO MORE THAN A 
TRACE. ALTHOUGH THE SNOW CAUSED ROADS TO BECOME SLIPPERY...THE 
BIGGEST IMPACT FROM THIS STORM SYSTEM WAS THE GUSTY NORTH WIND THAT 
DEVELOPED LATE IN THE DAY ON 11/12 AND THE FOLLOWING NIGHT AS THE 
LOW CENTER TO THE EAST DEEPENED RAPIDLY. WIND GUSTS EXCEEDED 50 MPH 
AT A NUMBER OF LOCATIONS... INCLUDING 62 MPH AT STANNARD ROCK 
LIGHTHOUSE...53 MPH AT ESCANABA... 52 MPH AT IRON MOUNTAIN AND 
MANISTIQUE...AND 48 MPH AT COPPER HARBOR AND THE HOUGHTON COUNTY 
AIRPORT. THESE STRONG WINDS BLEW DOWN NUMEROUS TREES AND CAUSED A 
NUMBER OF POWER OUTAGES. THE COMBINATION OF FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW 
REDUCED VISIBILITY BELOW ONE QUARTER MILE AT TIMES OVER THE KEWEENAW 
PENINSULA LATE IN THE DAY ON 11/12 AND EAST OF MARQUETTE NEAR LAKE 
SUPERIOR DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 11/12-11/13...WHEN NEAR BLIZZARD 
CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED FOR A FEW HOURS IN ALGER AND LUCE COUNTIES. 
TEMPERATURES REACHED INTO THE UPPER 30S AND 40S ON 11/13 BEFORE THE 
COLDER AIR ARRIVED AND TEMPERATURES FELL OFF INTO THE 20S DURING THE 
EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. BY DAWN ON 11/13...THE MERCURY RANGED BETWEEN 
19 AT PHOENIX AND 30 AT MENOMINEE AND NEWBERRY. ALTHOUGH MORE 
SUNSHINE RETURNED DURING THE DAY ON 11/13...HIGH TEMPERATURES 
RECOVERED ONLY TO 25 TO 35 DURING THE AFTERNOON.

DESPITE MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES...AN INCREASING WEST WIND ASSOCIATED WITH 
THE PASSAGE OF A LOW PRESSURE TROUGH DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 11/13- 
11/14 KEPT LOWS FROM FALLING MORE THAN A FEW DEGREES FROM THE 
PREVIOUS DAYS HIGHS. IN FACT...THE MERCURY AT EXPOSED LOCATIONS ROSE 
THROUGH THE 30S AND EVEN INTO THE LOW 40S DURING THE NIGHT. MOST 
PLACES SAW HIGHS IN THE 40S ON 11/14 WITH AT LEAST PARTIAL 
SUNSHINE...BUT TEMPERATURES REACHED INTO THE 50S OVER THE SOUTH 
CENTRAL COUNTIES OF THE U.P. AND AS HIGH AS 54 AT STEPHENSON. THESE 
HIGHS ON 11/14 WERE GENERALLY ABOUT 20 DEGREES HIGHER THAN ON THE 
PREVIOUS AFTERNOON. THE WIND BECAME CALM DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 
11/14-11/15 AS A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE CRESTED OVERHEAD. SO DESPITE 
THE PREVIOUS DAY'S WARMTH...OVERNIGHT LOWS BOTTOMED OUT IN THE 20S 
AT MOST PLACES BY DAWN ON 11/15...RANGING BETWEEN 17 AT CHAMPION AND 
36 AT MENOMINEE. LOCALLY DENSE FOG DEVELOPED OVER THE INTERIOR 
NORTHERN ZONES. BUT SINCE THE AIRMASS WAS STILL A RELATIVELY MILD 
PACIFIC ONE...TEMPERATURES REBOUNDED TO 39 TO 48 DURING THE DAY ON 
11/15 DESPITE INCREASING AND THICKENING CLOUDS AHEAD OF A WEAK LOW 
PRESSURE SYSTEM APPROACHING FROM THE PLAINS. SOME LIGHT RAIN AHEAD 
OF THIS LOW DEVELOPED DURING THE AFTERNOON ON 11/15 ACROSS THE SOUTH 
AND OVERSPREAD THE REST OF THE U.P. DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 11/15- 
11/16. LOWS BY DAWN ON 11/16 WERE QUITE MILD FOR THE SEASON... 
RANGING BETWEEN 32 AND 40. ALTHOUGH THE RAIN ENDED ON 11/16...A GREY 
OVERCAST LINGERED THROUGH THE DAY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WERE GENERALLY 
0.10 INCH OR LESS...BUT A BIT HEAVIER RAIN FELL ACROSS THE SOUTHERN 
COUNTIES. STEPHENSON AND MANISTIQUE LOGGED 0.27 INCH OF RAIN. HIGHS 
ON 11/16 WERE GENERALLY IN THE 40S. THE CLOUDS KEPT LOWS ON 11/17 
PRETTY MUCH IN THE SAME RANGE AS ON THE MORNING BEFORE...32 TO 41. 
DESPITE A GREY OVERCAST...TEMPERATURES ON 11/17 CLIMBED TO 43 TO 51.

ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING NORTHEAST FROM THE PLAINS BROUGHT 
ONE MORE ROUND OF RAIN TO UPPER MICHIGAN LATE IN THE DAY ON 11/17 
INTO 11/18. THE RAIN WAS LOCALLY HEAVY IN A RATHER NARROW SWATH 
ACROSS WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN INTO THE AFTERNOON ON 11/18...WHEN A 
COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE BROUGHT SOME CLEARING. BARAGA WAS THE WET SPOT 
WITH 2.03 INCHES OF RAIN. SOME OTHER PRECIPITATION TOTALS INCLUDE 
1.40 INCHES AT PAINT LAKE IN RURAL NORTHWEST IRON COUNTY...1.37 
INCHES AT WATTON...1.04 INCHES AT THE HOUGHTON COUNTY AIRPORT...0.85 
INCH AT COOKS IN SCHOOLCRAFT COUNTY...0.49 INCH AT STEPHENSON...0.33 
INCH AT IRONWOOD...0.16 INCH AT THE MARQUETTE NWS...AND ONLY 0.07 
INCH AT IRON MOUNTAIN. MORNING LOWS ON 11/18 BEFORE THE COLD AIR 
ARRIVED WERE WELL ABOVE NORMAL...MAINLY IN THE 40S. READINGS ROSE TO 
46 TO 50 BEFORE THE COLD FRONT ARRIVED AND CAUSED TEMPERATURES TO 
FALL SLOWLY THROUGH THE 40S BY LATE IN THE DAY. BY DAWN ON 11/19... 
A GUSTY NORTHWEST WIND PUSHED READINGS AS LOW AS 25 AT AMASA IN IRON 
COUNTY. TEMPERATURES FARTHER EAST REMAINED AS HIGH AS 38 AT 
MUNISING. CLOUDS...SOME SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS THAT DEPOSITED UP TO 
AN INCH ACCUMULATION IN THE MORNING...AND A GUSTY NORTHWEST WIND 
GAVE THE DAY A VERY NOVEMBERISH FEEL...BUT THERE WAS INCREASING 
SUNSHINE IN THE AFTERNOON. THE MERCURY ON 11/19 RECOVERED TO BETWEEN 
50 AT STEPHENSON AND 38 AT WATTON AND CHAMPION. SKIES WERE MAINLY 
CLEAR DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 11/19-11/20...BUT A STEADY WEST WIND 
PREVENTED TEMPERATURES FROM FALLING ANY FURTHER THAN 22 TO 32 BY 
DAWN.

A GUSTY SOUTHWEST WIND ON THE NORTHWEST FLANK OF HIGH PRESSURE 
PASSING THROUGH THE LOWER GREAT LAKES DREW MILDER AIR INTO UPPER 
MICHIGAN ON 11/20. THE COMBINATION OF THIS WARMER FLOW AND PLENTY OF 
SUNSHINE AT LEAST IN THE MORNING BOOSTED TEMPERATURES TO BETWEEN 47 
AT CHANNING IN DICKINSON COUNTY AND A BALMY 59 AT MENOMINEE...WHERE 
SUNSHINE LINGERED LONGER INTO THE AFTERNOON. THE INCREASE IN 
AFTERNOON CLOUDS HERALDED THE APPROACH OF A COLD FRONT...WHICH 
PASSED BY UPPER MICHIGAN DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 11/20-11/21. 
BECAUSE THE AIRMASS IN ADVANCE OF THE FRONT WAS RATHER DRY...THE 
FRONT MOVED THROUGH WITHOUT PRECIPITATION. TEMPERATURES AT DAWN ON 
11/21 VARIED FROM 23 AT IRONWOOD TO 34 AT NEWBERRY...WHERE THE 
COLDER AIR WAS LAST TO ARRIVE.

HIGH PRESSURE MOVED ACROSS ONTARIO ON 11/21 AS THE FRONT WHICH 
PASSED THROUGH UPPER MICHIGAN STALLED ACROSS THE SOUTHERN GREAT 
LAKES. THE CHILLY NORTH WIND ON THE SOUTHERN FLANK OF THE HIGH 
CENTER AND A MOSTLY CLOUDY SKY HELD HIGH TEMPERATURES MUCH LOWER 
THAN ON RECENT DAYS...GENERALLY 32 TO 40. THIS STALLED FRONT SERVED 
AS A TRACK FOR THREE UPPER AIR DISTURBANCES THAT MOVED NORTHEAST 
FROM THE PLAINS AND IMPACTED UPPER MICHIGAN BETWEEN 11/22 AND 11/24. 
SINCE THE CORE OF THE COLD AIRMASS REMAINED NORTHWEST OF THE AREA... 
A WINTRY MIXED BAG OF PRECIPITATION FELL ACROSS THE U.P. DURING THIS 
THREE-DAY STRETCH. MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION FELL AS SNOW ACROSS THE 
WEST...RAIN IN THE EAST...AND A MIX OF SNOW...SLEET...FREEZING RAIN 
AND RAIN IN THE CENTRAL. LOWS AT DAWN ON 11/22 RANGED FROM 17 AT 
CALUMET TO 32 AT MENOMINEE. THE FIRST DISTURBANCE CAUSED PATCHY 
LIGHT SNOW...FLURRIES AND SPRINKLES ON 11/22 AS LINGERING DRY AIR 
REDUCED THE INTENSITY OF THE PRECIPITATION. NO MORE THAN AN INCH OR 
TWO OF SNOW ACCUMULATED ANYWHERE. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES REACHED INTO 
THE 30S AND AS HIGH AS 40 AT MANISTIQUE.

THE SECOND DISTURBANCE MADE ITS INFLUENCE FELT BEGINNING ON THE 
EVENING OF 11/22 AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE LATE MORNING ON 11/23. 
SINCE THE LOW LEVEL DRY AIR HAD MOISTENED UP...ACCOMPANYING 
PRECIPITATION WAS HEAVIER. AS MUCH AS 3 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW 
ACCUMULATED OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE NORTHWEST...WITH PHOENIX 
LEADING THE PACK WITH THE 5 INCH SNOWFALL. DAGGETT IN MENOMINEE 
COUNTY MEASURED THE MOST LIQUID EQUIVALENT PRECIPITATION...1.17 
INCHES OF RAIN. LOWS ON 11/23 WERE IN THE 27 TO 35 RANGE...WITH THE 
HIGHEST READINGS OVER THE SOUTH CENTRAL AND EASTERN COUNTIES. THE 
PRECIPITATION PRETTY MUCH ENDED AS DRIER AIR MOVED IN ALOFT DURING 
THE AFTERNOON ON 11/23. AS THE LOW PRESSURE CENTER ASSOCIATED WITH 
THE LAST AND STRONGEST OF THE THREE DISTURBANCES MOVED INTO 
WISCONSIN LATE IN THE DAY ON 11/23 AND PUSHED WARMER AIR INTO 
EASTERN AND CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN...TEMPERATURES ROSE AS HIGH AS 45 
TO 50 FROM MENOMINEE TO NEWBERRY. TEMPERATURES REMAINED AT OR JUST 
BELOW 32 OVER THE WEST. AREAS OF FOG...LOCALLY DENSE...ALSO FORMED 
AS THE WARMER AND MOISTER AIR IN ADVANCE OF THE LOW CENTER PUSHED 
OVERHEAD.

THE LAST DISTURBANCE IN THE SERIES WAS THE STRONGEST AND BROUGHT A 
FINAL ROUND OF WINTRY PRECIPITATION OVER MAINLY THE WEST FROM LATE 
IN THE DAY ON 11/23 THROUGH 11/24. LOCALLY HEAVY SNOW FELL ACROSS 
WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN... WHERE A GUSTY NORTHWEST WIND UP TO 40 MPH 
ALSO CAUSED EXTENSIVE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WITH VISIBILITY 
REDUCED AS LOW AS ONE QUARTER MILE. PELKIE AND IRONWOOD MEASURED THE 
MOST SNOW WITH AROUND 10 INCHES. SINCE THE SURFACE LOW TRACKED TO 
THE WEST OF EASTERN AND CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN AND SO MUCH DRY AIR 
FLOODED IN ALOFT...THERE WAS LITTLE IF ANY ADDITIONAL RAIN AND SNOW 
IN THAT AREA. THE MERCURY PEAKED BETWEEN 50 AND 55 OVER EASTERN 
UPPER MICHIGAN DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 11/23-11/24 BEFORE THE LOW 
CENTER MOVED INTO LAKE SUPERIOR AND A WEST WIND ADVECTED COLDER AIR 
BACK OVERHEAD BY DAWN ON 11/24...WHEN READINGS FELL BACK TO AROUND 
32. OVER THE WEST... TEMPERATURES NEVER ROSE ABOVE 32 ON 11/23 AND 
PLUMMETED INTO THE LOWER TEENS AT DAYBREAK ON 11/24. THE THERMOMETER 
ON 11/24 REMAINED STEADY OR EVEN FELL A FEW DEGREES AS COLDER AIR 
CONTINUED TO DRIVE EASTWARD. LINGERING LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS IN 
THE WAKE OF THE STORM SYSTEM ENDED BY DAWN 11/24-11/25 AS A RIDGE OF 
HIGH PRESSURE BROUGHT PARTIAL CLEARING. AS MUCH AS 3 INCHES FELL 
OVERNIGHT AT TWO HEART...WHICH HAD RECEIVED LITTLE IF ANY EARLIER 
SNOW DURING THIS COMPLEX THREE-DAY WINTER STORM. TEMPERATURES AT 
DAWN ON 11/25 RANGED BETWEEN 5 ABOVE AT IRONWOOD AND 19 AT 
MANISTIQUE AND MUNISING.

A QUICK MOVING STORM SYSTEM MOVED ACROSS ONTARIO ON 11/25. SINCE THE 
LOW PASSED SO FAR NORTH OF UPPER MICHIGAN AND WAS MOVING TOO FAST TO 
DRAW IN SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE...THERE WAS NO PRECIPITATION...JUST 
INCREASING CLOUDS. THE MAIN IMPACT OF THIS STORM SYSTEM WAS A GUSTY 
SOUTHWEST WIND...WHICH REACHED AS HIGH AS 45 MPH NEAR THE EXPOSED 
LAKE MICHIGAN SHORELINE. TEMPERATURES ROSE INTO THE 30S ON 11/25... 
BUT REACHED AS HIGH AS 42 AT MANISTIQUE. CLOUD COVER IN THE WAKE OF 
THIS STORM SYSTEM HELD DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 11/25-11/26. LOWS 
FELL TO 25 TO 35. LINGERING MORNING CLOUDS ON 11/26 BROKE AND GAVE 
WAY TO A MOSTLY SUNNY AND RELATIVELY MILD AFTERNOON AS HIGH PRESSURE 
BUILT INTO THE UPPER LAKES. DAYTIME HIGHS RANGED FROM 31 AT HOUGHTON 
TO 41 AT STEPHENSON. A DISORGANIZED LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM APPROACHING 
FROM THE SOUTHWEST CAUSED AN INCREASE IN CLOUD COVER DURING THE 
OVERNIGHT ON 11/26-11/27 AND SOME OCCASIONAL LIGHT SNOW THAT WAS 
MIXED WITH A FEW SPRINKLES NEAR THE WARMER LAKESHORES ON 
THANKSGIVING DAY. THERE WAS NO MORE THAN ONE INCH OF SNOW 
ACCUMULATION. TEMPERATURES ON 11/27 STARTED THE DAY FROM 21 TO 31... 
AND THANKSGIVING DAY HIGHS WERE 34 TO 40. AS LOW PRESSURE BECAME 
MORE ORGANIZED IN THE CENTRAL GREAT LAKES...THE SNOW BECAME MORE 
STEADY LATE ON 11/27 AND 11/28. AS MUCH AS 3 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW 
FELL ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF WEST AND NORTH CENTRAL UPPER 
MICHIGAN BEFORE THE SNOW DIMINISHED DURING THE EVENING ON 11/28 
AFTER THE STORM SYSTEM MOVED AWAY. ONLY A TRACE TO 2 INCHES OF SNOW 
FELL ACROSS THE SOUTH CENTRAL AND EAST. STORM TOTAL LIQUID 
EQUIVALENT PRECIPITATION RANGED FROM A TRACE ACROSS MANY PLACES IN 
THE SOUTH CENTRAL TO AS MUCH AS 0.59 INCH NEAR WETMORE IN ALGER 
COUNTY. MINIMUM TEMPERATURES ON 11/28 WERE BETWEEN 22 AT IRONWOOD 
AND 32 AT MENOMINEE...ESCANABA...MANISTIQUE AND NEWBERRY. 
TEMPERATURES DURING THE DAY RECOVERED TO ONLY 26 AT IRONWOOD...BUT 
REACHED 40 AT MANISTIQUE.

THE WEAK RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE THAT MOVED IN DURING THE OVERNIGHT 
ON 11/28-11/29 WAS TOO WEAK TO CAUSE MORE THAN PARTIAL CLEARING...
AND A FEW FLURRIES LINGERED NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR. LOWS RANGED FROM 19 
AT IRONWOOD TO AROUND 30 ALONG THE GREAT LAKES SHORES. A QUICK 
MOVING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM PASSED TO THE NORTH THROUGH ONTARIO 
DURING THE DAY ON 11/29...BUT THE AIRMASS IN PLACE WAS TOO DRY TO 
ALLOW FOR ANYTHING MORE THAN SOME LIGHT SNOW ACROSS THE NORTHERN 
COUNTIES OF UPPER MICHIGAN. THE MOST SNOW FELL NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR 
EAST OF MARQUETTE...BUT TOTALS WERE NO MORE THAN 1 TO 2 INCHES 
BEFORE THE SNOW DIMINISHED BY MIDNIGHT DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 
11/29-11/30. HIGH TEMPERATURES ON 11/29 WERE 27 TO 36. THERE WAS 
PARTIAL CLEARING OVER THE SOUTHERN TIER OF COUNTIES DURING THE 
OVERNIGHT ON 11/29-11/30 IN THE WAKE OF THE LOW...BUT SKIES NEAR 
LAKE SUPERIOR REMAINED MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOWS BY DAWN ON 11/30 RANGED 
FROM 13 AT CHANNING TO JUST BELOW 30 ACROSS THE NORTH NEAR THE 
WARMING INFLUENCE OF LAKE SUPERIOR.  

ANOTHER QUICK-MOVING LOW PASSED OVER LAKE SUPERIOR ON 11/30. THIS 
SYSTEM WAS STRONGER THAN THE ONE THAT INFLUENCED THE AREA ON 
11/29...AND THERE WAS MORE MOISTURE AS WELL. UP TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW 
FELL AHEAD OF THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT OVER THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA 
AND AREAS EAST OF MARQUETTE...BUT THERE WAS GENERALLY NO MORE THAN 
AN INCH FARTHER SOUTH AND WEST. ONCE THE FRONT PASSED DURING THE 
LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING ON 11/30...A GUSTY NORTHWEST WIND THAT 
APPROACHED 50 MPH OVER THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA DROVE COLDER AIR INTO 
THE UPPER GREAT LAKES...AND LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS DOWNWIND OF THE 
BIG LAKE WERE THE RULE AS NOVEMBER TRANSITIONED INTO DECEMBER. THE 
MERCURY ON 11/30 SURGED TO 40 TO 45 NEAR THE WISCONSIN BORDER AND AS 
HIGH AS 46 AT MENOMINEE BEFORE THE COLD FRONT PASSED...BUT READINGS 
REMAINED IN THE 30S FARTHER NORTH.

    GREAT LAKES WATER LEVELS (FEET/METERS ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL)

                            LAKE SUPERIOR  LAKE MICHIGAN-HURON 
11/01/03 DAILY MEAN          601.2/183.26     576.9/175.85
11/30/03 DAILY MEAN          601.1/183.23     577.2/175.92
AVG OCT 2003 DAILY MEAN      601.2/183.26     577.0/175.87
AVG NOV 2002 DAILY MEAN      601.6/183.36     577.5/176.01
AVG 1918-98 NOV DAILY MEAN   602.0/183.49     578.8/176.43
MAXIMUM NOV DAILY MEAN       603.3/183.89     582.0/177.38
                                (1985)           (1986)
MINIMUM NOV DAILY MEAN       600.4/183.01     576.3/175.65 
                                (1925)           (1964)

GREAT LAKES WATER LEVEL DATA AS REPORTED BY THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF 
ENGINEERS AT HTTP://WWW.LRE.USACE.ARMY.MIL/INDEX.CFM?CHN_ID=1084 
(ALL LOWER CASE).

                      DECEMBER CLIMATOLOGY

TEMPERATURES CONTINUE THEIR DOWNWARD SLIDE IN DECEMBER AS WINTER 
ARRIVES IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE.  AVERAGE MONTHLY TEMPERATURES IN 
DECEMBER ACROSS UPPER MICHIGAN ARE AS MUCH AS 12 DEGREES LOWER THAN 
IN NOVEMBER AS TOTAL POSSIBLE SUNSHINE DECLINES TO 514 MINUTES 
AROUND THE WINTER SOLSTICE. WINTER OFFICIALLY BEGINS THIS YEAR AT 
2:04 AM EST ON 12/22. ON THAT DAY...THE SUN RISES TO ONLY ABOUT 20 
DEGREES ABOVE THE SOUTHERN HORIZON AT LOCAL NOON IN UPPER MICHIGAN.

ARCTIC INVASIONS ARE COMMON ACROSS THE NORTHWEST GREAT LAKES IN 
DECEMBER...RESULTING IN CONSIDERABLE CLOUD COVER AND LAKE EFFECT 
SNOW. AS THE COLD AIR PASSES OVER THE RELATIVELY WARM WATERS OF LAKE 
SUPERIOR...THE AIRMASS BECOMES INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE. THE RESULT IS 
A GREATER FREQUENCY OF LOW CLOUD AND SNOW SHOWERS...WHICH ARE 
TYPICALLY HEAVIER AND MORE WIDESPREAD OVER HIGHER TERRAIN JUST 
DOWNWIND OF LAKE SUPERIOR. THE LOCATION OF MAXIMUM SNOWFALL IS VERY 
DEPENDENT ON THE LOW LEVEL WIND DIRECTION BECAUSE THE LONGEST WIND 
FETCH ACROSS THE WATER RESULTS IN GREATEST DESTABILIZATION. A WEST 
WIND FAVORS THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA; A NORTHWEST WIND USUALLY RESULTS 
IN HEAVIER SNOW AROUND ONTONAGON AND IN ALGER AND LUCE COUNTIES; AND 
A NORTH TO NORTHEAST WIND CAUSES THE HEAVIEST SNOW AROUND IRONWOOD 
AND IN THE NORTH CENTRAL HIGHLANDS OF BARAGA AND MARQUETTE COUNTIES. 
ALTHOUGH LARGE SCALE STORM SYSTEMS THAT TYPICALLY MOVE NORTHEAST 
FROM THE PLAINS STATES INTO THE GREAT LAKES CAN ALSO BRING HEAVY 
SNOW TO INLAND LOCATIONS...AVERAGE DECEMBER PRECIPITATION IS QUITE A 
BIT LESS AWAY FROM LAKE SUPERIOR.  FOR INSTANCE...THE HOUGHTON 
COUNTY AIRPORT PICKS UP 52.9 INCHES OF SNOW AND 3.25 INCHES OF 
LIQUID EQUIVALENT PRECIPITATION DURING A TYPICAL DECEMBER. IRON 
MOUNTAIN WILL RECEIVE ONLY 14.7 INCHES OF SNOW AND 1.48 INCHES OF 
LIQUID EQUIVALENT PRECIPITATION ON AVERAGE. THE HOUGHTON COUNTY 
AIRPORT WAS BURIED UNDER 119 INCHES OF SNOW IN DECEMBER 1978. RECORD 
SNOWS AT INLAND LOCATIONS ARE CLOSER TO 36 INCHES. IN MORE RECENT 
YEARS...HEAVY SNOW FELL IN DECEMBER 2000...DECEMBER 1996 AND 
DECEMBER 1995 AT MANY LOCATIONS...INCLUDING 127 INCHES AT ROCKLAND 
IN ONTONAGON COUNTY...96.5 INCHES AT CHATHAM IN ALGER COUNTY...89.1 
INCHES AT THE MARQUETTE NWS...87.9 INCHES AT MICHIGAN TECH 
UNIVERSITY...AND 85.1 INCHES AT IRONWOOD IN DECEMBER 2000.

ALTHOUGH LAKE SUPERIOR OFTEN MODERATES THE CHILL OF THE ARCTIC 
AIR...BELOW ZERO READINGS ARE COMMON DURING THE TWELFTH MONTH. 
RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES ARE AS LOW AS 36 BELOW ZERO AT IRONWOOD... 
OBSERVED DURING A BRUTAL COLD SNAP IN MID DECEMBER 1983 THAT ALSO 
DROPPED THE TEMPERATURE TO A MONTHLY RECORD 28 BELOW ZERO AT THE 
MARQUETTE NWS. THE LOWEST TEMPERATURES RECORDED AT MANY LOCATIONS IN 
UPPER MICHIGAN OCCURRED DURING AN ARCTIC OUTBREAK AT THE END OF 
DECEMBER 1976...INCLUDING 26 BELOW ZERO AT IRON MOUNTAIN...25 BELOW 
ZERO AT MANISTIQUE...21 BELOW ZERO AT MUNISING AND 15 BELOW ZERO AT 
THE HOUGHTON COUNTY AIRPORT. DECEMBER 1985 AND DECEMBER 1989 ALSO 
SAW FREQUENT ARCTIC INVASIONS WITH MONTHLY TEMPERATURES AVERAGING AS 
MUCH 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL.

DECEMBER 1994 GOES DOWN IN THE RECORD BOOKS AS ONE OF THE WARMEST 
AND LEAST SNOWY IN UPPER MICHIGAN HISTORY WITH TEMPERATURES AS MUCH 
AS 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL AND MANY PLACES PICKING UP LESS THAN 10 
INCHES OF TOTAL SNOW. THE MARQUETTE NWS...NEWBERRY... AND THE 
HOUGHTON COUNTY AIRPORT ALL OBSERVED THEIR WARMEST DECEMBER EVER. 
ALTHOUGH BROWN CHRISTMASES ARE RARE IN UPPER MICHIGAN (BEFORE 1994 
DOWNTOWN MARQUETTE OBSERVED A BROWN CHRISTMAS IN 1923...1931... 
1941...1946...1957 AND 1982)...MANY LOCATIONS THAT YEAR HAD LITTLE 
IF ANY SNOW ON THE GROUND TO GREET SANTA CLAUS. TEMPERATURES ON 
CHRISTMAS EVE AND CHRISTMAS DAY IN 1994 WERE NEAR 50 OR EVEN HIGHER 
AT IRONWOOD...IRON MOUNTAIN... NEWBERRY AND MARQUETTE.  RECENT 
DECEMBERS HAVE ALSO BEEN ON THE MILD SIDE. DECEMBER 2001 WAS THE 
WARMEST ON RECORD AT MUNISING...MANISTIQUE...AND ONTONAGON AND THE 
SECOND WARMEST AT IRON MOUNTAIN AND THE MARQUETTE NWS. ON 
12/5/2001...RARE DECEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FORMED IN A RECORD 
WARM AIRMASS AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT AND PUMMELED IRON AND DICKINSON 
COUNTIES WITH LARGE HAIL. IRON MOUNTAIN RECORDED ITS WARMEST 
DECEMBER IN 1997. THE FIRST SEVERAL DAYS OF DECEMBER 1998 FEATURED 
RECORD WARMTH. MONTHLY RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE SET AT IRON 
MOUNTAIN (64 ON 12/4)...IRONWOOD (59 ON 12/4)...MANISTIQUE (59 ON 
12/1) AND THE MARQUETTE NWS (59 ON 12/3). BUT THE ARRIVAL OF COLDER 
AIR AND HEAVY SNOW THE LAST HALF OF DECEMBER 1998 PREVENTED THE 
MONTH FROM GOING DOWN AS ONE OF THE WARMEST ON RECORD. ALTHOUGH 
DECEMBER 2002 STARTED ON A COLD NOTE...TEMPERATURES THE LAST THREE 
WEEKS OF THE MONTH AVERAGED 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. MANY PLACES NOT 
IMPACTED BY LAKE EFFECT SNOW HAD A BROWN CHRISTMAS IN 2002.

                          DECEMBER FORECAST

THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER IS FORECASTING EQUAL CHANCES OF ABOVE 
AND BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND PRECIPITATION OVER UPPER MICHIGAN 
DURING DECEMBER 2003.

                 OUTLOOK FOR WINTER AND EARLY SPRING

THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER IS FORECASTING A BETTER THAN AVERAGE 
CHANCE OF ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR THE PERIOD JANUARY THROUGH 
MARCH 2004...BUT EQUAL CHANCES OF ABOVE AND BELOW NORMAL 
PRECIPITATION FOR THESE THREE MONTHS.

CHECK OUT HTTP://WWW.CPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT 
THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER AND MORE LONG RANGE PREDICTIONS.
  
NOTE THAT STATISTICS FOR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN 
NEGAUNEE TOWNSHIP ARE BASED ON RECORDS WHICH BEGAN IN OCTOBER 1961. 
THIRTY YEAR NORMALS USED ARE FOR THE PERIOD OF 1971 THROUGH 2000. 
NOTE ALL TEMPERATURES ARE IN FAHRENHEIT AND PRECIPITATION IS IN 
INCHES. ALL CLIMATE DATA LISTED IN THIS PRODUCT ARE UNOFFICIAL. FOR 
OFFICIAL DATA...PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER.

NWS MARQUETTE WEB PAGE IS AT HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/MQT/INDEX.HTM 
(ALL LOWER CASE). CONTACT THE NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER AT (828) 
271-4800 OR WWW.NCDC.NOAA.GOV.

$$

KC