Passage of a strong Arctic cold front caused blizzard to near-blizzard conditions over western Upper Michigan on the 15th. Dangerously cold wind chills also developed on the 15th and 16th with the arrival of colder air in the wake of the front.

Cold/Wind Chill in SOUTHERN HOUGHTON, MICHIGAN
From 16-DEC-08 05:00:00 to 16-DEC-08 11:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Wind chill values hovered around 25 below zero on the morning of the 16th.

Cold/Wind Chill in ONTONAGON, MICHIGAN
From 15-DEC-08 20:00:00 to 16-DEC-08 11:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: RAWS

Wind chill values plunged into the 25 to 35 below zero range during the period.  Ewen-Trout Creek Schools closed on the 16th due to the bitter cold.

Cold/Wind Chill in DICKINSON, MICHIGAN
From 16-DEC-08 05:00:00 to 16-DEC-08 10:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

Wind chill values dropped near 25 below zero on the morning of the 16th. Many Dickinson County schools were operating on a two-hour delay.

Cold/Wind Chill in IRON, MICHIGAN
From 16-DEC-08 05:00:00 to 16-DEC-08 11:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Wind chill values dropped between 25 and 30 below zero on the morning of the 16th.

Cold/Wind Chill in MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN
From 16-DEC-08 05:00:00 to 16-DEC-08 12:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: AWOS

Wind chill values plummeted to 25 to 30 below zero on the morning of the 16th as Marquette area schools closed due to the cold.

Blizzard in KEWEENAW, MICHIGAN
From 15-DEC-08 09:00:00 to 15-DEC-08 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

The Mohawk observer reported whiteout conditions throughout the day.  Keweenaw County schools were closed on the 15th due to the blizzard conditions.

Winter Storm in ONTONAGON, MICHIGAN
From 14-DEC-08 23:00:00 to 15-DEC-08 12:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

The observer eight miles southwest of Ontonagon measured 11 inches of snow in the 24-hour period ending at 7 am on the 15th. West winds gusting over 30 mph caused reduced visibility in blowing snow as well. Schools were closed in Ontonagon on the 15th due to the harsh winter conditions.

Cold/Wind Chill in NORTHERN HOUGHTON, MICHIGAN
From 16-DEC-08 06:00:00 to 16-DEC-08 11:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

Wind chills reported by the Houghton County Airport ASOS were around 25 below zero on the morning of the 16th. The Houghton-Keweenaw County Schools were on a two-hour delay.

Cold/Wind Chill in KEWEENAW, MICHIGAN
From 16-DEC-08 06:00:00 to 16-DEC-08 11:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Observations indicated wind chill values of 20 to 25 below zero across much of the county during the morning of the 16th.  Keweenaw County Schools were on a two-hour delay.

Winter Weather in ALGER, MICHIGAN
From 15-DEC-08 06:00:00 to 15-DEC-08 23:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

An observer ten miles south of Grand Marais measured inches of snow in less than 18 hours. Northwest winds gusting over 30 mph at times also caused considerable blowing of snow and reduced visibilities.

Winter Weather in NORTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT, MICHIGAN
From 15-DEC-08 07:00:00 to 15-DEC-08 23:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

An observer near the Alger County measured eight inches of snow during the event. Northwest winds gusting over 30 mph caused considerable blowing of snow and reduced visibilities.

Cold/Wind Chill in BARAGA, MICHIGAN
From 16-DEC-08 05:00:00 to 16-DEC-08 11:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Wind chill values hovered around 25 below zero on the morning of the 16th.

Blizzard in NORTHERN HOUGHTON, MICHIGAN
From 15-DEC-08 09:00:00 to 15-DEC-08 15:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

Blizzard conditions were reported by the Houghton County Airport ASOS from 9 am to 3 pm with visibility below one-quarter mile and frequent wind gusts of 35 mph or greater.
Houghton County schools were closed on the 15th due to the blizzard conditions.

Winter Weather in LUCE, MICHIGAN
From 15-DEC-08 06:00:00 to 15-DEC-08 23:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Estimated lake effect snow amounts of six to eight inches occurred over portions of northern Luce County during the event. West winds gusting over 30 mph also caused considerable blowing of snow and reduced visibility. Tahquamenon Area Schools were closed on the 15th.

Cold/Wind Chill in GOGEBIC, MICHIGAN
From 15-DEC-08 05:00:00 to 16-DEC-08 11:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: AWOS

The Ironwood AWOS reported wind chill values between 25 and 35 below zero through the period. Temperatures plunged into the 15 to 20 below zero range across much of the county on the morning of the 16th as schools closed in Ironwood, Wakefield and Watersmeet-Marenisco.

Winter Storm in GOGEBIC, MICHIGAN
From 14-DEC-08 21:00:00 to 15-DEC-08 05:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

The observer in Ironwood measured eight inches of snow in the 24-hour period ending at 5 am on the 15th. West winds gusting over 30 mph also contributed to blowing snow and visibilities reduced to one-half mile at times.