000 CSUS53 KMQT 230051 CCA CLMMQT MONTHLY CLIMATOLOGICAL SUMMARY...CORRECTED FOR NEWBERRY STATS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 850 PM EDT THU APR 22 2004 ................................... ...THE MARQUETTE CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH 2004... CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1971 TO 2000 CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1961 TO 2004 WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR'S VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S) NORMAL ................................................................ TEMPERATURE (F) RECORD HIGH 71 03/08/2000 LOW -30 03/03/2003 HIGHEST 54 03/25 MM MM 60 03/24 03/23 03/16 LOWEST -16 03/22 MM MM -30 03/03 AVG. MAXIMUM 34.2 34.4 -0.2 31.7 AVG. MINIMUM 16.4 14.7 1.7 9.1 MEAN 25.3 24.6 0.7 20.4 DAYS MAX >= 90 0 MM MM 0 DAYS MAX <= 32 13 MM MM 14 DAYS MAX >= 80 0 0 DAYS MAX >= 60 0 3 DAYS MAX <= 60 31 31 DAYS MIN <= 32 30 MM MM 28 DAYS MIN <= 0 5 MM MM 11 DAYS MIN >= 60 0 0 DAYS MIN <= 40 31 30 DAYS MIN <= 30 29 26 PRECIPITATION (INCHES) RECORD MAXIMUM MM MM MINIMUM MM MM TOTALS 4.69 3.13 1.56 3.35 DAILY AVG. 0.15 0.10 0.05 0.11 DAYS >= .01 19 MM MM 13 DAYS >= .10 8 MM MM 6 DAYS >= .50 3 MM MM 3 DAYS >= 1.00 1 MM MM 1 DAYS >= 0.25 4 3 DAYS >= 0.75 2 2 GREATEST 24 HR. TOTAL 1.86 03/05 TO 03/05 1.19 STORM TOTAL MM MM (MM/DD(HH)) MM SNOWFALL (INCHES) RECORDS TOTAL 83.1 2002 24 HR TOTAL 26.2 03/14/1997 TO 03/14/1997 SNOW DEPTH MM MM TOTALS 43.1 31.8 11.3 32.1 LIQUID EQUIV 4.30 3.20 1.10 3.20 SINCE 7/1 209.7 170.6 39.1 160.6 LIQUID 7/1 21.00 17.10 3.90 16.10 SNOWDEPTH AVG. 30 MM MM 15 DAYS >= TRACE 20 MM MM 17 DAYS >= 1.0 8 MM MM 7 DAYS >= 3.0 5 4 GREATEST SNOW DEPTH 37 03/15 25 03/08 24 HR TOTAL 14.9 03/05 TO 03/05 03/28 TO 03/28 STORM TOTAL MM MM (MM/DD(HH)) MM MM DEGREE_DAYS HEATING TOTAL 1223 1248 -25 1375 SINCE 7/1 7651 7956 -305 8227 COOLING TOTAL 0 0 0 0 SINCE 1/1 0 0 0 0 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 43/360 DATE 03/20 SKY COVER POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) 54 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 0 MIXED PRECIP 0 HEAVY RAIN 0 RAIN 0 LIGHT RAIN 7 FREEZING RAIN 0 LT FREEZING RAIN 6 HAIL 0 HEAVY SNOW 2 SNOW 2 LIGHT SNOW 20 SLEET 1 FOG 11 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 8 HAZE 0 - INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS. R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED. MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING. T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT. && ...MARCH 2004 MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR UPPER MICHIGAN... ...WELL ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION AND SNOWFALL ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL AND EAST... ...WETTEST MARCH AT IRON MOUNTAIN AND MANISTIQUE... ...SNOWIEST MARCH AT MANISTIQUE... ...SECOND SNOWIEST MARCH AT IRON MOUNTAIN... ...THIRD WETTEST MARCH AT NEWBERRY... ...SIXTH SNOWIEST MARCH AT NEWBERRY... ...EIGHTH WETTEST MARCH AT THE MARQUETTE NWS... ...ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES DUE TO EARLY AND LATE MONTH WARMTH... MARCH CLIMATE STATISTICS FOR THE MARQUETTE NWS IN NEGAUNEE TOWNSHIP NORMAL DEPARTURE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 25.3 24.6 PLUS 0.7 AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE 34.2 34.4 MINUS 0.2 AVERAGE LOW TEMPERATURE 16.4 14.7 PLUS 1.7 HEATING DEGREE DAYS 1223 1248 MINUS 25 COOLING DEGREE DAYS 0 0 0 TOTAL PRECIPITATION 4.69 3.13 PLUS 1.56 TOTAL SNOWFALL 43.1 31.8 PLUS 11.3 HIGHEST TEMPERATURE: 54 ON 3/25 LOWEST TEMPERATURE: -16 ON 3/22 GREATEST CALENDAR DAY PRECIPITATION: 1.86 ON 3/5 GREATEST 24 HOUR PRECIPITATION: 1.86 ON 3/5 GREATEST CALENDAR DAY SNOWFALL: 14.9 ON 3/5 GREATEST 24 HOUR SNOWFALL: 14.9 ON 3/5 PEAK WIND SPEED: 43 MPH FROM THE NORTH ON 3/20 EIGHTH HIGHEST MARCH PRECIPITATION...4.69 INCHES (RECORD 6.08...1979) DAILY RECORD HIGH LOW TEMPERATURE ON 3/1...31 (OLD RECORD 30...1998) DAILY RECORD PRECIPITATION ON 3/5...1.86 (0.97...1976) DAILY RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE ON 3/13...-12 (-11...2003) DAILY RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE ON 3/22...-16 (-9...1974/89) GREAT LAKES WATER LEVELS (FEET/METERS ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL) LAKE SUPERIOR LAKE MICHIGAN-HURON 3/01/04 DAILY MEAN 600.6/183.05 576.9/175.83 3/31/04 DAILY MEAN 600.7/183.09 577.2/175.94 AVG FEB 2004 DAILY MEAN 600.6/183.07 576.9/175.84 AVG MAR 2003 DAILY MEAN 600.5/183.03 576.5/175.73 LONG TERM MAR DAILY MEAN 601.2/183.25 578.6/176.35 MAXIMUM MAR DAILY MEAN 602.4/183.61 581.1/177.12 (1986) (1986) MINIMUM MAR DAILY MEAN 599.5/182.74 576.0/175.58 (1926) (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). MARCH CLIMATE HIGHLIGHTS MARCH 2004 WAS CHARACTERIZED BY A HIGHLY CHANGEABLE WEATHER PATTERN THAT FEATURED MAJOR TEMPORAL CHANGES IN THE UPPER AIR FLOW FROM TROUGH TO RIDGE AND BACK. THIS FREQUENT TRANSITION IN UPPER FLOW WAS ACCOMPANIED BY NUMEROUS PRECIPITATION EPISODES...AND MOST OF UPPER MICHIGAN WAS MUCH WETTER AND SNOWIER THAN NORMAL. LIQUID EQUIVALENT PRECIPITATION AND SNOWFALL WERE GREATEST RELATIVE TO NORMAL ACROSS THE SOUTH AND EAST. IN FACT... RESIDENTS OF MANISTIQUE ENDURED THE WETTEST AND SNOWIEST MARCH ON RECORD. ALTHOUGH THE 5.53 INCHES OF LIQUID EQUIVALENT THAT FELL NARROWLY EXCEEDED THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 5.52 INCHES OBSERVED THERE IN MARCH 1977...THE 33.5 INCHES OF SNOW REPORTED AT MANISTIQUE EASILY BEAT OUT THE STANDARD OF 24.0 INCHES SET IN MARCH 2002. AT IRON MOUNTAIN...MARCH 2004 GOES DOWN IN THE RECORD BOOKS AS THE WETTEST THIRD MONTH AND THE SECOND SNOWIEST. THE TOTAL PRECIPITATION OF 4.08 INCHES AT IRON MOUNTAIN REACHED 225 PERCENT OF NORMAL AND ECLIPSED THE PREVIOUS HIGH MARCH TOTAL OF 3.88 INCHES (MARCH 1998)...WHILE THE OBSERVED SNOWFALL OF 29.4 INCHES (260 PERCENT OF THE AVERAGE) WAS WELL SHORT OF THE RECORD 36.0 INCHES MEASURED IN MARCH 1972. NEWBERRY EXPERIENCED THE THIRD WETTEST AND SIXTH SNOWIEST MARCH WITH BOTH THE 5.49 INCHES OF WATER EQUIVALENT PRECIPITATION AND 33.2 INCHES SNOWFALL OVER 200 PERCENT OF NORMAL. THE PRECIPITATION DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL DECREASED TO THE NORTH AND WEST...AND THERE SOME POCKETS OF SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION AND/OR SNOWFALL OVER THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA AND OTHER AREAS OF WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN. MOST OF THE WET AND WHITE WEATHER OCCURRED DURING THE FIRST HALF OF MARCH...WITH A TREND TOWARD DRIER CONDITIONS THE SECOND HALF. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NO GREAT TEMPERATURE EXTREMES...THE VARIATION IN TEMPERATURES FROM ABOVE TO BELOW NORMAL OR VICE VERSA OVER JUST A FEW DAYS WAS CONSIDERABLE AT SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE MONTH. WARMTH WAS MORE PERSISTENT DURING THE FIRST 10 DAYS AND THE FOURTH WEEK OF MARCH... SO MONTHLY TEMPERATURES ENDED UP 0.5 DEGREE TO AS MUCH AS 3 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE GREATEST POSITIVE TEMPERATURE ANOMALIES WERE OVER THE WESTERN COUNTIES OF UPPER MICHIGAN...WHERE PRECIPITATION AND SNOWFALL WERE ALSO CLOSER TO NORMAL. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT AND WIDESPREAD SNOWSTORM OF THE MONTH STRUCK ON 3/5...WHEN A POWERFUL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM LIFTED NORTHEAST FROM THE PLAINS INTO THE CENTRAL GREAT LAKES. STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL REACHED AS HIGH AS 15 INCHES AT THE MARQUETTE NWS. SOME OTHER IMPRESSIVE REPORTS INCLUDE 14 INCHES AT WETMORE IN ALGER COUNTY...13 INCHES AT GLADSTONE IN DELTA COUNTY...12 INCHES AT BARK RIVER IN DELTA COUNTY AND HARDWOOD IN DICKINSON COUNTY...11 INCHES AT NORWAY IN DICKINSON COUNTY AND NEWBERRY...AND 10 INCHES AT GWINN IN MARQUETTE COUNTY AND AT THOUSAND ISLAND LAKE IN GOGEBIC COUNTY. A STRENGTHENING ALBERTA CLIPPER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM DROPPING THROUGH THE CENTRAL GREAT LAKES DEPOSITED A SWATH OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW ACROSS MAINLY SOUTHERN UPPER MICHIGAN ON 3/7. AS MUCH AS A FOOT OF SNOW FELL AT BARK RIVER IN DELTA COUNTY. STEPHENSON AND DAGGETT IN MENOMINEE COUNTY LOGGED 7 INCHES OF THE WHITE STUFF...AS DID COOKS IN SCHOOLCRAFT COUNTY. ANOTHER WIDESPREAD SNOW FELL ON 3/13-3/14 AS LOW PRESSURE TRACKED ACROSS NORTHERN LAKE SUPERIOR. ONCE AGAIN...THE HEAVIEST SNOW FELL OVER SOUTH CENTRAL AND EASTERN UPPER MICHIGAN. SOME OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE TOTALS INCLUDE 12 INCHES AT GLADSTONE...10 INCHES AT WETMORE IN ALGER COUNTY AND COOKS...AND 8 INCHES NEAR GRAND MARAIS IN ALGER COUNTY...GWINN...AND NEWBERRY. THE GUSTY SOUTHWEST WIND ALSO RESULTED IN EXTENSIVE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW...COMPOUNDING THE MISERY OF THIS LATE WINTER STORM. A SHARP COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE LATE ON 3/20 CAUSED SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS MAINLY CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN ON 3/20-3/21. AS MUCH AS 7 INCHES OF SNOW FELL AT THE MARQUETTE NWS. NORTH WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 TO 50 MPH CAUSED EXTENSIVE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AT TIMES IN THE MOST EXPOSED LOCATIONS... WITH NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AT TIMES. THE FINAL SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION EVENT OF THE MONTH OCCURRED ON 3/28. TEMPERATURES WERE ABOVE FREEZING SO ONLY RAIN FELL. THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION DELUGED THE CENTRAL COUNTIES... WHERE 1.20 INCHES FELL AT GWINN...1.13 INCHES AT NORWAY IN DICKINSON COUNTY...AND 1.01 INCHES AT STEPHENSON. THE COMBINATION OF THE RAINFALL AND SNOWMELT CAUSED SOME MINOR FLOODING PROBLEMS. THE FIRST 10 DAYS OF THE MONTH SAW GENERALLY ABOVE NORMAL WARMTH... WITH DAILY AVERAGE TEMPERATURES RUNNING 5 TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE THE MEAN. THE POSITIVE DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL WERE DUE MAINLY TO HIGH LOW TEMPERATURES. READINGS WERE GENERALLY 5 TO 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL FROM 3/11 THROUGH 3/23 EVEN THOUGH THE COLD WAS INTERRUPTED BY BRIEF WARMUPS ON 3/14...3/18 AND 3/20 BEFORE SHARP COLD FRONTAL PASSAGES REINFORCED WINTER'S ICY GRIP. THE COLDEST WEATHER OF THE MONTH OCCURRED DURING THE OVERNIGHTS ON 3/12-3/13 AND 3/21-3/22 AS ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE CRESTED OVERHEAD AND WINDS WENT CALM UNDER MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES. SOME RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES WENT BY THE WAYSIDE AT DAWN ON 3/13...WHEN THE MERCURY PLUNGED AS LOW AS 18 BELOW ZERO AT CHAMPION IN MARQUETTE COUNTY...14 BELOW ZERO AT WETMORE...AND A RECORD BREAKING 12 BELOW ZERO AT THE MARQUETTE NWS. AT DAWN ON 3/22...RESIDENTS OF AMASA IN IRON COUNTY AND CHAMPION WOKE TO TEMPERATURES OF 25 BELOW AND 21 BELOW ZERO RESPECTIVELY. THE MARQUETTE NWS SAW A -16...EASILY BREAKING THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF -9. SOME OTHER FRIGID LOWS INCLUDED -11 AT WATERSMEET IN GOGEBIC COUNTY AND -10 AT FORTUNE LAKE NEAR CRYSTAL FALLS. THERE WAS A SUDDEN REVERSAL OF TEMPERATURE TO ABOVE NORMAL ON 3/24 AS A DEEP UPPER TROUGH QUICKLY TRANSITIONED TO AN UPPER RIDGE. BETWEEN 3/24 AND 3/29...DAILY TEMPERATURES REBOUNDED TO 5 TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE THE MEAN. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES SOARED AS HIGH AS 63 AT BIG BAY IN MARQUETTE COUNTY ON 3/25 AND INTO THE 50S ACROSS MOST OF THE REST OF THE WEST HALF OF THE U.P. BUILDING ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE OVER SOUTHERN CANADA BROUGHT A RETURN TO NEAR NORMAL CHILL ON 3/30 AND 3/31. DESPITE THE WELL ABOVE NORMAL SNOWFALL...THE LATE MONTH WARMTH SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED THE SNOW DEPTH BY THE END OF MARCH. ON 3/31... THE SNOW DEPTH RANGED FROM NEAR NOTHING ALONG THE GREAT LAKES SHORES AND IN THE FAR SOUTH CENTRAL TO AS MUCH AS 24 INCHES OVER THE LAKE EFFECT SNOW BELTS OF THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA AND EAST OF MUNISING. SOME OTHER TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION OBSERVATIONS ACROSS UPPER MICHIGAN IN MARCH 2004 INCLUDE: IRONWOOD...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 28.3 (3.3 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL) PRECIPITATION 2.46 INCHES (0.35 INCH ABOVE NORMAL) SNOWFALL 27.0 INCHES (3.8 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL) WATERSMEET (GOGEBIC COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 28.9 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 2.95 INCHES SNOWFALL 38.5 INCHES BERGLAND DAM (ONTONAGON COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 26.7 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 3.99 INCHES SNOWFALL 35.2 INCHES ONTONAGON...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 31.4 (3.0 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL) PRECIPITATION 1.78 INCHES (0.11 INCH BELOW NORMAL) SNOWFALL 16.0 INCHES (2.9 INCHES BELOW NORMAL) PHOENIX (KEWEENAW COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 28.1 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 3.29 INCHES SNOWFALL 30.5 INCHES PAINESDALE (HOUGHTON COUNTY)...SNOWFALL 23.0 INCHES CALUMET...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 28.9 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 2.69 INCHES SNOWFALL 24.5 INCHES ATLANTIC MINE (HOUGHTON COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 2.58 INCHES SNOWFALL 26.0 INCHES BARAGA...PRECIPITATION 2.45 INCHES SNOWFALL 18.9 INCHES WATTON (BARAGA COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 27.0 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 3.11 INCHES SNOWFALL 36.5 INCHES BIG BAY (MARQUETTE COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 30.5 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 2.12 INCHES SNOWFALL 21.2 INCHES MARQUETTE CITY...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 31.3 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 2.36 INCHES SNOWFALL 19.9 INCHES MUNISING...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 29.8 (2.3 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL) PRECIPITATION 3.33 INCHES (1.17 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL) SNOWFALL 24.5 INCHES (8.2 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL) GRAND MARAIS...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 30.8 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 3.35 INCHES SNOWFALL 21.1 INCHES NEWBERRY...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 30.2 (3.9 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL) PRECIPITATION 5.49 INCHES (3.20 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL) SNOWFALL 33.2 INCHES (17.3 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL) IRON MOUNTAIN...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 28.8 (1.0 DEGREE ABOVE NORMAL) PRECIPITATION 4.08 INCHES (2.25 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL) SNOWFALL 29.4 INCHES (18.3 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL) PAINT LAKE (IRON COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 3.39 INCHES SNOWFALL 35.1 INCHES AMASA (IRON COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 27.1 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 3.06 INCHES SNOWFALL 23.3 INCHES FORTUNE LAKE (IRON COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 27.3 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 3.14 INCHES SNOWFALL 27.1 INCHES BARK RIVER (DELTA COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 30.0 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 4.19 INCHES SNOWFALL 30.4 INCHES STEPHENSON (MENOMINEE COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 30.7 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 3.58 INCHES SNOWFALL 21.0 INCHES DAGGETT (MENOMINEE COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 4.58 INCHES SNOWFALL 21.0 INCHES MANISTIQUE...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 29.5 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 5.53 INCHES SNOWFALL...33.5 INCHES COOKS (SCHOOLCRAFT COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 5.25 INCHES SNOWFALL 36.5 INCHES MARCH WEATHER SUMMARY LOW PRESSURE ADVANCING NORTHEAST FROM THE PLAINS APPROACHED UPPER MICHIGAN ON 3/1. BUT THE WARMTH THAT WAS IN PLACE AT THE END OF FEBRUARY HUNG ON TO BEGIN THE NEW MONTH AND ENSURED THE ASSOCIATED PRECIPITATION WOULD FALL AS RAIN. ALTHOUGH TEMPERATURES DROPPED AS LOW AS 28 OVER SOME INTERIOR LOCATIONS DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON 3/1...READINGS ROSE ABOVE THE FREEZING POINT AS CLOUDS THICKENED AND BEFORE THE PRECIPITATION BEGAN SO THAT ICE WAS NOT A PROBLEM. ALL OF THE U.P. PICKED UP AT LEAST 0.10 INCH OF RAIN...AND AS MUCH AS 0.75 INCH OF RAIN FELL AT WETMORE IN ALGER COUNTY. SOME DENSE FOG DEVELOPED OVER THE MELTING SNOW PACK DURING THE EVENING ON 3/1 AFTER THE RAIN DIMINISHED TO SPRINKLES. HIGHS ON 3/1 WERE 35 TO 43. AS COLDER AIR ARRIVED IN THE WAKE OF THE SHORTWAVE ON THE HEELS OF NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTING UP TO 30 MPH DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 3/1-3/2...THE DENSE FOG LIFTED. SOME LIGHT SNOW FELL ACROSS NORTHWEST UPPER MICHIGAN...AND UP TO 2 INCHES ACCUMULATED BY MID MORNING ON 3/2 AT PHOENIX IN KEWEENAW COUNTY. OTHERWISE...A GREY OVERCAST AND A FEW LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS OR FLURRIES LINGERED THROUGHOUT THE DAY ACROSS THE AREA...BUT ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL WAS LESS THAN AN INCH. ALTHOUGH THE NORTH WIND DRAGGED COLDER AIR INTO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES...TEMPERATURES REMAINED WELL ABOVE NORMAL. LOWS ON 3/2 RANGED FROM 27 AT SILVER CITY IN ONTONAGON COUNTY TO 37 AT MENOMINEE. THE MERCURY RECOVERED DURING THE DAY TO 33 TO 41. SKIES REMAINED CLOUDY THROUGH 3/3. AREA THERMOMETERS READ 25 TO 32 AT DAWN ON 3/3...THEN 33 TO 40 DURING THE AFTERNOON. A FAST MOVING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM DROPPED SOME LIGHT SNOW BEGINNING THE EVENING ON 3/3 AND LASTING INTO THE MORNING ON 3/4. THE HEAVIEST SNOW FELL OVER THE WESTERN COUNTIES OF UPPER MICHIGAN...WHERE 1-3 INCHES OF THE WHITE STUFF ACCUMULATED. THE WEATHER ON 3/4 WAS QUIET...BUT SKIES REMAINED MOSTLY CLOUDY. MORNING LOWS RANGED FROM 21 AT PHOENIX TO 32 AT STEPHENSON IN MENOMINEE COUNTY AND MANISTIQUE. AFTERNOON HIGHS WERE BETWEEN 28 AT HOUGHTON AND 40 AT MCMILLAN IN LUCE COUNTY. ON 3/5...A POWERFUL STORM SYSTEM MOVING FROM THE PLAINS INTO THE CENTRAL GREAT LAKES BROUGHT HEAVY SNOW TO MUCH OF THE U.P. THE LOW PRESSURE CENTER PASSED CLOSE ENOUGH TO MENOMINEE TO CAUSE A WINTRY MIX OF SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN THERE FOR A TIME IN THE MORNING. ONCE THE STORM SYSTEM MOVED FAR ENOUGH TO THE EAST...THE STEADY SNOW DIMINISHED TO FLURRIES AND FREEZING DRIZZLE. STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL REACHED AS HIGH AS 15 INCHES AT THE MARQUETTE NWS. SOME OTHER IMPRESSIVE REPORTS INCLUDE 14 INCHES AT WETMORE IN ALGER COUNTY... 13 INCHES AT GLADSTONE IN DELTA COUNTY...12 INCHES AT BARK RIVER IN DELTA COUNTY AND HARDWOOD IN DICKINSON COUNTY...11 INCHES AT NORWAY IN DICKINSON COUNTY AND NEWBERRY...AND 10 INCHES AT GWINN IN MARQUETTE COUNTY AND AT THOUSAND ISLAND LAKE IN GOGEBIC COUNTY. THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA WAS FARTHEST FROM THE LOW TRACK...BUT EVEN THERE AROUND 6 INCHES ACCUMULATED. EAST TO NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTING TO 35 MPH AT THE HEIGHT OF THE STORM ALSO CAUSED SOME BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW...BUT THE SNOW WAS SO WET AND HEAVY THAT VISIBILITY WAS NOT SEVERELY RESTRICTED. LOWS ON 3/5 WERE IN THE 20S...THEN TEMPERATURES ROSE TO BETWEEN 29 AND 35 IN THE AFTERNOON. ONLY A WEAK HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE FILLED IN BEHIND THE DEPARTING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM. SO NO INTENSE COLD OR SIGNIFICANT LAKE EFFECT SNOW MATERIALIZED LATE ON 3/5 INTO 3/6...ONLY PATCHY LIGHT SNOW THAT DIDN'T ADD UP TO MORE THAN AN ADDITIONAL INCH OR TWO. AREA THERMOMETERS READ 18 TO 26 AT DAWN ON 3/6...THEN RECOVERED TO BETWEEN 27 AT THE MARQUETTE NWS AND 39 AT STEPHENSON DURING THE DAY. A STRENGTHENING ALBERTA CLIPPER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM DROPPING THROUGH THE CENTRAL GREAT LAKES DEPOSITED A SWATH OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW ACROSS MAINLY SOUTHERN UPPER MICHIGAN BEGINNING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON 3/7. BY THE TIME THE SNOW DIMINISHED IN THE AFTERNOON AND A FEW PEEKS OF SUNSHINE RETURNED TO PARTS OF UPPER MICHIGAN...AS MUCH AS A FOOT OF SNOW HAD FALLEN AT BARK RIVER. STEPHENSON AND DAGGETT IN MENOMINEE COUNTY LOGGED 7 INCHES OF THE WHITE STUFF...AS DID COOKS IN SCHOOLCRAFT COUNTY. MOST PLACES FARTHER NORTH PICKED UP 2 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW. MORNING TEMPERATURES ON 3/7 WERE 20 TO 30...THEN ROSE TO BETWEEN 27 AND 37 IN THE AFTERNOON. A WEAK RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE FOLLOWED LATE ON 3/7 INTO 3/8...BRINGING PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE A FEW SNOW SHOWERS AND FLURRIES IN THE NORTHWEST FLOW IN ADVANCE OF THE HIGH...NO MORE THAN AN INCH OR TWO FELL AT ANY LOCATION. THE MERCURY STARTED THE DAY ON 3/8 BETWEEN 17 AND 27. AFTERNOON HIGHS RANGED BETWEEN 28 AT THE MARQUETTE NWS AND 40 AT WATERSMEET IN GOGEBIC COUNTY AND BARAGA. AS THE HIGH CENTER MOVED INTO UPPER MICHIGAN DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 3/8-3/9...SKIES BEGAN TO CLEAR. THE STAGE WAS SET FOR A COLD MORNING OVER THE INTERIOR WEST WHERE THE WINDS WENT LIGHT...AND TEMPERATURES AT DAWN ON 3/9 REACHED AS LOW AS -5 AT WATERSMEET. MOST OTHER PLACES ACROSS THE INTERIOR WEST RECORDED LOWS OF ZERO TO 10 ABOVE...BUT MINIMUM TEMPERATURES NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR AND FARTHER EAST WHERE CLOUDS LINGERED LONGER SAW READINGS IN THE TEENS AND EVEN AS HIGH AS 20 TO 25 AT MUNISING...NEWBERRY AND MANISTIQUE. THE RIDGE REMAINED IN CONTROL OF THE WEATHER ON 3/9...AND PLENTY OF STRENGTHENING MARCH SUNSHINE BOOSTED HIGH TEMPERATURES AT MOST PLACES TO BETWEEN 35 AND 45. ALTHOUGH THE LOW AT WATERSMEET WAS THE FRIGID 5 BELOW ZERO... THAT LOCATION TURNED OUT TO BE THE AFTERNOON WARM SPOT WITH A HIGH OF 48. AN INCREASING SOUTHWEST WIND BETWEEN THE DEPARTING RIDGE AND A DEEP LOW PRESSURE CENTER MOVING ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL CANADA AND AN INCREASE IN CLOUD COVER AHEAD OF THE STORM SYSTEM KEPT TEMPERATURES DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 3/9-3/10 FROM FALLING ANYWHERE NEAR AS LOW AS THE NIGHT BEFORE OVER THE WEST. LOWS WERE IN THE 20S AT MOST SPOTS...BUT REMAINED AS HIGH AS 30 TO 35 AT A FEW LOCATIONS OVER THE FAR WEST FROM COPPER HARBOR TO IRONWOOD. THE SOUTHWEST WIND ON 3/10 GUSTED AS HIGH AS 48 MPH AT IRONWOOD...DRAWING WARMER AIR NORTH AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT FROM THE NORTHWEST. EXCEPT FOR AREAS DOWNWIND OF LAKE MICHIGAN FROM ESCANABA TO MANISTIQUE AND NEWBERRY WHERE HIGH TEMPERATURES REMAINED 35 TO 40 DESPITE PARTIAL SUNSHINE...THE MERCURY FARTHER WEST SURGED INTO THE 40S...AND EVEN TO 48 AT BARAGA...PHOENIX...SILVER CITY... WATERSMEET AND BIG BAY. SO WHEN PRECIPITATION AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT REACHED WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN IN THE AFTERNOON...THE PRECIPITATION WAS A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW. BUT ONCE THE COLD FRONT PASSED BY...LINGERING PRECIPITATION CHANGED TO ALL SNOW. BY DAWN ON 3/11...TEMPERATURES HAD FALLEN AS LOW AS 15 TO 20 ACROSS THE WEST AND INTO THE 20S TO THE EAST. AS A DEEP UPPER LOW DRIFTED ACROSS NORTHERN WISCONSIN DURING THE MORNING OF 3/11...SNOW SHOWERS FELL HEAVY AT TIMES...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE WISCONSIN BORDER OF UPPER MICHIGAN. A GENERAL 5 TO 6 INCHES ACCUMULATED IN A SWATH FROM IRONWOOD TO CRYSTAL FALLS...IRON MOUNTAIN AND SPALDING IN MENOMINEE COUNTY. AMOUNTS ELSEWHERE WERE 1 TO 3 INCHES. THE HEAVIER SNOW DIMINISHED TO LIGHTER LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS DURING THE AFTERNOON ON 3/11. THE SNOW SHOWERS CONTINUED LONGER ACROSS THE EAST IN THE NORTHWEST FLOW OFF LAKE SUPERIOR... WHERE SNOW SHOWERS DROPPED 3 TO 5 INCHES ACROSS ALGER...LUCE AND NORTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT COUNTIES. THE INCREASING NORTHWEST WIND GUSTED AS HIGH AS 35 MPH...CAUSED BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW...AND USHERED COLDER AIR INTO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES. TEMPERATURES DURING THE DAY ON 3/11 ROSE JUST A FEW DEGREES INTO THE 20S FROM THE OVERNIGHT LOWS ACROSS THE WEST...BUT REACHED AS HIGH AS 38 AT MCMILLAN BEFORE THE COLDER AIR ARRIVED BY EARLY AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURE AT DAWN ON 3/12 WERE TYPICAL OF MID WINTER...GENERALLY ZERO TO 10 ABOVE EXCEPT AROUND 12 NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR. SKIES CLEARED AND WINDS DIMINISHED OVER WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN EARLY IN THE DAY ON 3/12 AFTER THE SNOW SHOWERS ENDED AND THEN ACROSS THE CENTRAL COUNTIES DURING THE AFTERNOON. BUT THE LAKE EFFECT SNOW LINGERED ALL DAY ACROSS THE EAST...WHERE UP TO 2 INCHES FELL. EVEN WHERE THE SUN RETURNED IN THE AFTERNOON...TEMPERATURES REMAINED WELL BELOW THE LATE WINTER AVERAGE. HIGHS RANGED FROM 15 AT HOUGHTON TO 27 AT STEPHENSON. HIGH PRESSURE MOVED OVER UPPER MICHIGAN DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 3/12-3/13...AND THE COMBINATION OF MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS ENSURED SOME RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES WOULD GO BY THE WAYSIDE. BY DAWN ON 3/13...THE MERCURY HAD PLUNGED AS LOW AS 18 BELOW ZERO AT CHAMPION IN MARQUETTE COUNTY...14 BELOW ZERO AT WETMORE...AND A RECORD BREAKING 12 BELOW ZERO AT THE MARQUETTE NWS (WHICH BROKE THE PREVIOUS STANDARD OF 11 BELOW ZERO SET JUST LAST YEAR ON 3/13). LOWS AT MOST INTERIOR LOCATIONS WERE IN THE SINGLE DIGITS BELOW ZERO. EVEN ALONG THE WARMER LAKESHORES...THERMOMETERS READ ZERO TO 5 ABOVE ON THIS FRIGID MORNING. BUT ONCE THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE PASSED TO THE EAST...A SOUTHWEST WIND THAT GUSTED IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH AHEAD OF A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH NORTHERN MINNESOTA PUSHED TEMPERATURES HIGHER QUICKLY IN THE MORNING. SOME MORNING SUNSHINE ALSO HELPED THE MERCURY RECOVER...BUT CLOUDS THICKENED IN THE AFTERNOON AS THE MINNESOTA LOW DREW CLOSER. TEMPERATURES REACHED THE 30S EVERYWHERE BEFORE SNOW AHEAD OF THE STORM SYSTEM OVERSPREAD THE U.P. WEST-TO-EAST IN THE AFTERNOON. THE SNOW FELL HEAVY AT TIMES UNTIL DIMINISHING TO A FEW FLURRIES OR PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE OVER WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN DURING THE EVENING ON 3/13...AROUND MIDNIGHT OVER THE CENTRAL...AND DURING THE MORNING OF 3/14 ACROSS THE EAST. THE SNOW FELL LONGEST OVER SOUTH CENTRAL AND EASTERN UPPER MICHIGAN...AND THESE AREAS MEASURED THE GREATEST SNOWFALL. SOME OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE TOTALS INCLUDE 12 INCHES AT GLADSTONE...10 INCHES AT COOKS AND WETMORE... AND 8 INCHES NEAR GRAND MARAIS IN ALGER COUNTY...GWINN...AND NEWBERRY. THE GUSTY SOUTHWEST WIND ALSO CAUSED EXTENSIVE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW... COMPOUNDING THE MISERY OF THIS LATE WINTER STORM. MUCH OF FAR WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN RECORDED MUCH LESS SNOWFALL...AND ONLY 2 TO 3 INCHES FELL FROM IRONWOOD TO ONTONAGON AND L'ANSE. BUT MANY PLACES OVER THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA STILL REPORTED 4 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW. SKIES ON 3/14 REMAINED MOSTLY CLOUDY...AND LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS DEVELOPED DOWNWIND OF LAKE SUPERIOR DURING THE MORNING AND AFTERNOON AFTER THE PASSAGE OF THE STRONG COLD FRONT THAT ACCOMPANIED THE DEEP LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM ACROSS NORTHERN LAKE SUPERIOR. TEMPERATURES PEAKED IN THE 30S BEFORE THE FRONT ARRIVED... BUT NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS 40 MPH DROVE COLDER AIR INTO UPPER MICHIGAN AND CAUSED THE MERCURY TO FALL SLOWLY FOLLOWING THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. THE LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS PERSISTED THE FOLLOWING NIGHT AND INTO THE MORNING ON 3/15 BEFORE AN AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE EXPANDED INTO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES. MOST OF THE LAKE EFFECT SNOW BELTS EXPOSED TO A NORTHWEST WIND PICKED UP 2 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW...BUT AS MUCH AS 6 INCHES BLANKETED CALUMET. THE GUSTY NORTHWEST WIND RESULTED IN BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF THE MORE POWDERY LAKE EFFECT SNOW. ONLY FLURRIES FELL ACROSS THE SOUTH CENTRAL COUNTIES. TEMPERATURES AT DAWN ON 3/15 FELL TO BETWEEN 14 AT AMASA IN IRON COUNTY AND 25 AT STEPHENSON. THERE WAS INCREASING SUNSHINE ON 3/15 AS THE HIGH MOVED INTO THE AREA...AND AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES RANGED FROM 25 AT THE MARQUETTE NWS AND 27 AT NEWBERRY TO 39 AT WATERSMEET. THE OVERNIGHT ON 3/15- 3/16 WAS ANOTHER COLD ONE WITH CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS UNDER THE HIGH PRESSURE CENTER. THE MERCURY PLUNGED AS LOW AS -10 AT CHAMPION AND INTO THE SINGLE NUMBERS BELOW OR ABOVE ZERO AT MOST INTERIOR LOCATIONS. READINGS WERE GENERALLY 10 TO 17 NEAR THE LAKESHORES. BUT BRIGHT SUNSHINE AND A SOUTHWEST WIND IN THE WAKE OF THE DEPARTING HIGH DURING THE DAY ALLOWED TEMPERATURES TO RISE QUICKLY INTO THE 30S AND AS HIGH AS 40 AT SILVER CITY. PLACES ALONG THE LAKE MICHIGAN SHORE WERE COOLED BY THE WIND OFF THE LAKE...AND HIGHS THERE REMAINED AROUND 30. TEMPERATURES DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 3/16-3/17 WERE BUOYED BY AN INCREASE IN CLOUD COVER AND THE STEADIER SOUTHWEST WIND. BUT THE THERMOMETER FELL OFF TO AS LOW AS AROUND 10 ABOVE OVER INTERIOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN UPPER MICHIGAN...WHERE THE CLOUD COVER WAS THINNER AND WINDS WERE LIGHTER CLOSER TO THE DEPARTING HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE. THE CLOUDS TENDED TO BE THICKER OVER THE FAR WEST IN ADVANCE OF AN ALBERTA CLIPPER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM DROPPING THROUGH THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY...SO READINGS AT A NUMBER OF PLACES FROM IRONWOOD TO COPPER HARBOR FELL NO LOWER THAN 25. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS SOME LIGHT SNOW TOWARD DAWN ON 3/17 IN GOGEBIC AND ONTONAGON COUNTIES...ANY ACCUMULATION WAS LESS THAN AN INCH. ST PATRICK'S DAY TURNED OUT TO BE PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH JUST A FEW FLURRIES... AND AFTERNOON HIGHS WERE GENERALLY IN THE 30S. SOME PATCHY LIGHT SNOW AND FLURRIES FELL OVER UPPER MICHIGAN DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 3/17-3/18 IN ASSOCIATION WITH A WEAK LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING EAST ACROSS ONTARIO...AND PHOENIX REPORTED 1.5 INCHES OF THE WHITE STUFF. LOWS RANGED FROM 12 AT NEWBERRY AND STEPHENSON TO 28 AT SILVER CITY. A LOW PRESSURE TROUGH BROUGHT MORE SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS DURING THE DAY ON 3/18...BUT AT LEAST PARTIAL SUNSHINE EVERYWHERE BOOSTED AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES TO BETWEEN 34 AT MANISTIQUE AND NEWBERRY AND 45 AT BARAGA. A WEAK RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE FILLED IN BEHIND THE TROUGH DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 3/18-3/19. AS SKIES BECAME CLEAR AND WINDS DIMINISHED...PATCHY DENSE FOG DEVELOPED OVER INTERIOR UPPER MICHIGAN AS TEMPERATURES FELL OFF TO AS LOW AS 5 AT AMASA AND CHAMPION. MOST OTHER INLAND SPOTS OBSERVED LOWS IN THE TEENS...BUT READINGS WERE GENERALLY 20 TO 25 CLOSER TO THE SHORES. SOME SNOW SHOWERS DEVELOPED DURING THE DAY ON 3/19 AS WARM AIR IN THE SOUTHWEST FLOW BETWEEN LOW PRESSURE IN SOUTHERN CANADA AND THE DEPARTING HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE CLIMBED OVER THE LINGERING CHILLY AIR ACROSS UPPER MICHIGAN. THESE SNOW SHOWERS ENDED BY LATE IN THE DAY...AND NO MORE THAN AN INCH OF SNOW FELL ANYWHERE. ALTHOUGH THE SOUTHWEST WIND WAS RATHER LIGHT AT THE START OF THE DAY...WIND GUSTS IN EXPOSED AREAS REACHED AS HIGH AS 35 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. THIS STRONGER SOUTHWEST FLOW BOOSTED TEMPERATURES WELL INTO THE 30S AND EVEN AS HIGH AS 43 AT IRONWOOD DESPITE THE MOSTLY CLOUDY SKY. TEMPERATURES FELL LITTLE DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 3/19-3/20 WITH A GUSTY SOUTHWEST WIND AND A MOSTLY CLOUDY SKY. IN FACT...THE MERCURY ROSE AT MANY PLACES AS WIND GUSTS PEAKED AS HIGH AS 45 MPH OVER THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA...DRIVING MILD PACIFIC AIR EAST ON THE SOUTHERN FLANK OF THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH ONTARIO. BUT THIS LOW'S ARCTIC COLD FRONT BLASTED THROUGH UPPER MICHIGAN DURING 3/20 ACCOMPANIED BY SOME SNOW SHOWERS AND SPOILED HOPES FOR SUSTAINED WARM WEATHER TO GREET THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING. OVER THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA...THE FRONT ARRIVED JUST BEFORE SUNRISE SO THAT HIGH TEMPERATURES BETWEEN 40 AND 45 OCCURRED EARLY IN THE DAY. THEN THE MERCURY FELL THROUGH THE 30S IN THE MORNING AND INTO THE 20S DURING THE AFTERNOON IN THE FACE OF A NORTHWEST WIND GUSTING AS HIGH AS 45 TO 50 MPH. FARTHER SOUTH...THERE WERE A FEW HOURS FOR THE TEMPERATURE TO RISE. THE MERCURY REACHED INTO THE 40S EVERYWHERE... AND READINGS EVEN ROSE TO 50 AT STEPHENSON AND 49 AT MANISTIQUE. BUT THE THERMOMETER WAS BELOW 32 EVERYWHERE BY DINNERTIME AFTER THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. SNOW SHOWERS PICKED UP IN INTENSITY ACROSS MAINLY CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN LATE IN THE DAY ON 3/20 AND CONTINUED INTO EARLY 3/21. AS MUCH AS 7 INCHES OF SNOW FELL AT THE MARQUETTE NWS BEFORE THE SNOW SHOWERS DIMINISHED BY AFTERNOON...WITH 2 TO 4 INCHES OF THE WHITE STUFF COMMON ACROSS MUCH OF THE CENTRAL U.P....EVEN AS FAR SOUTH AS GLADSTONE AND CRYSTAL FALLS. THE 40 TO 50 MPH WIND GUSTS CAUSED EXTENSIVE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AT TIMES IN THE MOST EXPOSED OF THESE PLACES...WITH NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AT TIMES. LOWS AT DAWN ON 3/21 RANGED FROM 4 ABOVE AT AMASA TO 20 AT STEPHENSON...HARDLY FITTING FOR THE FIRST MORNING OF THE SPRING SEASON. COLD WEATHER REMAINED THE RULE ON 3/21 IN ADVANCE OF ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE SINKING SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS INCREASING SUNSHINE DURING THE AFTERNOON...TEMPERATURES RECOVERED ONLY TO BETWEEN 17 AT THE MARQUETTE NWS AND 28 AT STEPHENSON AND SPALDING. EXCEPT FOR A FEW SNOW SHOWERS OVER THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA ASSOCIATED WITH A DISTURBANCE TRACKING ACROSS ONTARIO...THE OVERNIGHT ON 3/21-3/22 WAS CLEAR...COLD AND CALM AS THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE MOVED OVERHEAD. RESIDENTS OF CHAMPION AND AMASA WOKE TO TEMPERATURES OF 25 BELOW AND 21 BELOW ZERO RESPECTIVELY. THE MARQUETTE NWS SAW A -16...EASILY BREAKING THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF -9. SOME OTHER FRIGID LOWS INCLUDED -11 AT WATERSMEET AND -10 AT FORTUNE LAKE NEAR CRYSTAL FALLS. AS A SOUTHWEST FLOW DEVELOPED AND GUSTED AS HIGH AS 40 MPH OVER THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA IN ADVANCE OF ANOTHER COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE NORTHWEST ON 3/23...THE MERCURY ROSE QUICKLY DURING THE DAY ON 3/22 DESPITE AN INCREASE IN AFTERNOON CLOUD COVER. HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE 28 TO 37. A BAND OF SNOW SHOWERS ACCOMPANIED THE FRONTAL PASSAGE DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 3/22-3/23 OVER THE NORTHERN TIER OF UPPER MICHIGAN...DROPPING 1 TO 3 INCHES OF ACCUMULATION. THERE WAS EVEN A RUMBLE OF THUNDER REPORTED AT MOHAWK IN KEWEENAW COUNTY. LITTLE IF ANY SNOW FELL OVER THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES. THE INCOMING AIRMASS WAS NOT AS COLD AS THE ONE WHICH DEPARTED ON 3/22...AND MORNING LOWS ON 3/23 RANGED FROM 15 AT THE MARQUETTE NWS TO 30 AT MENOMINEE. THE APPROACH OF ANOTHER HIGH PRESSURE CENTER AND DRIER AIR ENDED LINGERING SNOW SHOWERS DURING THE MORNING ON 3/23... AND THE AFTERNOON TURNED OUT MOSTLY SUNNY. THERMOMETERS OVER INLAND AREAS REACHED WELL INTO THE 30S AND EVEN AS HIGH AS 44 AT WATERSMEET...BUT TEMPERATURES HELD IN THE CHILLY 25 TO 32 RANGE NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR WITH A NORTHEAST WIND OFF THE COLD WATER. AFTER THE MERCURY BOTTOMED OUT BETWEEN 15 AND 25 AT MOST SPOTS DURING THE EVENING ON 3/23... TEMPERATURES BEGAN TO RISE OVERNIGHT AS THE SOUTH WIND ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE DEPARTING HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM DREW MILDER AIR NORTH. CLOUDS INCREASED ON 3/24 AS THE SOUTH WIND ALSO TRANSPORTED MORE MOIST AIR OVER UPPER MICHIGAN. BUT DESPITE THE INCREASE IN CLOUD COVER...TEMPERATURES MANAGED TO REACH INTO THE 40S AND EVEN UP TO 53 AT BARAGA AND BIG BAY. THE ONLY EXCEPTION WAS DOWNWIND OF LAKE MICHIGAN...WHERE READINGS GOT NO HIGHER THAN 35 TO 40 FROM ESCANABA TO MANISTIQUE AND NEWBERRY. AREAS OF DENSE FOG DEVELOPED DURING THE OVERNIGHT AS A WEAK RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILT OVER THE UPPER GREAT LAKES. VISIBILITY AT MANY PLACES DROPPED BELOW ONE QUARTER MILE. OVERNIGHT LOWS FELL TO BETWEEN 24 AND 31. THE FOG BURNED OFF DURING THE MORNING ON 3/25...AND INCREASING SUNSHINE AND A STEADY SOUTHWEST WIND BOOSTED THE THERMOMETER TO LEVELS MORE TYPICAL FOR LATE APRIL. HIGHS REACHED INTO THE 50S AT MOST SPOTS AND UP TO 63 AT BIG BAY. BUT AS IS OFTEN THE CASE IN SPRING...AREAS DOWNWIND OF LAKE MICHIGAN DID NOT SHARE IN THE WARMUP. TEMPERATURES HELD IN THE 40S THERE...AND THE MERCURY NEVER GOT ABOVE 39 AT MANISTIQUE...WHERE FOG AND LOW CLOUD LINGERED THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY AS THE SOUTH WIND BLEW OVER THE CHILLY LAKE WATERS. RAIN SHOWERS DEVELOPED OVER FAR WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN LATE IN THE DAY ON 3/25 AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. THERE WERE EVEN A FEW EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS AROUND IRONWOOD AND A FEW OTHER SPOTS AS THE BAND OF SHOWERS MARCHED EAST ACROSS THE U.P. THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION FELL ACROSS THE SOUTH CENTRAL AND EASTERN COUNTIES.. WHERE NEWBERRY PICKED UP 0.85 INCH OF RAIN. AREAS OF FOG...LOCALLY DENSE...AND DRIZZLE LINGERED AFTER THE SHOWERS ENDED DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 3/25-3/26. LOW TEMPERATURES WERE A MILD 35 TO 42. THE FOG...LOW CLOUD AND DRIZZLE HUNG ON INTO 3/26...WHEN A COLD FRONT TO THE SOUTH OF BUILDING HIGH PRESSURE IN SOUTH CENTRAL CANADA PUSHED ITS WAY ACROSS UPPER MICHIGAN. EXCEPT OVER THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA WHERE TEMPERATURES NEVER ROSE ABOVE 40...THE MERCURY PEAKED AT LEAST IN THE 40S BEFORE THE FRONT ARRIVED. BUT STEPHENSON AND SPALDING IN MENOMINEE COUNTY RECORDED HIGHS OF 55 AND 50 RESPECTIVELY BEFORE THE BOUNDARY ARRIVED. ALTHOUGH THE COLDEST OF THE AIR REMAINED IN ONTARIO...TEMPERATURES FELL ONCE THE FRONT PASSED AND RANGED FROM 37 AT IRON MOUNTAIN AND MENOMINEE TO 27 AT COPPER HARBOR AND THE MARQUETTE NWS BY DINNERTIME. THE LIGHT DRIZZLE OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN IN THE NORTH CHANGED TO FREEZING DRIZZLE...AND PATCHY FOG PERSISTED AS WELL. COLD AIR CONTINUED TO DRAIN INTO THE AREA DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 3/26-3/27 UNDER A WIDESPREAD LOW CLOUD DECK. BUT TEMPERATURES FELL ONLY A FEW MORE DEGREES FROM THE EVENING READINGS...BOTTOMING OUT BETWEEN 23 AND 32. THE LOW CLOUD LINGERED ACROSS MOST OF CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN IN THE EASTERLY FLOW ON THE SOUTHERN FLANK OF THE CANADIAN HIGH ON 3/27...BUT THERE WAS SOME CLEARING OVER THE EASTERN AND WESTERN COUNTIES. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES STAYED IN THE 35 TO 40 RANGE WHERE THE LOW CLOUD WAS MOST STUBBORN...BUT READINGS AT PLACES THE SUN CAME OUT REACHED AS HIGH AS 52 AT SILVER CITY...51 AT IRONWOOD...AND 49 AT MCMILLAN. SCATTERED LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS DEVELOPED OVER THE WEST HALF OF UPPER MICHIGAN DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 3/27-3/28...WHEN THERE WAS ALSO AREAS OF FOG OVER THE ENTIRE U.P. LOWS ON 3/28 WERE QUITE MILD...HELD UP BY CLOUD COVER AND A SOUTH WIND THAT GUSTED UP TO 30 MPH. THE SCATTERED SHOWERS CONTINUED INTO THE AFTERNOON ON 3/28...THEN AN APPROACHING STRONG UPPER AIR DISTURBANCE AND COLD FRONT CAUSED THE SHOWER COVERAGE AND INTENSITY TO INCREASE. A SOLID BAND OF SHOWERS...WITH SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN...MARCHED ACROSS UPPER MICHIGAN DURING THE EVENING BEFORE ENDING WEST-TO-EAST BY THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON 3/29 AT NEWBERRY. THE HEAVIEST RAIN DELUGED THE CENTRAL COUNTIES...WHERE 1.20 INCHES FELL AT GWINN...1.13 INCHES AT NORWAY IN DICKINSON COUNTY...AND 1.01 INCHES AT STEPHENSON. THE LEAST RAIN FELL IN THE FAR WEST...AND SILVER CITY AND IRONWOOD PICKED UP ONLY 0.03 AND 0.06 INCH RESPECTIVELY. HIGH TEMPERATURES ON 3/28 RANGED FROM 44 AT PHOENIX TO A SPRING-LIKE 57 AT STEPHENSON. ONLY MODERATELY CHILLY AIR RETURNED AFTER THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE...SO LOWS AT DAWN ON 3/29 WERE GENERALLY 35 TO 40 UNDER LINGERING LOW CLOUD AND SPOTTY SPRINKLES. THE RUNOFF FROM THE RAPID SNOWMELT CAUSED BY THESE BALMY TEMPERATURES AND THE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN CAUSED SOME MINOR FLOODING...MAINLY ACROSS THE SOUTH CENTRAL COUNTIES. UP TO A FOOT OF WATER INUNDATED THE INTERSECTION OF M-35 AND M-41 IN MENOMINEE...AND THERE WERE REPORTS OF SOME WATER ON OTHER ROADS FROM IRON MOUNTAIN TO THE GARDEN PENINSULA. ALTHOUGH THE WATER LEVEL ON UPPER MICHIGAN RIVERS ROSE STEADILY THE NEXT FEW DAYS...MOST STREAMS REMAINED WITHIN THEIR BANKS. SKIES WERE PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY ON 3/29. THERE WAS MORE SUNSHINE OVER THE SOUTH AND EAST. EXCEPT FOR RIGHT ALONG THE LAKE MICHIGAN SHORE EAST OF ESCANABA WHERE HIGHS MADE IT ONLY NEAR 40...THE MERCURY RESPONDED BY REACHING 54 AT STEPHENSON...52 AT MENOMINEE AND 50 AT CORNELL IN DELTA COUNTY... SPALDING...AND MCMILLAN. THE MERCURY PEAKED IN THE 40S ELSEWHERE...BUT A GUSTY SOUTHWEST WIND THAT REACHED 30 MPH MADE THE AIR FEEL QUITE A BIT COOLER. SKIES REMAINED PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 3/29- 3/30...AND LOWS FELL TO BETWEEN 23 AT WATERSMEET AND 34 AT MENOMINEE. SOME LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS FELL EAST OF IRON MOUNTAIN AND MARQUETTE...BUT THE ACCUMULATION EVERYWHERE WAS UNDER AN INCH. MORE SNOW SHOWERS DEVELOPED TOWARD DAWN OVER THE FAR WESTERN COUNTIES IN ADVANCE OF A REINFORCING COLD FRONT...AND THESE SHOWERS MOVED TO THE EAST DURING THE DAY ON 3/30 ALONG WITH THE COLD FRONT. ONCE AGAIN THOUGH...ANY ACCUMULATION WAS LESS THAN AN INCH. TEMPERATURES REACHED THEIR HIGH FOR THE DAY...FROM 31 AT IRONWOOD TO 44 AT STEPHENSON...AT MOST PLACES IN THE MORNING OR EARLY AFTERNOON BEFORE THE PASSAGE OF THE FRONT. READINGS REMAINED STEADY OR FELL SLOWLY BEHIND THIS BOUNDARY AS A STEADY NORTH WIND ADVECTED COLDER AND DRIER AIR INTO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES IN ADVANCE OF BUILDING HIGH PRESSURE IN SOUTH CENTRAL CANADA. SKIES WERE MOSTLY CLEAR OVER THE WEST HALF OF THE U.P. DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 3/30-3/31...BUT MORE CLOUD COVER LINGERED OVER THE EASTERN COUNTIES ON THE NORTHWEST PERIPHERY OF A DEEPENING STORM SYSTEM IN THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY. LOWS RANGED FROM 13 AT WATERSMEET...15 AT IRONWOOD AND 16 AT WATTON TO 30 UNDER THE CLOUDIER SKY AT STEPHENSON AND NEWBERRY. MARCH ENDED ON A QUIET NOTE WITH PARTLY TO MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES AND A BRISK NORTH WIND OFF LAKE SUPERIOR. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES ON 3/31 REACHED ONLY 33 AT COPPER HARBOR BUT ROSE TO 43 ACROSS THE SOUTH CENTRAL FROM IRON MOUNTAIN TO ESCANABA...MENOMINEE AND MANISTIQUE. APRIL CLIMATOLOGY AS THE SUN CONTINUES ITS MARCH NORTHWARD DURING THE FOURTH MONTH OF THE YEAR...DAYLIGHT AND AVERAGE TEMPERATURES INCREASE STEADILY. THE DAILY POSSIBLE SUNSHINE INCREASES FROM 769 MINUTES ON 4/1 TO 860 MINUTES ON THE LAST DAY OF THE MONTH. ON 4/1...NORMAL MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES AT THE MARQUETTE NWS ARE 40 AND 22...BUT REBOUND TO 55 AND 33 ON 4/30. MONTHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURES THROUGHOUT UPPER MICHIGAN ARE 12 TO 14 DEGREES HIGHER IN APRIL THAN IN MARCH. THE RELATIVELY COOL WATERS OF THE GREAT LAKES OFTEN KEEP TEMPERATURES NEAR THE SHORE DURING THE DAY MUCH LOWER THAN FARTHER INLAND. AVERAGE PRECIPITATION IN APRIL IS GREATER THAN IN MARCH OVER MUCH OF INTERIOR UPPER MICHIGAN...BUT GENERALLY LESS IN AREAS NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR AS THE RELATIVELY COOL WATERS INCREASE LOW LEVEL STABILITY AND REDUCE THE THREAT OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW AND CONVECTIVE SHOWERS. SNOWFALL DURING WARM AND/OR DRY APRILS ACROSS UPPER MICHIGAN IS OFTEN LESS THAN AN INCH. SUMMER-LIKE WEATHER CAN OCCUR DURING APRIL. RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES NEAR THE END OF THE MONTH GO ABOVE 90 IN SOME LOCATIONS...INCLUDING THE 94 AND 92 DEGREE READINGS OBSERVED AT IRON MOUNTAIN AND THE MARQUETTE NWS ON 4/22/80. ALTHOUGH APRIL 1987 IS THE WARMEST ON RECORD OR AT LEAST IN THE TOP FIVE WARMEST AT MANY PLACES...THE SECOND HALF OF APRIL 1990 STANDS OUT AS A PERIOD OF UNPRECEDENTED WARMTH. IN FACT...THE WEEK BETWEEN 4/22/90 AND 4/29/90 IS THE WARMEST ON RECORD AT ALL REPORTING STATIONS. TEMPERATURES DURING THIS WEEK AVERAGED AS HIGH AS 68 AT MUNISING AND THE MARQUETTE NWS...67 AT ONTONAGON...65 AT IRON MOUNTAIN...IRONWOOD AND MANISTIQUE...64 AT HOUGHTON AND 62 AT NEWBERRY. AT MANY OF THESE SITES... THE HIGHEST APRIL TEMPERATURE ON RECORD OCCURRED DURING THIS WEEK...INCLUDING 89 AT MUNISING (4/26/90) AND ONTONAGON (4/25/90)...88 AT HOUGHTON (4/25/90)...84 AT MANISTIQUE (4/26/90) AND 82 AT NEWBERRY (4/25/90). SEVEN OF THE 10 HIGHEST APRIL MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES RECORDED AT MANISTIQUE OCCURRED BETWEEN 4/23/90 AND 4/29/90. ALL OF THESE TEMPERATURES WOULD BE CONSIDERED NORMAL OR EVEN ABOVE NORMAL DURING MID SUMMER. WHEN APRIL TEMPERATURES SOAR QUICKLY WITH LINGERING DEEP WINTER SNOW COVER...SNOWMELT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS FLOODING...ESPECIALLY IF HEAVY RAINS FALL AROUND THE TIME OF WARMUP. IN 2002...THE COMBINATION OF DEEP EARLY APRIL SNOW COVER AND A FEW DAYS OF HEAVY RAIN BEFORE TEMPERATURES WARMED AS HIGH AS 80 TO 85 CAUSED DISASTROUS MID-APRIL FLOODING IN WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN. THE FLOODING WAS SO BAD IN GOGEBIC COUNTY...THEN MICHIGAN GOVERNOR JOHN ENGLER DECLARED THAT COUNTY A DISASTER AREA AND DISPATCHED MICHIGAN NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS TO ASSIST WITH RECOVERY. ALTHOUGH SEVERE WEATHER IS UNCOMMON ACROSS UPPER MICHIGAN IN APRIL...AN OUTBREAK OF EARLY SEASON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ENDED THIS PREMATURE SUMMER WARMTH IN APRIL 2002. ALTHOUGH AVERAGE TEMPERATURES CLIMB QUICKLY IN APRIL AND SUMMER-LIKE HEAT SOMETIMES HERALDS THE COMING WARM SEASON...WINTER CAN RETURN WITH A VENGEANCE EVEN AT MONTHS END. RECORD HIGH MONTHLY SNOWFALL AT ALMOST ALL LOCATIONS EXCEPT THE SOUTHERN TIER COUNTIES IS 20 INCHES OR MORE. THE MERCURY HAS FALLEN AS LOW AS -12 AT IRONWOOD (4/7/82)...-7 AT MANISTIQUE (4/5/72)...-6 AT IRON MOUNTAIN (4/5/72)...-5 AT THE MARQUETTE NWS (4/7/79)...-4 AT MUNISING (4/6/50)...-2 AT NEWBERRY (4/1/23) AND ZERO AT HOUGHTON (4/4/54) AND ONTONAGON (4/7/96). IRONWOOD HAS REPORTED TEMPERATURES WELL BELOW ZERO EVEN AFTER MID MONTH...-8 AND -5 ON 4/17/83 AND 4/18/83 RESPECTIVELY. APRIL 1996 AND 1995 WERE NOTORIOUSLY COLD ACROSS UPPER MICHIGAN WITH TEMPERATURES AVERAGING FIVE DEGREES OR MORE BELOW NORMAL...AND MANY PLACES COUNT THESE MONTHS IN THE TOP FIVE COLDEST APRILS ON RECORD. HEAVY SNOW FELL AT MOST PLACES IN APRIL 1996. A MONTHLY RECORD 43.4 INCHES BLANKETED THE MARQUETTE NWS THAT MEMORABLE MONTH...INCLUDING 12.6 INCHES ON 4/30/96. APRIL 1950 STANDS OUT AS VERY CHILLY AT STATIONS WITH A LONGER CLIMATE RECORD. THAT MONTH IS THE COLDEST APRIL AT NEWBERRY (AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 29.9)...IRON MOUNTAIN (32.3) AND MUNISING (31.3) AND THE SECOND AND THIRD COLDEST AT IRONWOOD (31.0) AND MANISTIQUE (33.0). APRIL FORECAST THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER (CPC) IS FORECASTING ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES BUT EQUAL CHANCES OF ABOVE AND BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION OVER UPPER MICHIGAN DURING APRIL 2004. OUTLOOK FOR LATE SPRING INTO MID SUMMER THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER IS FORECASTING EQUAL CHANCES OF ABOVE AND BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND PRECIPITATION OVER UPPER MICHIGAN FOR THE PERIOD MAY THROUGH JULY 2004. 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