More than 24 inches of snow fell in northern Michigan as the combination of an intensifying low pressure system, also known as a “bomb cyclone,” combined with moisture from the Great Lakes and clash of artic air dropping out of Canada.
Blizzard conditions were noted during the height of the storm with footage in Downtown Marquette showing massive snow drifts.
WHAT MAKES IT A BLIZZARD?
- Gusts of 35 mph
- Blowing or falling snow
- Reduced visibility less than 1/4 mile
- Lasting for 3 hours or more
Snowfall amount isn’t the main factor. A blizzard’s defining feature is the intensity of wind and lack of visibility, not necessarily the amount of snow that falls.
Wind gusts topped 40 to 50 miles per hour as the storm moved through, generating massive waves and whitecaps on the Great Lakes.
The storm also pushed a cold front through the Midwest and Mid Atlantic that brought intense wind.