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Blizzard batters area

Heavy snowfall collapses roofs, snarls traffic across U.P.

From left, Bill Schumann and Dan Pemble, team members of U.S. Muay Thai, shovel snow after Sunday's snow storm. (Journal photo by Trinity Carey)

MARQUETTE — Record snowfall and high winds created blizzard conditions that wreaked havoc across the region on Sunday, more than doubling previous snowfall records for that date.

The National Weather Service-Marquette station in Negaunee Township reported 14.2 inches fell Sunday, blowing past the 7-inch snowfall record set on Feb. 24, 1994.

“It’s what they call a bomb,” NWS meteorologist Jonathan Voss said.

“Although the region has not broken record snowfall totals for February, it is getting close,” he said. “A low pressure system, as the low deepens 24 millibars over 24 hours — they basically call it a bomb cyclone, a very powerful storm. In the midst of its deepening and that’s why we had the stronger winds on Sunday evening.”

Several areas recorded snowfall of over 10 inches, with some reporting more than 25 inches of new snowfall.

Mike Foye, a staff member at Foye Insurance Agency, uses a Yooper Scooper to remove snow behind the business. (Journal photo by Trinity Carey)

Voss said according to social media reports, some places in Baraga County reported 22 inches, Negaunee reported 18 inches, Big Bay had nearly 17 inches and Ishpeming reported 16 inches with nearly 4-foot drifts.

The record snowfall over the weekend was complicated by winds gusting between 50 and 76 miles per hour across the region.

“The winds really kicked up later in the afternoon and evening. That was the result of the storm deepening at that time and moving north east of the lake,” Voss said. “We had cold air moving in which helped the deepening and increased the mixing, allowing for gustier winds to come to the surface. The wind was probably the biggest impact of the storm, causing blizzard conditions.”

The Houghton County Airport reported wind gusts of 69 mph, Munising reported 60 mph, Negaunee reported 54 mph, K.I. Sawyer reported 52 mph, and Marquette gusts clocked in at 51 mph, Voss said.

The gusts were even stronger over the lake, he said, with Stannard Rock and Granite Island both reporting 76 mph winds.

Voss said the monthly snow total, while it is one of the highest recorded, may not break the previous record for February.

“We are a little over 5 inches away from that,” Voss said. “Now at the weather office, we are at 87.3 inches, and the record for February is 91.9 in Feb 2002. This is definitely one of the snowiest months on record.”

The increased snowfall may have been a factor in damage caused to two buildings in Marquette County.

Area emergency response agencies were called out to a roof collapse at the Negaunee Public Schools bus garage in Negaunee Township and Shunk Furniture in Marquette Township, according to Marquette County Central Dispatch.

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