Great Lakes Hit by Heavy Snow Ahead of Thanksgiving

Wed Dec 10 2025 19:38:12 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Residents in the Great Lakes region are bracing for significant snowfall and dangerous travel conditions this Thanksgiving as a weather system generates lake effect snow, particularly in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

As Thanksgiving approaches, residents of the Great Lakes region, particularly in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, are facing heavy snowfall due to a weather system triggering lake effect snow. With blizzard warnings in effect and snowfall amounts reaching up to 33 inches in some areas, hazardous travel conditions are expected. The National Weather Service warns of low visibility, strong winds, and potential power outages affecting thousands of residents. Although the lake effect snow is anticipated to diminish by Friday, additional snowfall is predicted over the weekend.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Residents of the Great Lakes region are in for a snowy Thanksgiving as a weather system continues to drop precipitation across the area, particularly in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Snowfall that began Wednesday persisted Thursday with winds and snow bands out of the north and northwest. A blizzard warning is in effect in Alger County, east of Marquette, Michigan, until 7 p.m. Thursday night.

The heaviest snowfall is expected to hit west of the town of Munising, according to the National Weather Service, with up to 13 inches (33 centimeters) of additional snowfall possible. The snow bands will likely taper off starting in the western counties of the Upper Peninsula as the day progresses.

Lily Chapman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Marquette, said 15 inches (38 centimeters) of snow were measured at her office Thursday morning. Near Bessemer, Michigan, about 113 miles (182 kilometers) east of Duluth, Minnesota, Chapman reported over 18 to 28 inches (46 to 71 centimeters) of snow.

'It varies pretty quickly depending on things like elevation or where any of our stronger bands have been able to line up,' Chapman said.

What is lake effect snow?

Lake effect snow is characterized by thin bands of clouds that can produce heavy snowfall in localized areas. The phenomenon occurs when cold air from Canada is blown over the warmer waters of the Great Lakes, creating clouds that can dump two to three inches (5 to 8 centimeters) of snow per hour.

This weather pattern can severely impact regions such as Michigan, Ohio, and New York. Areas near Bessemer, for instance, have reported 33 inches (84 centimeters) of snow due to the combination of lake effect and elevation factors, providing an excellent environment for cloud formation.

Dangerous driving on Thanksgiving

The shifting bands of lake effect snow can result in sudden and extreme whiteouts, posing a significant danger for travelers. Visibility was reported as low across the Upper Peninsula on Thursday, exacerbating driving conditions.

Wind gusts reaching up to 45 mph (72 kph) are contributing to the creation of snow drifts on roads and resulting in numerous power outages. More than 1,000 outages were reported near Houghton, Michigan, and similar issues were noted by Consumers Energy along Lake Michigan's coast.

As Thanksgiving approaches, the lake effect snow is expected to migrate from west to east, with a separate less severe weather system anticipated to bring more inches of snow to the Upper Peninsula over the weekend.

Areas like Buffalo, New York, reported around 2 to 3 inches of snow on Thanksgiving morning, with warnings remaining in effect until early Saturday morning.