textproduct: Marquette

KEY MESSAGES

- Light to moderate lake effect snow continues today through tonight over the north wind snow belts. Wind gusts of 35-40mph near Lake Superior today will result in poor visiblity at times due to the combination of snow and blowing snow.

- A clipper low could bring widespread snow to the U.P. on Tuesday. While the exact track of the low is still uncertain, we could see at least a few inches across the area.

- More normal winter-time temperatures continue through early this week.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 155 AM EST Sun Feb 22 2026

As troughing progressively deteriorates over the Upper Great Lakes early this week as high pressure builds in from Canada, lake enhanced to lake effect snow showers continue over the north wind snow belts today through Monday morning. As this occurs, some light to moderate snow showers are being seen over the north wind snow belts, with the strongest snow showers being seen over the higher terrain of Marquette, Baraga, Ontonagon, and Gogebic counties (as well as the Spine of the Keweenaw too). For Marquette County and westward today and tonight, expect generally 3 to 6 more inches of fluffy snowfall, with some of the higher terrain areas potentially seeing up to 8 inches or more at the local level. In addition to the snowfall, some areas of blowing snow are expected along the lakeshore of the north central and Keweenaw as a weak reinforcing shortwave drops down from northern Ontario today. With the occasional moderate snowfall rates dropping down visibilities to 1/2 mile or less at times, the areas of blowing snow may further lower the visibilities along the lakeshores. Thus, even with guidance showing snowfall rates slacking off over Alger County (and to a lesser extent the Keweenaw) later this morning, will keep the current Winter Weather Advisories going until 06z this tonight, even despite the Keweenaw and Alger County only seeing an additional 1 to maybe 5 inches today (highest over far western Alger County near Marquette County's border and the highest elevations of the Keweenaw mainly north of Houghton); road closures cannot be completely ruled out along the lakeshore, especially if the blowing snow creates localized whiteout conditions.

As strong high pressure ridging approaches and moves over the area on Monday, expect the now purely lake effect snow showers to slowly die down with time late tonight through Monday. However, we could see snowfall rates slightly intensify over Marquette County tonight into Monday morning, especially in the higher terrain west and south of the city thanks to some convergent and upslope flow bringing some extra low-level forcing to bear. Thus, the Winter Weather Advisory over Marquette County has been extended to 7 AM EST Monday as moderate snowfall rates are expected until the mid to late morning hours. As ridging moves in on Monday, the last of the lake effect snow showers ends over the north central by the evening hours. However, the Arctic air responsible for the lake enhanced/effect snow showers today into Monday will keep temperatures more typical to late winter, with highs today only getting into the upper teens to mid 20s, and highs on Monday mostly only getting into the teens; lows may get to or just dip below zero tonight and again Monday night in the interior areas.

Don't expect the cessation in snowfall to last all that long as an incoming Clipper low diving down from the Northern Plains strengthens to around 994mb before arriving over the Upper Great Lakes Tuesday evening. As it does so, expect isentropic ascent ahead of the Clipper to begin bringing snowfall back across the U.P. early Tuesday morning over the western U.P., with snowfall spreading into the rest of the U.P. throughout the day Tuesday. While the WAA associated with the Clipper is expected to bring slightly warmer than normal temperatures back into the area (highs on Tuesday are expected to be in the 20s), with most of the lift being within the DGZ, expect high SLRs (upper teens to around 20:1) and fluffy snowfall as the Clipper moves through the area late Tuesday. Overall, looks like the Keweenaw and central to eastern U.P. will see the most system snowfall with this Clipper, with around 4 to 6 inches possible. While some weak forcing behind the Clipper could bring some light lake enhanced snow showers to the northwest wind snow belts immediately after the Clipper's passing through Wednesday, with weak ridging returning to the area, expect the snow showers to die out as we head into the second half of the week.

There remains some fairly significant model divergence for late this week as another Clipper low continues to oscillate on where it will track through the Central U.S.; as of the latest guidance, it seems that it will avoid our area entirely and instead impact the Chicago/southern Lower MI area. Behind this low, WAA could bring highs well above normal for Friday, with the current NBM showing highs getting into the lower 40s over the west half. However, as we head into the beginning of March (i.e. this upcoming weekend), we may see another shot of very cold Arctic air return to the U.P.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z MONDAY/

Issued at 1226 PM EST Sun Feb 22 2026

Lake effect snow showers will result in variable IFR/MVFR conditions at all sites today through tonight, with a few bouts of LIFR in heavier showers and periods of blowing snow as winds gust out of the north to 20-25 kt. Expect some improvement towards prevailing MVFR by 06z Mon as lake effect begins to wane in intensity.

MARINE

Issued at 239 AM EST Sun Feb 22 2026

Northerly winds up to 30 knots across the lake early this morning increase to gales of 35 to 40 knots over the eastern half, with heavy freezing spray developing across the waters as well thanks to a weak shortwave moving through the Upper Great Lakes today. While the winds will weaken to below gale by early Monday morning, heavy freezing spray looks to remain over the lake until Monday evening, slowly retreating into the eastern lake with time tonight through Monday before ending. While winds look to dwindle to 20 knots or less by Monday evening, expect them to increase from the south Tuesday morning to 20 to 30 knots across the lake, with a 30% chance for gales up to 35 knots over the eastern lake. In addition, expect heavy freezing spray to return over the central and eastern lake, remaining until late Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning. As the Clipper leaves the region Tuesday night, expect the winds to become northwesterly to 20 to 30 knots Tuesday night into Wednesday. As weak ridging moves back into the area late Wednesday, expect the winds to decline with time, eventually becoming 20 knots or less by Thursday morning. The light winds look to continue through the day Thursday.

MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Upper Michigan... Winter Weather Advisory until 1 AM EST /midnight CST/ Monday for MIZ001>004-006-009.

Winter Weather Advisory until 7 AM EST Monday for MIZ005.

Lake Superior... Heavy Freezing Spray Warning until 7 AM EST /6 AM CST/ Monday for LSZ162.

Heavy Freezing Spray Warning until 1 PM EST /noon CST/ Monday for LSZ240>248-263>265.

Gale Warning until 1 AM EST Monday for LSZ243>250-264>266.

Heavy Freezing Spray Warning until 7 PM EST Monday for LSZ249>251-266-267.

Gale Warning from 7 PM this evening to 1 AM EST Monday for LSZ251-267.

Lake Michigan... None.