Walking & Playing in a Winter Wonderland

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ice cavesThere is a reason why many people think of Northern Michigan as a winter wonderland — much of it to do with our considerable snowfall.

Located on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, Northwestern Michigan is in a prime location for lake effect snow. That’s the weather phenomenon in which snow showers — sometimes very heavy snow showers — develop when the cold winter winds pick up moisture over the warmer waters of Lake Michigan and deposit it in the form of snow along the western third of the state.
And that’s in addition to the snow the area receives from normal weather systems Typically this area receives about 120 inches of snow each winter.

While the same lake that brings the lake effect snow can sometimes help keep some shoreline areas warmer for at least part of the winter, Northern Michigan also can offer some bone chilling temperatures.

In fact, Pellston, in Emmet County, has gained notoriety as being the coldest spot in Michigan and many times the coldest spot in the nation. It is even nicknamed the “Icebox of the Nation.”
 

lake effect snowAverage annual snowfall by month:
November, 18 inches
December, 33 inches
January, 36 inches
February, 22 inches
March, 23 inches
April, 9 inches

Average high/low temperatures for Northern Michigan:
December 30/15 degrees
January 25/ 7 degrees
February 27/5 degrees
March 34/14 degrees