NORTHERN MICHIGAN — There’s snow on the ground for most of Northern Michigan and more on the way. Already this winter season has brought more snow than last year’s.
The 2023-24 winter season was warmer than normal because of an El Niño weather pattern. Mild temperatures and a lack of snow and ice were often in the forecast as a result.
The 2024-25 winter season is experiencing a La Niña weather pattern, which results in colder temperatures and more snowfall. In combination with the lake effect, which causes cold wind to build up on the Great Lakes, this can lead to an increase in both snow and cold winds.
In Sault Ste. Marie, there has been 96.6 inches of snowfall since the beginning of the 2024-25 snow season in October.
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In Sault Ste. Marie, there has been 96.6 inches of snowfall since the beginning of the season in October. In comparison, from October 2023-February 2024 there was a total of 87 inches of snowfall. In an average year, Sault Ste. Marie gets 114.4 inches.
Snowy conditions in Boyne City are photographed on Nov. 29, 2024.
In Gaylord, there has been a total of 107.5 inches of snowfall. Last season, Gaylord saw a total of 88.4 inches. In an average season, Gaylord will see a total of 116.7 inches.
Officials at the National Weather Service office in Gaylord said measurements for Petoskey and Cheboygan may be inaccurate due to missing data.
Bikes lay buried in the snow in Petoskey on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024.
In Petoskey, there has been 38.3 inches of snow reported so far this season. There was a total of 79.6 inches last season.
In Cheboygan, there has been 19.3 inches of snowfall so far. Last season saw a total of 59.3 inches.
— Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Sault News: 2024-25 winter season in Northern Michigan already has last year’s snowfall totals beat