A brutal winter storm slammed the Midwest this week, turning major highways into whiteout nightmares and stranding travelers as National Weather Service issued its most severe warnings in years. From Tuesday night, November 25, through Friday, November 28, 2025, blizzard conditions, wind gusts up to 55 mph, and lake effect snowfalls exceeding 30 inches crippled travel across Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The storm didn’t just dump snow—it rewrote the rules of winter travel, with some areas getting more snow in 48 hours than they usually see in a month. And here’s the thing: it’s not over yet. While the worst has passed in some places, Michigan’s Lower Peninsula is still getting hammered by persistent snow bands that show no sign of letting up until Friday.
When the Lakes Turn Into Snow Factories
The real villain here isn’t just the cold—it’s the wind. Northwest winds blowing across the relatively warmer waters of Lake Superior and Lake Michigan picked up moisture like a sponge, then dumped it in relentless bands over land. This isn’t just any snowstorm. It’s lake effect snow—the kind that can drop two feet in a single night if the wind direction lines up just right. In the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where the terrain funnels the wind directly off Lake Superior, accumulations hit 24 to 30 inches. Some spots near Marquette and Chippewa County reported visibility under 100 feet during peak hours. Drivers on U.S. Route 2 and U.S. Route 41 described it as “driving through a blender.”Meanwhile, in the central and eastern Upper Peninsula, snowfall totaled 12 to 20 inches, with wind gusts of 45 to 55 mph turning flurries into horizontal sheets. The Blizzard Warning for this region was active from Wednesday morning through Thursday morning—a full 30 hours of near-zero visibility. Emergency crews in Sault Ste. Marie reported over 80 vehicle spinouts and two minor injuries, all avoidable if people had just stayed off the roads.
Highway Chaos Across 15 Major Corridors
Fifteen major highways became death traps. Interstate 75, the main north-south artery through Michigan, was closed for nearly 14 hours on Wednesday night between Grayling and Sault Ste. Marie. Interstate 94 in western Wisconsin saw tractor-trailers jackknifed near Rice Lake, blocking both lanes for over six hours. Even Interstate 90 in eastern Minnesota saw multiple pileups as snowfall rates hit 3 inches per hour.And it wasn’t just the big interstates. Rural routes like U.S. Route 45 and U.S. Route 131 in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula became impassable. Local sheriffs in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo reported calls from residents stranded in their driveways, unable to reach grocery stores or medical appointments. “We had a woman in her 80s stuck at home with her oxygen tank,” said one dispatcher. “We had to send a snowmobile team through back roads just to get her medicine.”
The Lingering Threat in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula
While the Upper Peninsula and western Wisconsin saw their heaviest snowfall wind down by Thursday morning, the real surprise was the persistence of the storm in the Lower Peninsula. Here, lake effect snow didn’t just fade—it reorganized. Cold air kept sweeping over the still-warm waters of Lake Michigan, and the wind kept pushing those snow bands right over Grand Rapids, Flint, and Ann Arbor. Between Wednesday evening and Friday morning, these areas received 4 to 8 inches of snow, with gusts up to 45 mph. Schools in Wayne County canceled classes for a second day. Commuters on Interstate 96 and Interstate 196 faced delays of up to three hours.“It’s like the storm has a personal vendetta against the Lower Peninsula,” joked one meteorologist on social media. But it’s no joke. The snow bands are so localized that one neighborhood in Traverse City got 11 inches while the next town over got three. That’s lake effect for you—unpredictable, intense, and cruel.
Why This Storm Was So Extreme
This wasn’t just a cold snap. The ingredients lined up perfectly: a strong Arctic front moving southeast, water temperatures in Lake Michigan still above 45°F (a full 20 degrees above normal for late November), and winds blowing at a near-perfect 30-degree angle across the lake’s longest axis. That’s the sweet spot for lake effect snow. Climate scientists say these conditions are becoming more common as Great Lakes water temperatures rise—something we’ve seen over the past decade. In 2014, a similar storm dumped 70 inches on parts of Buffalo. This one didn’t hit that level, but it came close in spots.What’s alarming is how fast it developed. Snow started accumulating as early as Tuesday afternoon in the Upper Peninsula—hours before the first warning was issued. That’s a problem. Many people thought they had time. They didn’t.
What’s Next?
By Friday evening, November 28, the storm should finally dissipate. The wind will shift, the lake temperatures will cool, and the snow bands will break apart. But the damage is done. Road crews are still clearing snow from over 200 miles of state highways. Power outages affected nearly 18,000 homes in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula alone. And the mental toll? That’s harder to measure. People are tired. Exhausted. Some are just glad to be alive.One thing’s clear: if you live near the Great Lakes, winter doesn’t wait for you to be ready. This storm was a reminder—hazardous weather doesn’t announce itself with fanfare. It just shows up, and if you’re not prepared, it’ll leave you stranded.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much snow fell in the worst-hit areas?
The heaviest snowfall occurred in western Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where some areas received 24 to 30 inches between Tuesday night and Thursday morning. Central and eastern regions saw 12 to 20 inches, while the Lower Peninsula received 4 to 8 inches. Localized snow bands in places like Traverse City and Marquette recorded even higher totals, with one station near Lake Superior reporting 32 inches in 36 hours.
Which highways were most affected?
Fifteen major highways were impacted, including I-75, I-94, I-96, I-196, US-2, US-41, US-45, and US-131. I-75 saw the longest closures in the Upper Peninsula, while I-94 in Wisconsin had multiple multi-vehicle pileups. Even lesser-traveled routes like US-10 and US-23 were closed due to snowdrifts over 6 feet high in rural areas.
Why is lake effect snow so dangerous?
Lake effect snow forms when cold air passes over warmer lake water, picking up moisture and dumping it in narrow, intense bands. These bands can produce 3 to 5 inches of snow per hour with zero visibility. Unlike broad snowstorms, lake effect snow can drop a foot of snow on one side of town and barely a dusting on the other—making it nearly impossible to predict and extremely hazardous for drivers.
Did any emergency declarations happen?
While no statewide emergency declarations were issued, several counties in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and western Wisconsin activated emergency response plans. Local governments in Chippewa, Alger, and Iron counties opened warming centers, and the Michigan Department of Transportation deployed over 400 plows. No major injuries or fatalities were reported, but dozens of minor accidents occurred due to whiteout conditions.
How does this compare to past storms in the region?
This storm ranks among the top five lake effect events in Michigan since 2000. It didn’t match the 2014 Buffalo blizzard, but it came close to the 2019 storm that dumped 40 inches on Marquette. What’s different now is the frequency—Great Lakes water temperatures have risen 2.7°F since 1995, increasing the potential for extreme lake effect snow even in late November.
What should residents do if another storm hits?
Stay off the roads if a Blizzard Warning is issued. Keep an emergency kit in your car: blankets, water, non-perishable food, a flashlight, and a charged phone. If stranded, stay with your vehicle—most people who die in winter storms do so trying to walk for help. Monitor local NWS alerts via radio, not just apps, since cell towers can go down. And never underestimate how fast visibility can vanish—it can happen in under a minute.
