Marine Weather and Tide Forecast for White Pine, MI

DISCUSSION
Issued at 235 PM EST Sat Jan 17 2026

This afternoon radar and satellite imagery showed lake effect snow showers over much of the northwest wind snowbelts of the western U.P and the north-norhtwest wind snowbelts in the central U.P. Snow was generally light with visibilities down to around a mile in the heaviest snow showers. Temperatures were near average, in the 20s.
It will be quite a while before we see these kind of temperatures again! Winds had picked up over Lake Superior and gusts to 25 mph were common along the lakeshores and over the Keweenaw.

Tonight lake effect snow will continue to decrease in intensity and shift into the northwest winds snowbelts. Colder air will begin to filter into the area with temperatures tonight falling into the single digits, normal for this time of year. Outside of the lake effect snow showers it will remain cloudy over most of the U.P.

On Sunday the next clipper approaches the area spreading light snow across the U.P in the afternoon and evening. Winds become southwesterly pushing the lake effect snow showers offshore. Overall snowfall amounts will be less than an inch through Sunday evening.

Sunday night the low will deepen over the north-central part of Lake Superior and drop south by Monday morning as an arctic cold front pushes through the area. A period of moderate to heavy lake effect snow is possible as the low drops south, mainly for the Keweenaw and down the shoreline, east to Alger County. As the cold air pushes in thermal profiles will become very cold, limiting snowflake growth, resulting in snow flakes becoming fine. These small flakes are efficient at reducing visibility and susceptible to blowing. Models show strong pressure rises Monday morning, 8-10mb in 6 hours which is indicative of a period of strong winds. Soundings also support mixing of strong winds to the surface with steep low level lapse rates and winds of 40kt+ at 925mb.

The combination of lake effect snow and blowing snow could result in very difficult travel late Sunday night into Monday morning, with a period of near-blizzard conditions rapidly developing behind the cold front. HRRR joint probabilities for near-blizzard conditions are 70%+ over the Keweenaw Sunday night and up to 90% along Hwy 41 south and east of Ishpeming Monday morning. Lake effect snowfall amounts Sunday night into Monday morning are in the 2-6" range which is traditionally well below Winter Storm Watch criteria. However, with the potential for significant impacts with snow/blowing snow have opted for a Winter Storm Watch. Windchills will also become hazardous with -15F to -25F expected by Monday morning.

Winds will diminish some but still remain breezy though the afternoon on Monday with lake effect shifting into the northwest wind snowbelts. Small, fine flakes will continue to cause visibility issues but not so much heavy accumulations of snow. Additional winter weather headlines may be needed over the rest of the northwest wind snowbelts due to expected lower visibilities.
Temperatures won't rise much on Monday with highs in the single digits above and below zero with windchills as cold as -25F. Monday night into Tuesday morning windchills could fall further, as cold as -35F over the interior. Cold weather headlines will likely be needed Sunday night into Tuesday morning with dangerously cold windchills.

Tuesday through Friday expect cold to continue with temperatures 10 to 20 degrees below normal the remainder of the week. Expect daytime highs in the single digits and teens and overnight lows near or below zero. Continued northwest flow will keep the lake effect snow showers going in the northwest wind snowbelts but significant snowfall does not look likely, rather continued impacts from reduced visiblity as the column remains very cold and flakes remain fine. A few periods of widespread light snow are possible as clippers move through the region through it is hard to pin down any details at this point.

Looking beyond Friday...the CPC Day 8-14 outlook suggesting that temperatures will remain until the end of the month. In addition, some even colder air than what we will see behind the Clipper early next week could be seen by next weekend; we will continue to monitor this to see if this forecast holds or if the frigid temperatures trend away from our area.

AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY/
Issued at 1214 AM EST Sun Jan 18 2026

Lingering lake effect snow showers end this morning as another system approaches from the northwest and winds shift southwest ahead of it. Any lake effect showers likely would only bring MVFR vis.
MVFR cigs will prevail most of the 6Z TAF period.

Widespread snow returns this afternoon from the west, lowering vis down to MVFR/IFR once again. Lower vis down to LIFR is expected tonight into Monday at IWD/CMX and possibly SAW early Monday morning as an arctic cold front pushes through. Despite low snow accumulation totals, the drier and fine snowflakes will pose blowing snow and visibility concerns with winds gusting into the 20-30 kt range.

MARINE
Issued at 235 PM EST Sat Jan 17 2026

Northerly winds of 20 to 30 knots will continue over the lake as a clipper low departs the region this evening along with heavy freezing spray over the north central lake; a Heavy Freezing Spray Warning is in effect through 1 AM EST tonight. Winds will diminish tonight as weak ridging moves over the lake ahead of the next clipper with winds generally less than 20kt through the day Sunday.
Sunday night the low will deepen over the lake and drop south as an arctic front pushes across the lake. Strong northwesterly gales of 35 to 45 knots are expected across the lake Sunday night into Monday; in addition, expect heavy freezing spray across the entire lake. A Gale Watch remains in effect for all but the farthest western open lake zone. While it appears that we trend below gales by Monday evening, strong northwest to westerly winds continue into the middle of next week. As this occurs, expect the heavy freezing spray to continue over Lake Superior.

MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
Upper Michigan...
Winter Storm Watch from this evening through Monday evening for MIZ001-003.

Winter Storm Watch from late tonight through Monday afternoon for MIZ004-005.

Winter Storm Watch from late tonight through Monday evening for MIZ006.

Lake Superior...
Gale Watch from late tonight through Monday afternoon for LSZ245>248-265.

Gale Watch from this evening through Monday morning for LSZ240>242-263.

Heavy Freezing Spray Warning until 1 AM EST early this morning for LSZ243-244-264.

Gale Watch from this evening through Monday afternoon for LSZ243-244-264.

Gale Watch from late tonight through Monday evening for LSZ249- 250-266.

Gale Watch from Monday morning through Monday afternoon for LSZ251-267.

Lake Michigan...
Gale Watch from late tonight through Monday afternoon for LMZ221-248-250.