National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Overview

A strong 998mb low pressure system moved through the upper Mississippi Valley on Monday, causing intense southeasterly winds as the system tracked toward Western Lake Superior. Gusty winds ramped up over Lake Huron on Monday morning with sustained winds of 25 - 30 mph and gusts mainly between 40 and 50 mph. This caused large waves to pound the beaches, piers and breakwalls on the Lake Huron shoreline. Damage occurred in numerous places, in particular M-185 on Mackinac Island. A band of light to moderate rain swept across the area from southwest to northeast, with many locations receiving rain off and on throughout the afternoon and evening.  Drier air worked its way in overnight, giving us a brief break in precipitation. An occluded front also crossed the area Monday night, switching winds around to southerly and eventually southwesterly. This brought the same threats over to the Lake Michigan side on Tuesday. High waves in conjunction with already high lakes levels caused beach erosion, flooding and some property damage, notably to Empire Beach and Bar Lake Access Beach. Wrap-around precipitation moved in again on Tuesday, but overall 48-hr total rainfall amounts were half and inch or less. 
 

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