Overview
A period of freezing rain occurred during the morning and early afternoon of December 26. Ice accumulation totals generally ranged between a light glaze and 0.25", though some areas received locally higher amounts that brought down tree branches and caused power outages. Portions of I-75 including the Zilwaukee Bridge in Saginaw County were closed due to icy conditions and crashes, and approximately 40,000 customers lost power across the state. Ice accretion efficiency was rather low with this event, due to relatively mild surface temperatures and very heavy rainfall rates at times that caused much of the precip to runoff before freezing.
Ice Totals
Preliminary Local Storm Report...Summary
National Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac MI
534 PM EST Fri Dec 26 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1135 AM Freezing Rain South Park 42.94N 82.45W
12/26/2025 M0.21 Inch St. Clair MI Trained Spotter
Radial ice measurement on trees. Small
branches down in the area.
1238 PM Snow/Ice Dmg 1 N Adair 42.81N 82.63W
12/26/2025 St. Clair MI Trained Spotter
Numerous branches down due to ice, some up
to 8 to 9 inches in diameter.
0100 PM Freezing Rain 4 E White Lake 42.65N 83.43W
12/26/2025 M0.10 Inch Oakland MI Official NWS Obs
Flat ice measurement. 0.98 inches of melted
liquid precipitation in the past 6 hours.
0115 PM Snow/Ice Dmg 2 E Essexville 43.62N 83.80W
12/26/2025 Bay MI Amateur Radio
Branch down on home/porch due to ice.
0115 PM Freezing Rain 3 NW Bay City 43.62N 83.92W
12/26/2025 M0.17 Inch Bay MI Trained Spotter
Radial ice measurement on trees. Branches
falling in the area.
0153 PM Freezing Rain 2 SSE Northeast Detroit 42.40N 83.02W
12/26/2025 M0.14 Inch Wayne MI ASOS
ASOS station KDET Detroit City Air.
0153 PM Freezing Rain 2 ENE Freeland 43.53N 84.08W
12/26/2025 M0.27 Inch Saginaw MI ASOS
ASOS station KMBS Saginaw.
0153 PM Freezing Rain 3 SW Adrian 41.87N 84.08W
12/26/2025 M0.11 Inch Lenawee MI AWOS
AWOS station KADG 2 SW Adrian.
0210 PM Freezing Rain 4 N Rankin 42.97N 83.75W
12/26/2025 M0.16 Inch Genesee MI ASOS
ASOS station KFNT Flint.
0215 PM Freezing Rain 2 E Bay City 43.59N 83.85W
12/26/2025 M0.13 Inch Bay MI Trained Spotter
Radial ice measurement on trees. Also a
minor layer of sleet.
0240 PM Freezing Rain 4 SW Midland 43.58N 84.29W
12/26/2025 M0.13 Inch Midland MI Cocorahs
Flat ice measurement. 0.97 inches of melted
liquid precipitation since this morning.
0240 PM Freezing Rain Shelby Township 42.67N 83.03W
12/26/2025 E0.10 Inch Macomb MI Trained Spotter
Radial ice estimate on trees.
0245 PM Freezing Rain Riley Center 42.94N 82.84W
12/26/2025 M0.13 Inch St. Clair MI Trained Spotter
Flat ice measurement. 0.75 inches of melted
liquid precipitation.
0245 PM Freezing Rain 2 SW Novi 42.46N 83.52W
12/26/2025 M0.10 Inch Oakland MI Trained Spotter
Flat ice measurement.
0340 PM Freezing Rain 2 N Midland 43.65N 84.22W
12/26/2025 M0.09 Inch Midland MI Trained Spotter
Radial ice measurement on trees.
0352 PM Snow/Ice Dmg Pontiac 42.65N 83.29W
12/26/2025 Oakland MI Trained Spotter
Large limb downed due to ice. Spotter
estimated 0.20 to 0.25 inches of ice
accretion.
0358 PM Freezing Rain West Bloomfield 42.57N 83.38W
12/26/2025 M0.09 Inch Oakland MI NWS Employee
Flat ice measurement.
0430 PM Freezing Rain Wadhams 42.99N 82.54W
12/26/2025 E0.25 Inch St. Clair MI Trained Spotter
Radial ice estimate.
0445 PM Freezing Rain 2 SW Saginaw 43.40N 83.98W
12/26/2025 M0.26 Inch Saginaw MI Trained Spotter
Flat ice measurement.
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Storm Total Ice Reports |
Photos
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Essexville, MI Credit: Benjamin Brownlee |
Marysville/Port Huron, MI Credit: Mike Kisielewicz |
Pontiac, MI Credit: Robert Wittliff |
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Wadhams, MI Credit: Eagan |
Radar & Satellite
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Radar: NEXRAD mosaic base reflectivity radar loop from 4:45 AM through 2:30 PM December 26, 2025.
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Satellite: GOES-East Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) Lightning Flash Extent product laid over GeoColor imagery. |
Environment
This freezing rain event was caused by a compact low pressure system that tracked eastward across the southern Great Lakes, directing a strong warm nose and moist ascent north of a warm front in place over Indiana and Ohio. As the moisture and ascent interacted with a sharp elevated frontal boundary, moderate to heavy precipitation occurred with the bulk falling as freezing rain. The warm nose reached temperatures of 8C at 850mb, while a shallow cold layer beneath kept surface temps mainly between 30 and 33F. Steep mid-level lapse rates resulted in a pocket of elevated instability that led to numerous lightning strikes, indicating strong convection and enhanced precipitation rates. These thunderstorms also produced pea-sized convective hail. Melted liquid equivalent precipitation amounts ranged between 0.25 and 1.00 inches, and Flint's total of 0.62" broke the daily record of 0.59" which was set in 1973.
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Figure 1: WPC Surface Analysis Valid 12UTC Dec 26 2025 |
Figure 2: WPC Surface Analysis Valid 18UTC Dec 26 2025 |
Figure 3: DTX Upper Air Sounding Valid 12UTC Dec 26 2025 |
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Figure 4: SPC Mesoanalysis Near Freezing Surface Temp Map Valid 15UTC Dec 26 2025 |
Figure 5: SPC Mesoanalysis 850mb Analysis Valid 16UTC Dec 26 2025 |
Figure 6: SPC Mesoanalysis Mid-Level Lapse Rate Analysis Valid 17UTC Dec 26 2025 |
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Figure 7: Figure 7: SPC Mesoanalysis MUCAPE Valid 17UTC Dec 26 2025 |
Figure 8: MRMS Storm Total Liquid Equivalent Precipitation Estimate Valid 20UTC Dec 26 2025 |
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