Michigan, 1996

Cold in Michigan, February 1 to 5, 1996

February 1 to 5, 1996 · NWS GRR · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A cold wave limited daytime temperatures to the single digits on 2/2 and 2/3 followed by overnight lows in the range of -15 to -30 on 2/3 and 2/4. The extreme cold shattered rubberized roof membranes on several school buildings.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
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  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$150,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS GRR wrote it up.

A cold wave limited daytime temperatures to the single digits on 2/2 and 2/3 followed by overnight lows in the range of -15 to -30 on 2/3 and 2/4. The extreme cold shattered rubberized roof membranes on several school buildings. The weather warmed during the following two days, and one school in Grand Rapids was forced to close when rain leaked through the damaged roof on 2/7 and 2/8 before repairs were complete.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

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Event by event

1 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Cold/Wind Chill, Kent

When
February 1, 6:00 PM EST to February 5, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Kent forecast zone
Property damage
$150,000
Coordinates
43.032, -85.549 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Cold/Wind Chill
Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Michigan in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, February 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5540349.