High Wind in Michigan, February 27, 1997

Name: High Wind in Michigan, February 27, 1997
Start: 1997-02-27T08:00
End: 1997-02-27T15:00
Location: Michigan

February 27, 1997 · NWS DTX · 17 events in 17 counties and zones

Strong winds developed during the morning of the 27th in the wake of low pressure tracking off to the east. Peak windsreached 59 mph at Detroit's metro airport.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 17 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $20,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 17

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 DTX wrote it up.

Strong winds developed during the morning of the 27th in the wake of low pressure tracking off to the east. Peak windsreached 59 mph at Detroit's metro airport. Large trees weretoppled in Monroe county, and scaffolding crashed down ontotwo parked cars in downtown Port Huron, in Saint Clair county.In Oakland county, 4500 Detroit Edison customers reportedpower outages, as tree branches and power lines were knockeddown by the winds.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

17 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Midland

When: February 27, 8:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Midland forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates: 43.647, -84.388 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Bay

When: February 27, 8:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Bay forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates: 43.721, -83.942 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Huron

When: February 27, 8:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Huron forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates: 43.910, -82.855 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Saginaw

When: February 27, 8:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Saginaw forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates: 43.335, -84.053 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Tuscola

When: February 27, 8:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Tuscola forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates: 43.491, -83.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Sanilac

When: February 27, 8:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Sanilac forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates: 43.443, -82.646 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Shiawassee

When: February 27, 8:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Shiawassee forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates: 42.954, -84.147 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Genesee

When: February 27, 8:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Genesee forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates: 43.022, -83.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Lapeer

When: February 27, 8:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Lapeer forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates: 43.090, -83.222 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, St. Clair

When: February 27, 8:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: St. Clair forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Property damage: $20,000
Coordinates: 42.931, -82.664 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Livingston

When: February 27, 8:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Livingston forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates: 42.603, -83.911 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Oakland

When: February 27, 8:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Oakland forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates: 42.660, -83.386 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Macomb

When: February 27, 8:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Macomb forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates: 42.673, -82.910 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Washtenaw

When: February 27, 8:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Washtenaw forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates: 42.253, -83.839 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Wayne

When: February 27, 8:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Wayne forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates: 42.285, -83.261 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Lenawee

When: February 27, 8:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Lenawee forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates: 41.895, -84.066 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Monroe

When: February 27, 8:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Monroe forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates: 41.921, -83.494 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Michigan in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings in Michigan, February 1997

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: 5588293, 5588294, 5588295, 5588296, 5588297, 5588298, 5588299, 5588300, 5588301, 5588302, 5588492, 5588493, 5588494, 5588495, 5588496, 5588497, 5588498.