Blizzard, Keweenaw
- When
- January 15, 4:30 PM EST to January 16, 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Keweenaw forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.283, -88.212 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard in Michigan, January 15 to 16, 1997
Strong northwest winds between low pressure moving to the east of Upper Michigan and high pressure in the Plains combined with deep snow cover to produce blizzard conditions between the evening of the 15th and the afternoon of the 16th. The blizzard subsided during the afternoon of the 16th and was followed by lake effect snow.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 13 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 13
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 MQT wrote it up.
Strong northwest winds between low pressure moving to the east of Upper Michigan and high pressure in the Plains combined with deep snow cover to produce blizzard conditions between the evening of the 15th and the afternoon of the 16th. Winds of up to 40 mph were recorded at several locations including Houghton, Marquette, Ironwood, Iron Mountain, Escanaba and Menominee during the morning of the 16th.The blizzard subsided during the afternoon of the 16th and was followed by lake effect snow. The snow lasted through the evening of the 17th. Most of the snow fell within 25 miles of Lake Superior. The highest snow total was 18 inches at Phoenix in Keweenaw County. Other heavy snow totals were 15 inches at Two Heart in Luce County and 12 inches at Calumet and Chassell in Houghton County.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
13 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Blizzard, Ontonagon
- When
- January 15, 4:30 PM EST to January 16, 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Ontonagon forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.778, -89.305 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Northern Houghton
- When
- January 15, 4:30 PM EST to January 16, 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Northern Houghton forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.992, -88.652 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Baraga
- When
- January 15, 4:30 PM EST to January 16, 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Baraga forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.700, -88.352 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Marquette
- When
- January 15, 4:30 PM EST to January 16, 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Marquette forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.663, -87.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Alger
- When
- January 15, 4:30 PM EST to January 16, 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Alger forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.451, -86.548 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Luce
- When
- January 15, 4:30 PM EST to January 16, 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Luce forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.368, -85.509 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Gogebic
- When
- January 15, 4:30 PM EST to January 16, 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Gogebic forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.496, -89.796 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Iron
- When
- January 15, 4:30 PM EST to January 16, 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Iron forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.209, -88.530 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Dickinson
- When
- January 15, 4:30 PM EST to January 16, 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Dickinson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.009, -87.870 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Menominee
- When
- January 15, 4:30 PM EST to January 16, 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Menominee forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 45.525, -87.510 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Delta
- When
- January 15, 4:30 PM EST to January 16, 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Delta forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 45.792, -86.871 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Southern Schoolcraft
- When
- January 15, 4:30 PM EST to January 16, 9:00 PM EST
- Where
- Southern Schoolcraft forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.043, -86.177 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Blizzard
- Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Winter Storm in Illinois, January 15 to 18, 1997
- Blizzard in North Dakota, January 15 to 16, 1997
- Cold in South Dakota, January 15 to 16, 1997
- Winter Storm in Illinois, January 15 to 17, 1997
- Cold in Iowa, January 15 to 16, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, January 15, 1997
- Tornado in Mississippi, January 15, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, January 15, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, January 15, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, January 15, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, January 15, 1997
- High Wind in Iowa, January 15 to 16, 1997
More
Every storm in Michigan in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, January 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5586163, 5586164, 5586165, 5586166, 5586167, 5586168, 5586169, 5586170, 5586171, 5586172, 5586173, 5586174, 5586175.