Michigan, 1997

Heavy Snow in Michigan, January 9, 1997

January 9, 1997 · NWS DTX · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Low pressure tracked northeast from the Ohio valley across extreme southeast Michigan on the 9th. The result was snow across all of southeast Michigan, with the heaviest amounts falling from the Flint area north through the upper thumb and Saginaw valley.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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.

Low pressure tracked northeast from the Ohio valley across extreme southeast Michigan on the 9th. The result was snow across all of southeast Michigan, with the heaviest amounts falling from the Flint area north through the upper thumb and Saginaw valley. Some accumulations on the 9th included 10 inches at the Tri Cities airport near Saginaw, 8.5 inches at Cass City, 8 inches in Vassar and Owosso and 7 inches at Flint's Bishop airport. Farther south across the Detroit Metropolitan area accumulations ranged from 2 to 6 inches. Unusually heavy lake effect snow followed the storm on the 10th, bringing an additional 1 to 4 inches of snow to most areas. Numerous auto accidents and school closings were reported.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Midland

When
January 9, 8:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Midland forecast zone
Coordinates
43.647, -84.388 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Bay

When
January 9, 8:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Bay forecast zone
Coordinates
43.721, -83.942 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Huron

When
January 9, 8:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Huron forecast zone
Coordinates
43.910, -82.855 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Saginaw

When
January 9, 8:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Saginaw forecast zone
Coordinates
43.335, -84.053 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Tuscola

When
January 9, 8:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Tuscola forecast zone
Coordinates
43.491, -83.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Sanilac

When
January 9, 8:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Sanilac forecast zone
Coordinates
43.443, -82.646 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Shiawassee

When
January 9, 8:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Shiawassee forecast zone
Coordinates
42.954, -84.147 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Lapeer

When
January 9, 8:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Lapeer forecast zone
Coordinates
43.090, -83.222 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

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: 5586442, 5586443, 5586444, 5586445, 5586446, 5586447, 5586448, 5586449.