Lake-Effect Snow, Ottawa
- When
- November 15, 6:00 PM EST to November 16, 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Ottawa forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 43.003, -86.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow in Michigan, November 15 to 16, 1997
An intense band of lake effect snow developed down the length of eastern Lake Michigan in a north wind flow and resulted in snow accumulations of 6 to 18 inches across far western Van Buren County and most of Berrien County. As the wind flow turned slightly more northwest during the morning hours of Sunday, November 16th, lake effect snow bands moved further inland across western Ottawa, western…
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
- 5
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.
An intense band of lake effect snow developed down the length of eastern Lake Michigan in a north wind flow and resulted in snow accumulations of 6 to 18 inches across far western Van Buren County and most of Berrien County. As the wind flow turned slightly more northwest during the morning hours of Sunday, November 16th, lake effect snow bands moved further inland across western Ottawa, western Allegan, central Van Buren, and Cass Counties. Snow totals in these areas ranged from 2 to 5 inches by the time the lake effect diminished. The worst conditions were felt across southwest Berrien County, where storm accumulations reached 18 inches in the New Buffalo-Sawyer areas. The weight of the heavy, wet snow downed tree limbs and power lines which cut power to 3,000 American Electric Power customers in southwest Berrien County. Snow reports included 13 inches in Baroda, 12 inches in St. Joseph and Coloma, 11 inches in Buchanan, 10 inches in Stevensville, 6 inches in South Haven, 4.7 inches in Holland, and 4.5 inches in Fennville.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
5 lake-effect snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Lake-Effect Snow, Allegan
- When
- November 15, 6:00 PM EST to November 16, 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Allegan forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.518, -85.910 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow, Van Buren
- When
- November 15, 6:00 PM EST to November 16, 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Van Buren forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.285, -86.306 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow, Berrien
- When
- November 15, 6:00 PM EST to November 16, 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Berrien forecast zone
Lake-Effect Snow, Cass
- When
- November 15, 6:00 PM EST to November 16, 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Cass forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.915, -85.993 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Lake-Effect Snow
- Heavy snow in bands downwind of a large lake as cold air crosses warmer water.
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, November 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: 5623906, 5623907, 5623908, 5623909, 5623910.