Michigan, 1997

Heavy Snow in Michigan, November 9 to 11, 1997

November 9 to 11, 1997 · NWS MQT · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

The first significant lake-effect snow of the 97-98 season brought heavy snow to the Keweenaw Peninsula and to North Central Upper Michigan. The snow began around 5 pm on Nov 9 and lasted into the evening of Nov 11.

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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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.

The first significant lake-effect snow of the 97-98 season brought heavy snow to the Keweenaw Peninsula and to North Central Upper Michigan. The snow began around 5 pm on Nov 9 and lasted into the evening of Nov 11. Snow totals included Trimountain (10 SW of Houghton) 18.5 inches, Marquette County Airport 18 inches, Phoenix (25 NE of Houghton) 16 inches, Redridge (10 W of Houghton) 14 inches and Eben (15 SW of Munising) 11 inches.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Alger

When
November 9, 5:00 PM EST to November 11, 11:00 PM EST
Where
Alger forecast zone
Coordinates
46.451, -86.548 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Houghton

When
November 9, 5:00 PM EST to November 11, 11:00 PM EST
Where
Houghton forecast zone
Coordinates
46.992, -88.652 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Keweenaw

When
November 9, 5:00 PM EST to November 11, 11:00 PM EST
Where
Keweenaw forecast zone
Coordinates
47.283, -88.212 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Marquette

When
November 9, 5:00 PM EST to November 11, 11:00 PM EST
Where
Marquette forecast zone
Coordinates
46.663, -87.573 (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, 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: 5620086, 5620087, 5620088, 5620089.