Michigan, 2001

Winter Storm in Michigan, March 5, 2001

March 5, 2001 · NWS APX · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

During the day of the 5th, a storm system was developing over the northeastern United States. On the back side of this developing storm system, north to northeast winds brought cold air across the Great Lakes Region.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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 APX wrote it up.

During the day of the 5th, a storm system was developing over the northeastern United States. On the back side of this developing storm system, north to northeast winds brought cold air across the Great Lakes Region. This cold air, combined with the Great Lakes, enhanced snowfall intensities across Northern Michigan. The snowfall became widespread across Northern Michigan during the morning of the 5th, and continued through late in the evening before ending. The heaviest of which occurred across much of Alpena, Presque Isle and Cheboygan counties, where around 6 inches of snowfall was reported. Northeast winds gusting as high as 30 miles an hour combined with the snowfall to produce considerable blowing and drifting snow.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Gaylord, MI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 5, 6:35 PM EST, 1 hour 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 5, 6:35 PM EST, 1 hour 6 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI
635 PM EST MON MAR 5 2001

WILL NEED TO UPDATE FAR NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN COUNTIES TO HEADLINE
A WINTER STORM WARNING.  REPORTS OF 5-6 INCHES THIS AFTERNOON AT
CHEBOYGAN AND CATHRO (ALPENA COUNTY)...AND SEVERAL MORE HOURS OF
MODERATE/HEAVY SNOW EXPECTED BEFORE THINGS BEGIN TO WIND DOWN TOWARD
MIDNIGHT.  SO WILL ISSUE A WARNING FOR EMMET-CHEBOYGAN-PRESQUE ISLE-
ALPENA COUNTIES THROUGH MIDNIGHT.  OTHER HEADLINES WILL REMAIN THE
SAME.

.APX...WINTER STORM WARNING...THROUGH MIDNIGHT...MIZ016>018-024.
       WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY...TONIGHT...MIZ020-025-026-030>032-
                                            036-04=2.

JPB

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Alpena

When
March 5, 7:41 PM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where
Alpena forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.064, -83.460 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Cheboygan

When
March 5, 7:41 PM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where
Cheboygan forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.473, -84.492 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Presque Isle

When
March 5, 7:41 PM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where
Presque Isle forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.398, -83.843 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Michigan in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, March 2001

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: 5235855, 5235856, 5235857.