High Wind in Michigan, February 1, 2002

Name: High Wind in Michigan, February 1, 2002
Start: 2002-02-01T09:00
End: 2002-02-01T14:00
Location: Michigan

February 1, 2002 · NWS DTX · 17 events in 17 counties and zones

A low pressure system moved across southeast Michigan early in the morning on the 1st. Once the low moved east of the region it strengthened and created strong winds across the southern Great Lakes.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 17 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: 1
Property damage: $30,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 17

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.

A low pressure system moved across southeast Michigan early in the morning on the 1st. Once the low moved east of the region it strengthened and created strong winds across the southern Great Lakes. Maximum wind gusts were around 45 miles an hour. The strong winds tore a seam in the Teflon-covered fabric of the dome on the Mulligan's Golf Center in Auburn Hills, which houses an indoor driving range and 18-hole miniature golf course. 40 golfers were inside at the time. One person sustained a minor ankle injury during the collapse. The 90-foot-high inflatable dome was reportedly the worlds largest. The winds only exacerbated the widespread power outages due to the heavy snow and freezing rain that had occurred on January 30-31 (see January Storm Data for details).

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 Detroit, MI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 1, 8:19 AM EST, 41 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 1, 8:19 AM EST, 41 minutes before

SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
819 AM EST FRI FEB 1 2002

STRONG COLD ADVECTION HAS STARTED TO DUCT THE HIGH MOMENTUM FLOW
EVIDENT IN THE LOWEST 2KFT OF THE 12Z KDTX RAOB AND THE KDTX VWP TO
THE SURFACE.  SURFACE LOW HAS DEEPENED AT A MB/HR OVERNIGHT.  STRONG
PRESSURE FALL/RISE COUPLET ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW HAS INDUCED AN
ADDITIONAL ISALLOBARIC RESPONSE, INCREASING THE NEAR SURFACE FLOW.
A FEW SURFACE OBS HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO GUST IN EXCESS OF 40KT (EVEN
A 46KT AT TOLEDO).  WILL HOIST A HIGH WIND ADVISORY FOR AREAS ALONG
AND SOUTH I-69 FOR THE REST OF THE MORNING.  WINDS SHOULD SUBSIDE
SOME AROUND NOON AS THE LOW MOVES NORTHEAST OUT THE REGION.

.DTX...HIGH WIND ADVISORY...UNTIL NOON...MI060>063-068>070-
                                           075>076-082>083.
       GALE WARNING...THIS AFTERNOON...LAKE HURON.
       GALE WARNING...THIS AFTERNOON...LAKE ST. CLAIR.

MANN

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

17 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Bay

When: February 1, 9:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Bay forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 43.721, -83.942 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Genesee

When: February 1, 9:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Genesee forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 43.022, -83.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Huron

When: February 1, 9:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Huron forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 43.910, -82.855 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Lapeer

When: February 1, 9:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Lapeer forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.090, -83.222 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Lenawee

When: February 1, 9:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Lenawee forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 41.895, -84.066 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Livingston

When: February 1, 9:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Livingston forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 42.603, -83.911 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Macomb

When: February 1, 9:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Macomb forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 42.673, -82.910 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Midland

When: February 1, 9:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Midland forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 43.647, -84.388 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Monroe

When: February 1, 9:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Monroe forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 41.921, -83.494 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Oakland

When: February 1, 9:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Oakland forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $30,000
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 42.660, -83.386 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Saginaw

When: February 1, 9:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Saginaw forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 43.335, -84.053 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Sanilac

When: February 1, 9:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Sanilac forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.443, -82.646 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Shiawassee

When: February 1, 9:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Shiawassee forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.954, -84.147 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, St. Clair

When: February 1, 9:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: St. Clair forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 42.931, -82.664 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Tuscola

When: February 1, 9:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Tuscola forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.491, -83.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Washtenaw

When: February 1, 9:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Washtenaw forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 42.253, -83.839 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Wayne

When: February 1, 9:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Wayne forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 42.285, -83.261 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Michigan in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Michigan, February 2002

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: 5278913, 5278914, 5278915, 5278916, 5278917, 5278918, 5278919, 5278920, 5278921, 5278922, 5278923, 5278924, 5279013, 5279014, 5279015, 5279016, 5279017.