Michigan, 2002

Heavy Snow in Michigan, February 20, 2002

February 20, 2002 · NWS APX · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

An area of low pressure moved across central Lower Michigan on February 20th. The precipitation fell as rain initially, but changed over to snow as the system passed to the east of Michigan.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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
9

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.

An area of low pressure moved across central Lower Michigan on February 20th. The precipitation fell as rain initially, but changed over to snow as the system passed to the east of Michigan. Snowfall totals of 6 to 10 inches were common across far northwest Lower Michigan, with a small area of 10 to 14 inches across Chippewa County in eastern Upper Michigan.

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 Feb 20, 10:05 PM EST, 1 hour 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 20, 10:05 PM EST, 1 hour 54 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI
1005 PM EST WED FEB 20 2002

RAIN/SNOW LINE NOW EXTENDS FROM MBL TO GOV TO AROUND HARRISVILLE
LATE THIS EVENING. MAJORITY OF CONVECTIVE ELEMENTS EVIDENT EARLIER
THIS EVENING (ESPECIALLY IN THE SE CWA) HAVE TAKEN ON A MORE
STRATIFORM LOOK AS DRY SLOT PUSHES OFF TO THE E AND WRAP AROUND
MOISTURE ROTATES BACK INTO NRN MI. HEAVIEST BAND OF SNOW NOW APPEARS
TO BE JUST N OF THE RAIN/SNOW LINE...WITH A BAND OF MAINLY MODERATE
SNOW STILL PERSISTING AROUND THE STRAITS AREA. SPOTTERS FROM MOST OF
THE WARNED AREA HAVE REPORTED TOTAL SNOWFALL BETWEEN 4 AND 7
INCHES...WITH UP TO A FOOT OF SNOW IN FAR ERN SECTIONS OF CHIPPEWA
COUNTY AROUND DETOUR VILLAGE.

OVERALL FLAVOR OF THE FORECAST LOOKS ON TARGET FOR THE OVERNIGHT
HOURS. WILL ONLY REMOVE EVENING WORDING (INCLUDING MENTION OF LIQUID
PRECIP FOR ALL BUT SE ZONES)...MAINTAIN ALL WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES
AND MAKE NO CHANGES TO FORECASTED TOTAL NIGHTTIME ACCUMULATIONS.
TEMP AND WIND FORECAST ALSO SEEMS TO BE PANNING OUT WELL.

.APX...WINTER STORM WARNING...OVERNIGHT...MIZ008-015>017.
       WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY...OVERNIGHT...MIZ018>024.

EME

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Antrim

When
February 20, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Antrim forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.007, -85.176 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Charlevoix

When
February 20, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Charlevoix forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow, Cheboygan

When
February 20, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Cheboygan forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.473, -84.492 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Chippewa

When
February 20, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Chippewa forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow, Emmet

When
February 20, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Emmet forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.588, -84.981 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Leelanau

When
February 20, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Leelanau forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.152, -86.038 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Montmorency

When
February 20, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Montmorency forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.028, -84.127 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Otsego

When
February 20, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Otsego forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.021, -84.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Presque Isle

When
February 20, 11:59 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

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 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 5283080, 5283081, 5283082, 5283083, 5283084, 5283085, 5283086, 5283157, 5283158.