Michigan, 2002

Heavy Snow in Michigan, February 27, 2002

February 27, 2002 · NWS APX · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

A low pressure system moved through the Great Lakes region on the 26th, and brought 2 to 4 inches of snow to much of northern Michigan. Lake effect snow developed as the system passed east of Michigan.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 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
10

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.

A low pressure system moved through the Great Lakes region on the 26th, and brought 2 to 4 inches of snow to much of northern Michigan. Lake effect snow developed as the system passed east of Michigan. The lake effect snow was primarily confined to far northwest Lower Michigan (near Lake Michigan) and far northeast Lower Michigan (near Lake Huron), where an additional 6 inches of snow fell during the evening and overnight hours of the 26th into the 27th.

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 26, 10:42 PM EST, 1 hour 18 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 26, 10:42 PM EST, 1 hour 18 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI
1042 PM EST TUE FEB 26 2002

THE LATEST SURFACE CHART SHOWS A LOW PRESSURE CENTER NOW LOCATED
NORTHEAST OF ONTARIO...WITH STRONG CYCLONIC FLOW LINGERING OVER THE
GREAT LAKES REGION. THE LATEST APX 88D SHOWS LAKE INDUCED SNOW
SHOWERS LINGERING OVER NORTHWEST LOWER...WITH SYNOPTIC SNOW OVER THE
REST OF THE FORECAST AREA.

THE LATEST RUC DATA SHOWS CYCLONIC FLOW TO CONTINUE OVER THE STATE
TONIGHT. CORRESPONDING 850/500 AND 700/500 MB QVECTORS SHOW CONVERGENCE
LINGER OVER THE STATE OVERNIGHT. MODEL DATA SHOWS 850MB TEMPERATURES
TO REMAIN AROUND -14C OVERNIGHT...WITH 1000/850 WINDS FROM THE
NORTH/NORTHWEST AND 900/700MB MOISTURE AROUND 90 PERCENT.

THEREFORE DUE TO LINGERING SYNOPTIC FORCING AND LAKE EFFECTS...WILL
KEEP CURRENT WINTER WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES IN EFFECT OVERNIGHT. THE
BEST SNOWFALL OVERNIGHT WILL AFFECT PORTIONS OF THE LAKE MICHIGAN
SNOWBELT REGIONS.

.APX...
WINTER STORM WARNING...TONIGHT...MIZ019>021-025>027

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY...
TONIGHT...MIZ008-015>018-022>024-028>030-031>036-041-042

SWR

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Alpena

When
February 27, 12:00 AM EST
Where
Alpena forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
45.064, -83.460 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Antrim

When
February 27, 12:00 AM 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, Benzie

When
February 27, 12:00 AM EST
Where
Benzie forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.617, -86.139 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Charlevoix

When
February 27, 12:00 AM EST
Where
Charlevoix forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow, Cheboygan

When
February 27, 12:00 AM 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, Grand Traverse

When
February 27, 12:00 AM EST
Where
Grand Traverse forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.716, -85.552 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Kalkaska

When
February 27, 12:00 AM EST
Where
Kalkaska forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.685, -85.090 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Leelanau

When
February 27, 12:00 AM 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, Manistee

When
February 27, 12:00 AM EST
Where
Manistee forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.238, -86.288 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Presque Isle

When
February 27, 12:00 AM 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: 5283159, 5283160, 5283161, 5283162, 5283163, 5283164, 5283165, 5283166, 5283167, 5283168.