Ice Storm and Winter Storm in Michigan, January 30 to 31, 2002

Name: Ice Storm and Winter Storm in Michigan, January 30 to 31, 2002
Start: 2002-01-30T08:00
End: 2002-01-31T23:00
Location: Michigan

January 30 to 31, 2002 · NWS DTX · 19 events in 17 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 19 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: 2
Property damage: $820,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 19

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.

The prolonged period of winter weather across southeast Michigan from January 30th to February 1st was the result of a series of low pressure systems that developed in Texas and moved northeastward along an arctic frontal boundary. During the morning of the 30th, the arctic front extended from central Texas to the southern Ohio River valley. A narrow band of heavy snow, associated with the frontal boundary, fell along the 1-94 corridor from Ann Arbor to Detroit from the morning of the 30th through the early evening hours. The snowfall diminished during the early evening hours of the 30th. However, a low pressure system moved northeast along the arctic frontal boundary that same evening and moved into central Indiana and northern Ohio by the morning of the 31st. This system allowed precipitation to quickly develop across southeast Michigan late in the evening on the 30th. The precipitation began as snow, and then changed over to freezing rain south of I-96 as warm air moved over the colder air near the surface. The heaviest freezing rain fell along and south of a line from Ann Arbor to Detroit, with precipitation being mostly in the form of snow to the north. Precipitation gradually tapered to light freezing rain and freezing drizzle late in the morning of the 31st across all of southeast Michigan as the low moved east of the state. Another low pressure system moved northeast along the frontal boundary during the evening of the 31st. This low pressure system traveled farther north and was thus associated with some warmer air. Freezing rain redeveloped during the evening of the 31st across all of southeast Michigan, and again was heaviest along and south of a Detroit to Ann Arbor line. The low pressure system strengthened as it moved into the southern Great Lakes early in the morning of February 1st. Thus enough warm air was moved northward to change the precipitation over to all rain shortly after midnight on the 1st. The strong low pressure system also caused high winds to develop later in the morning of the 1st (see February Storm Data for more details). From the time the snowfall began on the morning of the 30th, until it changed over to freezing rain during the morning of the 31st, snowfall totals ranged from 7 to 11 inches across much of Wayne and Washtenaw counties, with as much as 12 inches reported in the cities of Ann Arbor and Dearborn Heights. After the snow had changed over to freezing rain, one quarter to one half of an inch of ice had accumulated onto trees and power lines by the evening of the 31st. Snowfall amounted to only 2 to 4 inches across Lenawee and Monroe counties before changing over to freezing rain. Around a half an inch of ice accumulated onto trees, power lines, and untreated surfaces by the afternoon of the 31st in these counties. The rest of southeast Michigan, mainly north of I-96, saw the heaviest precipitation fall in the form of snow. Snowfall amounts ranged from 5 to 9 inches across this area, with as much as 10 to 11 inches reported around Flint, Owosso, and Lapeer. Most of the damage from this prolonged winter storm occurred in Washtenaw, Wayne, Lenawee, and Monroe counties due to the higher accumulations of ice. The weight of the snow and ice on trees caused hundreds of tree limbs to break and even uprooted a few large trees. This did damage to dozens of homes and automobiles. The weight of the snow and ice led to the collapse of the roof at Checker's Sav-more Drugs in Westland. Only two people were in the store at the time, and both escaped uninjured. In Salem Township, the metal roof of the Gardner Wescott manufacturing plant also caved in due to the weight of the snow and ice. Noone was inside the plant at the time of the collapse. A girl (age unknown) was struck by a falling tree branch in Detroit and sent to the hospital with minor head injuries. A woman in Ypsilanti was also injured when a tree limb fell and broke her leg.The accumulation of snow and ice on the roads and highways led to dozens of accidents across southeast Michigan. Flooded roadways also led to traffic problems across portions of metro Detroit as storm drains became blocked with snow and ice. At least 5 fatal traffic accidents occurred across southeast Michigan during the two days of winter weather. A man died in Saginaw's Taymouth Township when his pickup truck slid into a creek. Another fatality occurred in Macomb's Shelby Township when a woman and her vehicle spun out of control and hit a pickup truck. One woman was struck and killed when she stepped out of her car to assist a troubled motorist in Washtenaw county. A man in Monroe county was also struck and killed when he stepped out of his disabled car on US-23. At least one other fatal traffic accident also occurred during this storm. Several people were also treated for heart attacks after shoveling heavy snow. Falling tree branches and the weight of the ice downed hundreds of power lines and left an estimated 290 thousand residents and businesses without power, some of which had to wait several days for power to be restored. Most of the power outages occurred in the metro Detroit area, as well as across Washtenaw, Lenawee, and Monroe counties. The heavy snowfall was enough to prompt dozens of communities in the metro Detroit area to declare snow emergencies, and closed almost all school districts.

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 Jan 30, 3:20 AM EST, 4 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 30, 3:20 AM EST, 4 hours 40 minutes before

SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
320 AM EST WED JAN 30 2002

CONTINUING TO MONITOR THE DEVELOPING WINTER STORM FOR TONIGHT AND
INTO THE DAY THURSDAY. THE 00Z MODEL SUITE HAS TRENDED A BIT
STRONGER WITH THE SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NORTHEAST OF LAKE
HURON. IN ADDITION...THE MODELS HAVE TRENDED FRONTOGENETICAL LIFT
AND DEEPEST MOISTURE A LITTLE FARTHER SOUTH AND HAVE SLOWED DOWN IN
TIMING. THE ETA SOLUTION IS A LITTLE FARTHER SOUTH WITH THE BETTER FORCING
THAN THE AVN AS ITS SOLUTION IS STRONGER WITH THE SURFACE HIGH. THE
ETA SOLUTION SEEMS TO HAVE THE BETTER HANDLE ON THE SURFACE HIGH
NORTH OF THE REGION AND THUS ITS SOLUTION IS PREFERRED. IMPLICATIONS
TO THE FORECAST WILL BE A REDUCED CHANCE OF SEEING WARNING CRITERIA
SNOWFALL IN THE TRI CITIES AND THUMB. LIFT AND MOISTURE
HOWEVER...REMAINS STRONG FROM FLINT SOUTH. AT THIS POINT...I WILL NOT
DROP THE WATCH FROM THE NORTHERN COUNTIES AS THERE IS STILL SOME
DECENT ISENTROPIC ASCENT BUILDING IN BY 12Z THU (ENOUGH TO PRODUCE
AT LEAST ADVISORY CRITERIA SNOWFALL).

FIRST OFF...PRECIPITATION NORTH OF THE ARCTIC FRONTAL BOUNDARY THAT
EXTENDS FROM CENTRAL PENN TO NORTHERN TEXAS IS REASON FOR THE
CURRENT WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-94. LOW LEVEL
FRONTOGENETICAL FORCING WITHIN ENTRANCE REGION OF 180KT 250MB JET IS
SUPPORTING THIS AREAS OF PRECIP. THE MESO ETA SOLUTION BRINGS
CURRENT AREA OF PRECIP OVER NW INDIANA BACK INTO THE FAR SOUTHERN
COUNTIES BETWEEN 09Z AND 12Z. MODEL SOUNDINGS ACROSS THE SOUTH
SHOWING A GENERAL COOLING TREND THIS MORNING AS ARCTIC BOUNDARY
GRADUALLY WORKS SOUTH. ETA/MESO ETA SOUNDINGS FOR DETROIT SHOW WARM
LAYER ERODING THIS MORNING...WITH THE SOUNDING EVENTUALLY BECOMING
COLD ENOUGH TO SUPPORT ALL SNOW BY 12Z. MODEL SOUNDINGS FOR
MONROE/ADRIAN TAKE THE BETTER PART OF THE MORNING TO BECOME COLD
ENOUGH FOR ALL SLEET/SNOW. GIVEN WHATS UPSTREAM AND CURRENT REPORTS
OF FREEZING RAIN...I WILL KEEP THE ADVISORIES GOING ACROSS THE SOUTH
THROUGH THE MORNING. RADAR RETURNS RAPIDLY DIMINISH NORTH OF
DETROIT. GIVEN LACK OF FORCING...I WILL KEEP JUST CLOUDY SKIES GOING
FOR THE REST OF THE FORECAST AREA.

TONIGHT AND THURSDAY...THE MECHANISMS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE POTENTIAL
WINTER STORM REMAIN UNCHANGED. AGEOSTROPHIC CIRCULATIONS WITHIN
ENTRANCE REGION OF STRONG ULJ TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE GREAT LAKES
WILL ALLOW A 50+KT LLJ JET ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY TO
BECOME COUPLED TO THE ULJ. STRONG LOW LEVEL WARM AIR ADVECTION AND
850 TO 700MB FRONTOGENETICAL FORCING WILL COMBINE WITH TREMENDOUS
MOISTURE TRANSPORT TO PRODUCE A SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION EVENT
ACROSS SE MICHIGAN. BEST FORCING/ISENTROPIC ASCENT WILL MOVE FROM
SOUTH TO NORTH ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA FROM 03Z TO 12Z. NORTHEAST
WINDS AROUND STRONG HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NORTHEAST OF LAKE HURON
WILL HELP ADVECT DRYER LOW LEVEL AIR ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE
AREA. IT WILL THUS TAKE SOME TIME FOR THE ISENTROPIC ASCENT TO
MOISTEN THE ATMOSPHERE ENOUGH TO ALLOW PRECIP TO REACH THE GROUND IN
THESE ZONES. I WILL THEREFORE PUSH BACK TIMING OF ONSET IN THE
NORTH. STRONGEST FORCING ON ALL SOLUTIONS IS PROGGED IN THE DETROIT
METRO AREA...WHERE ETA QPF FIELDS SHOW 12-HOUR LIQUID AMOUNTS OF
0.75 TO 1.00 INCH. THE ETA HAS TRENDED A LITTLE COLDER AND IS
IMPLYING A MAINLY SNOW EVENT FOR DETROIT METRO. WITH THIS...I WILL
HIT SNOWFALL HARDER IN DETROIT AND ANN ARBOR. GIVEN THE STRONG
LLJ...STILL THINK THAT ENOUGH WARM AIR WILL BE ADVECTED NORTHWARDS
TO SUPPORT A MIX OF FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET. ETA MODEL SOUNDINGS
JUST SOUTH OF DETROIT (MONROE/ADRIAN) STILL SHOW DEPTH OF WARM LAYER
ALOFT EXCEEDING 100MB WITH A MAX TEMP OF +4C BY 12Z THURSDAY. THIS
SHOULD SWITCH PRECIP OVER TO FREEZING RAIN. GIVEN THE TIGHT THERMAL
GRADIENT...THERE WILL BE A DISTINCT CUT OFF BETWEEN FREEZING RAIN
AND HEAVY SNOW. AS IT LOOKS NOW...POTENTIAL ICE STORM JUST SOUTH OF
DETROIT WITH HEAVY SNOW IN AND NORTH OF DETROIT. THE WARM LAYER
PENETRATES FURTHER NORTH ON THURSDAY. HOWEVER...FORCING QUICKLY
SUBSIDES BETWEEN 15Z AND 18Z THURSDAY AS ULJ AND SURFACE WAVE PULL
EAST OF THE REGION. THIS WILL PROVIDE A BREAK IN THE PRECIPITATION.

THE MODELS ARE IN DISAGREEMENT WITH THE NEXT WAVE TO MOVE INTO THE
REGION...WITH THE ETA CONSIDERABLY SLOWER THAN THE AVN. THE ETA
SOLUTION HAS DEEPENED THE APPROACHING UPPER TROUGH AND THUS BACKED
OFF ON TIMING NEXT ROUND OF PRECIP INTO THE AREA. THE LATEST
CANADIAN SOLUTION IS MORE IN LINE WITH THE AVN...HOWEVER GIVEN THE
TREND TO SLOW THE WAVES DOWN...I WILL BLEND THE ETA WITH THE AVN
SOLUTION FOR THURSDAY NIGHT AND INTO FRIDAY.

.DTX...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY....THIS MORNING...MIZ075-076-082-083
       WINTER STORM WATCH...TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY...
            MIZ047>049-053>055-060>063-068>070-075-076-082-083

CONSIDINE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jan 30, 6:00 AM EST, 2 hours before

MIZ047>049-053>055-060>063-068>070-075-076-082-083-291200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
600 AM EST WED JAN 30 2002

...WINTER RETURNS TO SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN...

DISPATCHERS...PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR EMERGENCY MANAGERS.

THREAT...
A WINTER STORM WATCH IS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST
MICHIGAN FOR TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY FOR HEAVY SNOW AND ICING
POTENTIAL. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS ALSO IN EFFECT SOUTH OF I-96
THIS MORNING. ANOTHER WINTER STORM MAY IMPACT THE REGION THURSDAY
NIGHT INTO FRIDAY.

DISCUSSION...
FOLLOWING THE WINTER STORM THURSDAY AFTERNOON. ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEM WILL TRACK NORTHEAST ACROSS THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY SOMETIME
THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. AT THIS POINT...EXACT TIMING AND TRACK
OF THE LOW IS UNCERTAIN. THIS LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BE ASSOCIATED
WITH PLENTY OF MOISTURE ENABLING IT TO PRODUCE HEAVY PRECIPITATION.
WITH THE SHALLOW ARCTIC AIR STILL IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION...THERE
WILL AGAIN BE A CHANCE FOR FREEZING RAIN ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-96.
HEAVY SNOW MAY ALSO BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY NORTH OF DETROIT WHERE
LOW AND MID LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BE BELOW FREEZING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR UPDATED
FORECAST INFORMATION FROM YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. YOU CAN
ALSO OBTAIN THE LATEST FORECAST ONLINE AT:
HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/DTX/START.HTM (ALL LOWER CASE)

OUTLOOK FOR SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY...NO THREATS ARE EXPECTED.

CONSIDINE

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

15 winter storm, 4 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Washtenaw

When: January 30, 8:00 AM EST to January 31, 6:00 AM EST
Where: Washtenaw forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.253, -83.839 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Wayne

When: January 30, 8:00 AM EST to January 31, 6:00 AM EST
Where: Wayne forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.285, -83.261 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Lenawee

When: January 30, 8:00 PM EST to January 31, 11:00 PM EST
Where: Lenawee forecast zone
Property damage: $30,000
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 41.895, -84.066 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Monroe

When: January 30, 8:00 PM EST to January 31, 11:00 PM EST
Where: Monroe forecast zone
Property damage: $40,000
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 41.921, -83.494 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Genesee

When: January 30, 10:00 PM EST to January 31, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Genesee forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.022, -83.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Lapeer

When: January 30, 10:00 PM EST to January 31, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Lapeer forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.090, -83.222 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Livingston

When: January 30, 10:00 PM EST to January 31, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Livingston forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.603, -83.911 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Macomb

When: January 30, 10:00 PM EST to January 31, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Macomb forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.673, -82.910 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Oakland

When: January 30, 10:00 PM EST to January 31, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Oakland forecast zone
Reported by: NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates: 42.660, -83.386 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Shiawassee

When: January 30, 10:00 PM EST to January 31, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Shiawassee forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.954, -84.147 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Bay

When: January 31, 2:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where: Bay forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.721, -83.942 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Huron

When: January 31, 2:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where: Huron forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.910, -82.855 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Midland

When: January 31, 2:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where: Midland forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.647, -84.388 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Saginaw

When: January 31, 2:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where: Saginaw forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.335, -84.053 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Sanilac

When: January 31, 2:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where: Sanilac forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.443, -82.646 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, St. Clair

When: January 31, 2:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where: St. Clair forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.931, -82.664 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Tuscola

When: January 31, 2:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where: Tuscola forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.491, -83.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Washtenaw

When: January 31, 6:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Washtenaw forecast zone
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates: 42.253, -83.839 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Wayne

When: January 31, 6:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Wayne forecast zone
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $700,000
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 42.285, -83.261 (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.
Ice Storm: Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.

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, January 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: 5278002, 5278004, 5277991, 5277995, 5277988, 5277990, 5277992, 5277993, 5277996, 5277999, 5277987, 5277989, 5277994, 5277997, 5277998, 5278000, 5278001, 5278003, 5278005.