Cold/Wind Chill, Shiawassee
- When
- January 10, 8:00 AM EST to January 30, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Shiawassee forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 42.954, -84.147 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Cold in Michigan, January 10 to 30, 2003
Temperatures averaged well below normal across the Great Lakes region for much of January. In fact, for a three week period, the temperature never rose above freezing.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- 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.
Temperatures averaged well below normal across the Great Lakes region for much of January. In fact, for a three week period, the temperature never rose above freezing. Temperatures fell below zero for several nights during this period. Frozen pipes and water main breaks occurred in many areas of Detroit and its suburbs. The cities of Flint and Saginaw also had several reports of water main breaks. Several area schools had to cancel classes due to frozen pipes. Many area homeless shelters were filled to capacity and area hospitals reported dozens of cases of frostbite. Three deaths were also attributed to this cold spell.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
17 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
Cold/Wind Chill, St. Clair
- When
- January 10, 8:00 AM EST to January 30, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- St. Clair forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 42.931, -82.664 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Cold/Wind Chill, Tuscola
- When
- January 10, 8:00 AM EST to January 30, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Tuscola forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 43.491, -83.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Cold/Wind Chill, Washtenaw
- When
- January 10, 8:00 AM EST to January 30, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Washtenaw forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 42.253, -83.839 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Cold/Wind Chill, Wayne
- When
- January 10, 8:00 AM EST to January 30, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Wayne forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 42.285, -83.261 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Cold/Wind Chill, Bay
- When
- January 10, 8:00 AM EST to January 30, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Bay forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 43.721, -83.942 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Cold/Wind Chill, Genesee
- When
- January 10, 8:00 AM EST to January 30, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Genesee forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 43.022, -83.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Cold/Wind Chill, Huron
- When
- January 10, 8:00 AM EST to January 30, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Huron forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 43.910, -82.855 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Cold/Wind Chill, Lapeer
- When
- January 10, 8:00 AM EST to January 30, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Lapeer forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 43.090, -83.222 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Cold/Wind Chill, Lenawee
- When
- January 10, 8:00 AM EST to January 30, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Lenawee forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 41.895, -84.066 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Cold/Wind Chill, Livingston
- When
- January 10, 8:00 AM EST to January 30, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Livingston forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 42.603, -83.911 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Cold/Wind Chill, Macomb
- When
- January 10, 8:00 AM EST to January 30, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Macomb forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 42.673, -82.910 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Cold/Wind Chill, Midland
- When
- January 10, 8:00 AM EST to January 30, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Midland forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 43.647, -84.388 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Cold/Wind Chill, Monroe
- When
- January 10, 8:00 AM EST to January 30, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Monroe forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 41.921, -83.494 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Cold/Wind Chill, Oakland
- When
- January 10, 8:00 AM EST to January 30, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Oakland forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 42.660, -83.386 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Cold/Wind Chill, Saginaw
- When
- January 10, 8:00 AM EST to January 30, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Saginaw forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 43.335, -84.053 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Cold/Wind Chill, Sanilac
- When
- January 10, 8:00 AM EST to January 30, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Sanilac forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 43.443, -82.646 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Cold/Wind Chill
- Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Dense Fog in Utah, January 10 to 11, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, January 10 to 11, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Ohio, January 10 to 11, 2003
- Dense Fog in Kansas, January 10, 2003
- Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Michigan, January 10 to 13, 2003
- Winter Weather in Colorado, January 10 to 12, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, January 10 to 12, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Michigan, January 10 to 11, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Utah, January 10 to 11, 2003
- Winter Weather in Maryland, January 10 to 11, 2003
- Dense Fog in Nevada, January 10, 2003
- Strong Wind in Maryland, January 10 to 11, 2003
More
Every storm in Michigan in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, January 2003
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: 5338182, 5338183, 5338184, 5338185, 5338186, 5340062, 5340063, 5340064, 5340075, 5340076, 5340077, 5340078, 5340079, 5340080, 5340081, 5340082, 5340083.