Name: Heavy Snow in Indiana, December 19, 2004
Start: 2004-12-19T10:30
End: 2004-12-19T22:30
Location: Indiana

The toll

Deaths: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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.

Event by event

2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, St. Joseph

When: December 19, 10:30 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: St. Joseph forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

The largest lake effect snowstorm in several years hit portions of northwestern Indiana. Winds off Lake Michigan started out of the northwest, with the band of snow extending into northern parts of St. Joseph county, where 8 inches of snow was reported at the South Bend Regional Airport. The snow band quickly shifted westward as winds become more northerly, allowing for a single intense band to develop across the length of Lake Michigan. This band became stationary over far western Laporte county for much of Sunday and Sunday evening. Snowfall rates in the center of the band were 2 to 3 inches an hour. A total snowfall of 26 inches was reported in Michigan City where portions of I-94 and the Indiana Toll Road were impassable for several hours. Amounts quickly tapered heading east across the county. Other storm totals were Westville 20", Wanatah 12" and Laporte 9.5". One death was reported in Michigan city in Laporte county, when a 67 year old gentleman was found unconcious by family on his porch and subsequently died. He had been shoveling snow from the storm at his residence.

Heavy Snow, La Porte

When: December 19, 11:00 AM EST to 10:30 PM EST
Where: La Porte forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

The largest lake effect snowstorm in several years hit portions of northwestern Indiana. Winds off Lake Michigan started out of the northwest, with the band of snow extending into northern parts of St. Joseph county, where 8 inches of snow was reported at the South Bend Regional Airport. The snow band quickly shifted westward as winds become more northerly, allowing for a single intense band to develop across the length of Lake Michigan. This band became stationary over far western Laporte county for much of Sunday and Sunday evening. Snowfall rates in the center of the band were 2 to 3 inches an hour. A total snowfall of 26 inches was reported in Michigan City where portions of I-94 and the Indiana Toll Road were impassable for several hours. Amounts quickly tapered heading east across the county. Other storm totals were Westville 20", Wanatah 12" and Laporte 9.5". One death was reported in Michigan city in Laporte county, when a 67 year old gentleman was found unconcious by family on his porch and subsequently died. He had been shoveling snow from the storm at his residence.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Heavy Snow, St. Joseph	2004-12-20	67	Male	Permanent Home	Direct

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 Indiana in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Indiana, December 2004

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5429060, 5430836.