Michigan, 2004

Heavy Snow in Michigan, January 14 to 15, 2004

January 14 to 15, 2004 · NWS DTX · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

An Alberta Clipper tracked from Minnesota on January 14th, across southern Lake Michigan to near Toledo, then east to the eastern Seaboard on January 15th. While this system tracked across southern Lake Michigan, a persistent moderate to heavy snow band occurred along and north of M-59.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
11

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.

An Alberta Clipper tracked from Minnesota on January 14th, across southern Lake Michigan to near Toledo, then east to the eastern Seaboard on January 15th. While this system tracked across southern Lake Michigan, a persistent moderate to heavy snow band occurred along and north of M-59. Twelve hour snowfall with this system was generally between 6 and 11 inches across much of southeast Michigan, with the heaviest snow falling between M-59 and I-69. These high snowfall amounts are unusual for an Alberta Clipper, as these systems generally produce much less snow. This event lingered into the morning of the 15th as a Lake effect contribution off of Lake Huron helped Port Huron and Saint Clair record the highest total snowfall of 12 inches. Here are a few other specific higher amounts throughout southeast Michigan (in inches): 10.9 in White Lake (Oakland county), 10.5 in Flushing (Genesee county), 10 in Troy (Oakland county) and Burton (Genesee county), 9.5 in Clinton Township (Macomb county) and Almont (Lapeer county), 9.0 in Rochester (Oakland county), 8.5 in Owosso (Shiawassee county), 8.2 in West Saginaw (Saginaw county), 8.1 in Filion (Huron county), 8.0 in Midland (Midland county), 7.5 in Caro (Tuscola county) and Brighton (Livingston county), 7 in Bay City (Bay county) and northwest Detroit (Wayne county).

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Bay

When
January 14, 6:00 AM EST to January 15, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Bay forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.721, -83.942 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Midland

When
January 14, 6:00 AM EST to January 15, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Midland forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.647, -84.388 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Saginaw

When
January 14, 6:00 AM EST to January 15, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Saginaw forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.335, -84.053 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Shiawassee

When
January 14, 6:00 AM EST to January 15, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Shiawassee forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.954, -84.147 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Tuscola

When
January 14, 6:00 AM EST to January 15, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Tuscola forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.491, -83.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Genesee

When
January 14, 6:00 AM EST to January 15, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Genesee forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.022, -83.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Lapeer

When
January 14, 6:00 AM EST to January 15, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Lapeer forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.090, -83.222 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, St. Clair

When
January 14, 6:00 AM EST to January 15, 11:00 AM EST
Where
St. Clair forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.931, -82.664 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Macomb

When
January 14, 6:00 AM EST to January 15, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Macomb forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.673, -82.910 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Oakland

When
January 14, 6:00 AM EST to January 15, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Oakland forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.660, -83.386 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Livingston

When
January 14, 6:00 AM EST to January 15, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Livingston forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.603, -83.911 (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 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, January 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: 5380944, 5380945, 5380946, 5380947, 5381643, 5381644, 5381645, 5381646, 5381647, 5381648, 5381649.