Heavy Snow in Michigan, November 16 to 17, 2005

Name: Heavy Snow in Michigan, November 16 to 17, 2005
Start: 2005-11-16T21:15
End: 2005-11-17T14:00
Location: Michigan

November 16 to 17, 2005 · NWS APX · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

The first major snowstorm of the winter dumped heavy snow on the snowbelts of northwest Lower Michigan. Colder air flooded into the region in the wake of the high wind event early on the 16th.

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.

The first major snowstorm of the winter dumped heavy snow on the snowbelts of northwest Lower Michigan. Colder air flooded into the region in the wake of the high wind event early on the 16th. As the day progressed, the air got cold enough to trigger lake enhanced and eventually lake effect snow. As is typical for lake effect snow events, storm totals varied widely, even over short distances. The heaviest snow fell roughly 20 miles either side of a line from Frankfort to Kalkaska to Elmira. Most places here saw over 10 inches of snow. Lake Ann reported 17 inches of snow, while Kalkaska and Long Lake both had 14 inches.

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 Nov 16, 3:05 PM EST, 6 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 16, 3:05 PM EST, 6 hours 10 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 16, 4:35 PM EST, 4 hours 40 minutes before

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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, Antrim

When: November 16, 9:15 PM EST to November 17, 2:00 PM EST
Where: Antrim forecast zone
Reported by: NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates: 45.007, -85.176 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Leelanau

When: November 16, 10:00 PM EST to November 17, 12:30 PM EST
Where: Leelanau forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 45.152, -86.038 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Benzie

When: November 16, 10:00 PM EST to November 17, 11:00 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, Grand Traverse

When: November 16, 10:30 PM EST to November 17, 12:30 PM EST
Where: Grand Traverse forecast zone
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 44.716, -85.552 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Manistee

When: November 17, 12:30 AM EST to 9:30 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, Wexford

When: November 17, 3:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where: Wexford forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.338, -85.578 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Kalkaska

When: November 17, 4:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM 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, Otsego

When: November 17, 5:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Otsego forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.021, -84.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Missaukee

When: November 17, 5:00 AM EST to 12:00 PM EST
Where: Missaukee forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.337, -85.095 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Charlevoix

When: November 17, 5:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Charlevoix forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

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

Every storm in Michigan in 2005 Every state in 2005 This day in weather history Warnings in Michigan, November 2005

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: 5484758, 5484761, 5484762, 5484763, 5484764, 5484765, 5484760, 5484759, 5484766, 5485734.