Michigan, 2010Winter Storm in Michigan, December 12 to 13, 2010
December 12 to 13, 2010 · NWS IWX · 4 events in 4 counties and zones
A deepening area of low pressure tracked eastward near the Interstate 80 corridor in Indiana and Ohio. Precipitation initially began as rain on December 11th, before transitioning to moderate snow on the 12th as colder air filtered in on the backside of this low pressure system.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 4
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.
A deepening area of low pressure tracked eastward near the Interstate 80 corridor in Indiana and Ohio. Precipitation initially began as rain on December 11th, before transitioning to moderate snow on the 12th as colder air filtered in on the backside of this low pressure system. Snowfall totals generally ranged between 3 and 6 inches. Wind gusts of 25 to 35 mph created widespread blowing and drifting snow.
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 Northern Indiana wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 12, 3:53 AM EST, 1 hour 7 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Dec 12, 3:53 AM EST, 1 hour 7 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
353 AM EST SUN DEC 12 2010
.SHORT TERM...
VRY COMPLEX WINTER STORM POSES MANY CHALLENGES THIS PD.
FIRST AND FOREMOST IS LG SCALE DRY SLOT WHICH HAD ENTRAINED ARND
N/NE PERIPHERY OF MID LVL TROUGH OVR WRN IL W/LTL IS WAY OF HARD RADAR
RTNS AND WHICH THROWS A SIG WRENCH IN FCST NR TERM. SECONDARY SFC
WAVE NR KMIE IN THE PROCESS OF DVLPG W/RENEWED AREA OF HGT FALLS
NOTED FM SE ON EXTENDING SWD INTO ERN KY AND SIGNALS SECONDARY HAND
OFF OF MID LVL CYCLONE DVLPMNT UNDERWAY BUT HANDLING OF THIS IS VRY
UNCERTAIN ESP WITHIN CONTEXT OF LG SCALE INDIVIDUAL MODEL DIFFS.
THUS N-S AREA OF EXPANDING PCPN TAKING SHAPE FM KAOH SWD TWD KLEX
WILL HAVE TO BE WATCHED CLOSELY AS IT LIFTS N THIS MORNING GIVEN
SVRL MODELS INDICATING INTENSE SECONDARY MID LVL DEFORMATION ZONE
DVLPG OVR NW OH/NE IN/SE MI TWD 12Z AND CONTINUING INTO THIS EVENING
W/RATHER DRAMATIC PCPN AMTS IMPLIED. HWVR OVERALL DRY SLOT SHLD CONT
TO FILL IN OTHERWISE AS MID LVL TROUGH REDVLPS EWD AND SHLD SUSTAIN
A PD OF A MOD SNOW PRODUCTION NWD FM NRN IN EAST THROUGH NW OH EARLY
ON. SECONDARY WELL DVLPD DEFORMATION ZONE OVR SRN WI/ERN IA PIVOTS
SEWD INTO THIS AFTN AND LOOKS TO HOLD TOGETHER W/ANOTHER PD OF MOD
SNOW LIKELY OVR N HALF.
HWVR THIS PROCESS UNFOLDS...IT SHLD BE COMPLETE BY LT AFTN W/LL FLW
BACKING AND INTENSIFYING IN RESPONSE AND COINCIDENT W/ARRIVAL OF LL
CAA WING AND EWD SHIFT ON INTENSE LK ENHANCE SNOW BANDS INTO NW IN.
18/00Z HIGHRES TRENDS HAD BACKED ERN PROGRESSION OF BAND IN RESPONSE
TO DEEP SECONDARY DVLPMNT AND MADE SOME SLIGHT WWD ADJUSTMENTS
THROUGH TONIGHT. NWRN OLD DEFORMATION ZONE WILL SWING QUICKLY EWD
THROUGH CWA THIS EVENING AS NEW CLOSED MID LVL LOW OVR NW OH LIFTS
INTO SE ONTARIO W/SHSN IN ITS WAKE AND WINDY CONDS. WILL STAND PAT
W/CURRENT HEADLINES ALTHOUGH LTR ADJUSTMENTS ARE LIKELY PENDING NR
TERM EVOLUTION THROUGH THIS MORNING.
EWD SHIFT OF MID LVL TROUGH LTR TONIGHT WILL ALLOW BACKLASH MID LVL
MSTR TO STRIP AWAY AND XPC EXTENT OF LK EFFECT WILL NARROW SOME
ALTHOUGH PARAMETERS REMAIN VRY FVRBL INTO MON EVENING BFR A GENERAL
WKNG OCCURS W/DROPPING INVERSION HGTS. PRIOR GRIDS STILL APPEAR ON
TRACK W/NO ADJUSTMENTS WARRANTED.
&&
.LONG TERM...
TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...THE CHALLENGES THIS FORECAST PERIOD
INCLUDE THE TIMING AND STRENGTH OF UPPER LEVEL TROFS EJECTING EAST
ACROSS THE CONUS. A HIGH LATITUDE BLOCK WILL HAVE HAVE A MAJOR
IMPACT ON EAST MOVEMENT OF SYSTEMS...HELPING TO KEEP TEMPERATURES
BELOW NORMAL. HAVE KEPT A CHANCE FOR SNOW THURSDAY/FRIDAY...FOLLOWED
BY THE POSSIBILITY FOR LAKE EFFECT SNOW. WHILE THE GFS/GFS
ENSEMBLES...CANADIAN/CANADIAN GEM ENSEMBLES AND THE ECMWF VARY IN
TIMING AND STRENGTH OF A EJECTING TROF/S LATER THIS WEEK...THE
ONGOING TIMING OF THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY APPEARS ON TRACK WITH
THESE LATEST RUNS. TEMPERATURES SHOULD STAY COLD ENOUGH FOR ALL
SNOW...WITH ACCUMULATING SNOW POSSIBLE LATE THIS WEEK.
&&
.AVIATION...
DIFFICULT AVIATION FORECAST THROUGH THE PERIOD. ONGOING RAIN AND
MVFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO DETERIORATE FURTHER THIS EVENING AS COLD
AIR MOVES INTO AREA AND BEGINS CHANGING RAIN TO SNOW LATE EVENING
AND OVERNIGHT. THIS SHOULD ALLOW CIGS AND VIS TO DROP FURTHER WITH
IFR CONDITIONS. SOME CONCERN THAT SIGNIFICANT DRY SLOT NOTED
UPSTREAM ACROSS WESTERN IL WILL MOVE IN LATE. HOWEVER...WITH
DEEPENING UPPER LOW MOVING SOUTHEAST AND INCREASING LAPSE RATES WILL
STICK WITH PREVIOUS THINKING OF DRY SLOT FILLING IN WITH SNOW
OVERNIGHT. THUS STAYED WITH PREVIOUS TAF THINKING WITH ADJUSTMENTS
FOR QUICKER WIND SHIFT AT TAF SITES&&
.IWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IN...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 1 PM EST MONDAY FOR INZ018-020-
022>027-032>034.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 1 PM EST /NOON CST/ MONDAY FOR
INZ006>009-012-013-015-017.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 1 AM EST /MIDNIGHT CST/ TUESDAY FOR
INZ003>005-014-016.
MI...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 1 PM EST MONDAY FOR MIZ079>081.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 1 AM EST TUESDAY FOR MIZ077-078.
OH...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 1 PM EST MONDAY FOR OHZ002-004-
005-015-016-024-025.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 1 PM EST MONDAY FOR OHZ001.
LM...STORM WARNING FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 1 PM EST MONDAY FOR
LMZ043-046.
&&
SHORT TERM...T
LONG TERM...SKIPPER
AVIATION...THazardous weather outlook, Dec 11, 4:22 PM EST, 12 hours 38 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
422 PM EST SAT DEC 11 2010
INZ003>005-014-016-MIZ077-078-122130-
LA PORTE-ST. JOSEPH IN-ELKHART-MARSHALL-KOSCIUSKO-BERRIEN-CASS MI-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MICHIGAN CITY...LA PORTE...SOUTH BEND...
MISHAWAKA...ELKHART...GOSHEN...PLYMOUTH...BREMEN...WARSAW...
WINONA LAKE...NILES...BENTON HARBOR...ST. JOSEPH...BUCHANAN...
DOWAGIAC...CASSOPOLIS
422 PM EST SAT DEC 11 2010 /322 PM CST SAT DEC 11 2010/
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN INDIANA
AND SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN.
.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
RAIN WILL MIX WITH AND THEN CHANGE TO SNOW THIS EVENING. SNOW CAN
BE EXPECTED OVERNIGHT. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT LATER
TONIGHT. FOR FURTHER DETAILS SEE THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER PRODUCT
FOR THIS OFFICE.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT.A STRONG WINTER STORM WILL
BRING MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WINDS TO THE REGION
THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. TRAVEL CONDITIONS WILL BECOME DIFFICULT IF
NOT IMPOSSIBLE. FOR THE LATEST DETAILS...VIEW THE LATEST WINTER
WEATHER PRODUCT FROM THIS OFFICE.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SNOWFALL REPORTS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
&&
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR
CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX
INZ012-013-015-122130-
STARKE-PULASKI-FULTON IN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...KNOX...NORTH JUDSON...WINAMAC...
FRANCESVILLE...ROCHESTER
422 PM EST SAT DEC 11 2010 /322 PM CST SAT DEC 11 2010/
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN INDIANA.
.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
RAIN WILL MIX WITH AND THEN CHANGE TO SNOW THIS EVENING. SNOW CAN
BE EXPECTED OVERNIGHT. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR LATER
TONIGHT. FOR FURTHER DETAILS SEE THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER PRODUCT
FOR THIS OFFICE.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT. A STRONG WINTER STORM WILL
BRING MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WINDS TO THE REGION
THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. TRAVEL CONDITIONS WILL BECOME DIFFICULT IF
NOT IMPOSSIBLE. FOR THE LATEST DETAILS...VIEW THE LATEST WINTER
WEATHER PRODUCT FROM THIS OFFICE.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SNOWFALL REPORTS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
&&
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR
CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX
INZ006>009-017-MIZ079>081-OHZ001-122130-
LAGRANGE-STEUBEN-NOBLE-DE KALB-WHITLEY-ST. JOSEPH MI-BRANCH-
HILLSDALE-WILLIAMS-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LAGRANGE...TOPEKA...ANGOLA...
KENDALLVILLE...LIGONIER...AUBURN...GARRETT...COLUMBIA CITY...
SOUTH WHITLEY...STURGIS...THREE RIVERS...COLDWATER...HILLSDALE...
BRYAN...MONTPELIER
422 PM EST SAT DEC 11 2010
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER
MICHIGAN...NORTHERN INDIANA AND NORTHWEST OHIO.
.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
RAIN WILL MIX WITH AND THEN CHANGE TO SNOW THIS EVENING. SNOW CAN
BE EXPECTED OVERNIGHT. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR LATER
TONIGHT. FOR FURTHER DETAILS SEE THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER PRODUCT
FOR THIS OFFICE.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
A STRONG WINTER STORM WILL BRING MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW AND
STRONG WINDS TO THE REGION THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. TRAVEL CONDITIONS WILL
BECOME DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE. FOR THE LATEST DETAILS...VIEW
THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER PRODUCT FROM THIS OFFICE.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SNOWFALL REPORTS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
&&
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR
CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX
INZ018-020-022>027-032>034-OHZ002-004-005-015-016-024-025-122130-
ALLEN IN-WHITE-CASS IN-MIAMI-WABASH-HUNTINGTON-WELLS-ADAMS-GRANT-
BLACKFORD-JAY-FULTON OH-DEFIANCE-HENRY-PAULDING-PUTNAM-VAN WERT-
ALLEN OH-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FORT WAYNE...MONTICELLO...BROOKSTON...
LOGANSPORT...PERU...WABASH...NORTH MANCHESTER...HUNTINGTON...
BLUFFTON...OSSIAN...DECATUR...BERNE...MARION...HARTFORD CITY...
MONTPELIER...PORTLAND...WAUSEON...ARCHBOLD...DEFIANCE...NAPOLEON...
PAULDING...ANTWERP...OTTAWA...PANDORA...VAN WERT...DELPHOS...LIMA
422 PM EST SAT DEC 11 2010
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST OHIO AND
NORTHERN INDIANA.
.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
RAIN WILL MIX WITH AND THEN CHANGE TO SNOW THIS EVENING. SNOW CAN
BE EXPECTED OVERNIGHT. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR LATER
TONIGHT. FOR FURTHER DETAILS SEE THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER PRODUCT
FOR THIS OFFICE.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT. A STRONG WINTER STORM
WILL BRING LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW AND STRONG WINDS TO THE REGION
THROUGH MONDAY. TRAVEL CONDITIONS MAY BECOME DIFFICULT. FOR THE
LATEST DETAILS...VIEW THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER PRODUCT FROM THIS
OFFICE.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SNOWFALL REPORTS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
&&
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR
CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX
LMZ043-046-122130-
NEW BUFFALO MI TO ST JOSEPH MI-MICHIGAN CITY IN TO NEW BUFFALO MI-
422 PM EST SAT DEC 11 2010
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE NEARSHORE WATERS OF
SOUTHEASTERN LAKE MICHIGAN.
.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
HAZARDOUS SMALL CRAFT CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO REDEVELOP INTO
TONIGHT.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
HAZARDOUS SMALL CRAFT CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH MOST OF THIS
PERIOD. VERY STRONG NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS
THE LAKE BEGINNING SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUING THROUGH MONDAY.
STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS ARE EXPECTED FROM SUNDAY INTO MONDAY
MORNING.
&&
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR
CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX/?N=MARINE
Winter Storm, St. Joseph
- When
- December 12, 5:00 AM EST to December 13, 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- St. Joseph forecast zone
- Reported by
- Broadcast Media
- Coordinates
- 41.914, -85.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Rain changed to snow during the morning hours of December 12th and continued through the entire day. Snowfall totals generally ranged between 3 and 5 inches. Winds increased Sunday afternoon into Monday morning, with gusts of 25 to 35 mph at times. This, combined with the fallen snow, created widespread blowing and drifting snow that led to numerous car accidents and school closings across the region.
Winter Storm, Cass
- When
- December 12, 5:00 AM EST to December 13, 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Cass forecast zone
- Reported by
- Broadcast Media
- Coordinates
- 41.915, -85.993 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Rain changed to snow during the morning hours of December 12th and continued through the entire day. Snowfall totals generally ranged between 3 and 5 inches. Winds increased Sunday afternoon into Monday morning, with gusts of 25 to 35 mph at times. This, combined with the fallen snow, created widespread blowing and drifting snow that led to numerous car accidents and school closings across the region.
Winter Storm, Hillsdale
- When
- December 12, 6:00 AM EST to December 13, 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Hillsdale forecast zone
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 41.888, -84.593 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Rain changed to snow during the morning hours of December 12th and continued through the entire day. Snowfall totals were generally between 3 and 5 inches. Winds increased Sunday afternoon into Monday morning, with gusts of 25 to 35 mph at times. This, combined with the fallen snow, created widespread blowing and drifting snow that led to numerous car accidents and school closings across the region.
Winter Storm, Branch
- When
- December 12, 6:00 AM EST to December 13, 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Branch forecast zone
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 41.916, -85.059 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Rain changed to snow during the morning hours of December 12th and continued through the entire day. Snowfall totals were generally between 3 and 6 inches. A CoCoRaHs observer reported 5.5 inches of total snow accumulation 6 miles southeast of Bronson. Winds increased Sunday afternoon into Monday morning, with gusts of 25 to 35 mph at times. This, combined with the fallen snow, created widespread blowing and drifting snow that led to numerous car accidents and school closings across the region.
- Winter Storm
- A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Blizzard and Winter Weather in Illinois, December 12 to 13, 20103 deaths · 6 injured · 22 events
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Tennessee, December 12 to 13, 20101 death · 15 injured · 39 events
- Winter Weather in Illinois, December 12, 20101 death · 5 injured · 18 events
- Winter Weather in Indiana, December 12 to 13, 20101 death · 2 injured · 2 events
- Debris Flow and Flooding in Washington, December 12 to 14, 2010$7.2 million · 7 events
- Lake-Effect Snow in Ohio, December 12 to 15, 2010$2.2 million · 8 events
- Winter Weather in Indiana, December 12, 201011 injured · 6 events
- Lake-Effect Snow in Pennsylvania, December 12 to 15, 2010$550,000 · 2 events
- Lake-Effect Snow in New York, December 12 to 17, 2010$250,000 · 15 events
- Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Kentucky, December 12 to 14, 201055 events
- Drought in Texas, December 12 to 31, 2010$73,000 · 10 events
- Flood and High Wind in Massachusetts, December 12 to 13, 20101 injured · $35,000 · 3 events
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: 264883, 264884, 264881, 264882.