Indiana, 2014

Lake-Effect Snow in Indiana, November 17 to 18, 2014

November 17 to 18, 2014 · NWS IWX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Persistent lake effect snow bands produced accumulating snow, blowing snow, and hazardous travel conditions late November 17th and November 18th along the Indiana Toll in far northern St. Joseph County.

The toll

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

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 IWX wrote it up.

Persistent lake effect snow bands produced accumulating snow, blowing snow, and hazardous travel conditions late November 17th and November 18th along the Indiana Toll in far northern St. Joseph County. Total snow accumulations generally ranged between 3 and 8 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 Northern Indiana wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 17, 3:13 PM EST, 3 hours 47 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 17, 3:13 PM EST, 3 hours 47 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 17, 10:01 AM EST, 8 hours 59 minutes before
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Event by event

1 lake-effect snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Lake-Effect Snow, St. Joseph

When
November 17, 7:00 PM EST to November 18, 11:00 AM EST
Where
St. Joseph forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Lake effect snow bands set up over far northern St. Joseph County, heaviest during the overnight hours when snowfall rates exceeded an inch per hour at times. Total snowfall amounts near the Indiana Toll road generally ranged between 3 and 8 inches. A spotter reported 7 inches near Georgetown. Gusty winds, rapid snow accumulation, and reduced visibilities created hazardous driving conditions and accidents across him area.

What these are

Lake-Effect Snow
Heavy snow in bands downwind of a large lake as cold air crosses warmer water.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Indiana in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, November 2014

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: 543574.