Michigan, 2014

Heavy Snow in Michigan, January 14 to 15, 2014

January 14 to 15, 2014 · NWS APX · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

On the 14th through the morning of the 15th, a mature clipper system moved quickly from Wisconsin across central lower Michigan. The low produced a swath of moderate to heavy snow over a good portion of northwest and north central lower Michigan.

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.

On the 14th through the morning of the 15th, a mature clipper system moved quickly from Wisconsin across central lower Michigan. The low produced a swath of moderate to heavy snow over a good portion of northwest and north central lower Michigan. Suttons Bay received the most snowfall at around 16 inches. Ellsworth, Bellaire, and Kalkaska were among the communities that saw a foot or more.

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 Jan 14, 9:13 AM EST, 2 hours 47 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 14, 9:13 AM EST, 2 hours 47 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 14, 11:01 AM EST, 59 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, Emmet

When
January 14, 12:00 PM EST to January 15, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Emmet forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
45.588, -84.981 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Cheboygan

When
January 14, 12:00 PM EST to January 15, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Cheboygan forecast zone
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
45.473, -84.492 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Charlevoix

When
January 14, 12:00 PM EST to January 15, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Charlevoix forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow, Leelanau

When
January 14, 12:00 PM EST to January 15, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Leelanau forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.152, -86.038 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Antrim

When
January 14, 12:00 PM EST to January 15, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Antrim forecast zone
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
45.007, -85.176 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Otsego

When
January 14, 12:00 PM EST to January 15, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Otsego forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
45.021, -84.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Benzie

When
January 14, 12:00 PM EST to January 15, 9:00 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
January 14, 12:00 PM EST to January 15, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Grand Traverse forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.716, -85.552 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Kalkaska

When
January 14, 12:00 PM EST to January 15, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Kalkaska forecast zone
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
44.685, -85.090 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Crawford

When
January 14, 12:00 PM EST to January 15, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Crawford forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
44.684, -84.610 (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 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, January 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: 498489, 498490, 498491, 498492, 498493, 498494, 498495, 498496, 498497, 498498.