Michigan, 2014

Lake-Effect Snow and Winter Weather in Michigan, January 24 to 26, 2014

January 24 to 26, 2014 · NWS MQT · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

Southwest winds ahead of a strong cold front generated heavy lake effect snow and localized blizzard conditions downwind of Lake Michigan on the 24th. Northwest winds behind the front resulted in near blizzard conditions in moderate to heavy lake effect snow and blowing snow downwind of Lake Superior during the night of the 24th and 25th.

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
9

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 MQT wrote it up.

Southwest winds ahead of a strong cold front generated heavy lake effect snow and localized blizzard conditions downwind of Lake Michigan on the 24th. Northwest winds behind the front resulted in near blizzard conditions in moderate to heavy lake effect snow and blowing snow downwind of Lake Superior during the night of the 24th and 25th. Wind chills also plummeted to 25 to 30 below zero over many locations on the 25th.

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 Marquette, MI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 23, 4:05 PM EST, 14 hours 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 23, 4:05 PM EST, 14 hours 55 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 23, 4:46 PM EST, 14 hours 14 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

6 winter weather, 3 lake-effect snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Lake-Effect Snow, Luce

When
January 24, 7:00 AM EST to January 26, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Luce forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
46.368, -85.509 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The observer in Newberry measured 13.8 inches of lake effect snow over a 48-hour period. Southwest winds gusting near 40 mph at times caused localized blizzard conditions at times in heavy snow and blowing snow on the 24th.

Winter Weather, Keweenaw

When
January 24, 8:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where
Keweenaw forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
47.283, -88.212 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The observer at Mohawk measured three inches of lake effect snow over 12 hours. West to northwest winds gusting to 25 mph at times also contributed to considerable blowing and drifting of snow with occasional whiteout conditions at times.

Winter Weather, Gogebic

When
January 24, 7:00 AM CST to January 25, 7:00 AM CST
Where
Gogebic forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
46.496, -89.796 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The observer at Watersmeet measured 7.0 inches of lake effect snow in 24 hours. Northwest winds gusting to 30 mph also caused considerable blowing and drifting of snow along with occasional whiteout conditions.

Lake-Effect Snow, Alger

When
January 24, 8:00 AM EST to January 26, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Alger forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
46.451, -86.548 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was an estimated six inches of lake effect snow in 24 hours in Grand Marais ending on the morning of the 25th. The observer in Melstrand estimated six inches of lake effect snow in the 12 hours ending during the evening of the 25th. Winds gusting over 30 mph during the periods of moderate to heavy snow caused whiteout conditions in blowing snow at times on the 24th and 25th.

Lake-Effect Snow, Northern Schoolcraft

When
January 24, 8:00 AM EST to January 26, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Northern Schoolcraft forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
46.043, -86.177 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An estimated six to ten inches of lake effect snow fell over a 36-hour period over portions of northern Schoolcraft County. Winds gusting over 30 mph at times during the periods of moderate to heavy snow also caused occasional whiteout conditions in blowing snow.

Winter Weather, Southern Schoolcraft

When
January 24, 9:00 AM EST to January 25, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Southern Schoolcraft forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
46.043, -86.177 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The observer at Parent Bay measured four inches of lake effect snow in 24 hours. Southwest winds gusting to near 30 mph during the periods of moderate snow caused occasional whiteout conditions in blowing snow on the morning of the 24th.

Winter Weather, Northern Houghton

When
January 24, 4:00 PM EST to January 25, 4:00 PM EST
Where
Northern Houghton forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
46.992, -88.652 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The observer at Jacobsville measured 7.7 inches of snow over 24 hours. West to northwest winds gusting to 25 mph at times also contributed to considerable blowing and drifting of snow with occasional whiteout conditions at times.

Winter Weather, Ontonagon

When
January 24, 8:30 PM EST to January 25, 8:30 AM EST
Where
Ontonagon forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
46.778, -89.305 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The spotter just east of Silver City measured 6.0 inches of lake effect snow in approximately 12 hours. Northwest winds gusting near 30 mph at times also caused extensive blowing and drifting of snow reducing visibility to less than 100 feet at times.

Winter Weather, Marquette

When
January 24, 9:00 PM EST to January 25, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Marquette forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
46.663, -87.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The observer in Harvey measured nearly six inches of lake effect snow over approximately 12 hours. Northwest winds gusting near 30 mph at times also caused considerable blowing and drifting of snow reducing visibility to near zero at times.

What these are

Lake-Effect Snow
Heavy snow in bands downwind of a large lake as cold air crosses warmer water.
Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 495093, 495088, 495091, 495095, 495099, 495102, 495089, 495090, 495092.