Michigan, 2014

Extreme Cold in Michigan, January 6 to 7, 2014

January 6 to 7, 2014 · NWS APX · 16 events in 16 counties and zones

One of the most brutal cold air outbreaks in recent memory - the coldest since at least January 1994 - plunged into the Great Lakes region. Near- to below-zero temperatures were accompanied by blustery northwest winds.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 14 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
16

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.

One of the most brutal cold air outbreaks in recent memory - the coldest since at least January 1994 - plunged into the Great Lakes region. Near- to below-zero temperatures were accompanied by blustery northwest winds. Away from the warming influence of Lake Michigan, wind chills sunk to 30 below zero or colder. The coldest wind chills observed were -44 near Cedarville, -39 near Engadine, -36 at Sault Ste Marie, and -33 at West Branch and Houghton Lake. All of these were reached in the morning hours of the 7th. As a result, school closings were widespread across northern Michigan on the 7th.

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 6, 7:18 PM EST, 1 hour 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 6, 7:18 PM EST, 1 hour 42 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 6, 4:35 PM EST, 4 hours 25 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 6, 5:45 PM EST, 3 hours 15 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 6, 7:18 PM EST, 1 hour 42 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

16 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Chippewa

When
January 6, 9:00 PM EST to January 7, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Chippewa forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Mackinac

When
January 6, 9:00 PM EST to January 7, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Mackinac forecast zone
Reported by
Department of Highways

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Montmorency

When
January 6, 9:00 PM EST to January 7, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Montmorency forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
45.028, -84.127 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Alpena

When
January 6, 9:00 PM EST to January 7, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Alpena forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
45.064, -83.460 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Kalkaska

When
January 6, 9:00 PM EST to January 7, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Kalkaska forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
44.685, -85.090 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Crawford

When
January 6, 9:00 PM EST to January 7, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Crawford forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
44.684, -84.610 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Oscoda

When
January 6, 9:00 PM EST to January 7, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Oscoda forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
44.682, -84.130 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Alcona

When
January 6, 9:00 PM EST to January 7, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Alcona forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
44.712, -83.344 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Manistee

When
January 6, 9:00 PM EST to January 7, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Manistee forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
44.238, -86.288 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Wexford

When
January 6, 9:00 PM EST to January 7, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Wexford forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
44.338, -85.578 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Missaukee

When
January 6, 9:00 PM EST to January 7, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Missaukee forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
44.337, -85.095 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Roscommon

When
January 6, 9:00 PM EST to January 7, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Roscommon forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
44.336, -84.612 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Ogemaw

When
January 6, 9:00 PM EST to January 7, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Ogemaw forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
44.335, -84.126 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Iosco

When
January 6, 9:00 PM EST to January 7, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Iosco forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
44.301, -83.514 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Gladwin

When
January 6, 9:00 PM EST to January 7, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Gladwin forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
43.991, -84.388 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Arenac

When
January 6, 9:00 PM EST to January 7, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Arenac forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
44.043, -83.747 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.

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: 498473, 498474, 498475, 498476, 498477, 498478, 498479, 498480, 498481, 498482, 498483, 498484, 498485, 498486, 498487, 498488.