Michigan, 2014

Lake-Effect Snow and Winter Weather in Michigan, November 19 to 21, 2014

November 19 to 21, 2014 · NWS MQT · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

A strong upper disturbance and accompanying low pressure system moved across the Upper Great Lakes producing another round of moderate to heavy lake effect snow over northwest and northeast Upper Michigan from the 19th into the morning of the 21st.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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
7

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.

A strong upper disturbance and accompanying low pressure system moved across the Upper Great Lakes producing another round of moderate to heavy lake effect snow over northwest and northeast Upper Michigan from the 19th into the morning of the 21st.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Lake-Effect Snow, Northern Schoolcraft

When
November 19, 4:00 AM EST to November 20, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Northern Schoolcraft forecast zone
Reported by
Post Office
Coordinates
46.043, -86.177 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Seney Post Office reported at least a foot of lake effect snow over an 18-hour period.

Winter Weather, Luce

When
November 19, 7:00 AM EST to November 20, 7:00 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 at Newberry measured 6.3 inches of lake effect snow in 24 hours with 4.3 inches of snow falling in the 12-hour period ending on the morning of the 20th.

Lake-Effect Snow, Ontonagon

When
November 19, 8:00 AM EST to November 20, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Ontonagon forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
46.778, -89.305 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake effect snowfall totals over a 24-hour period included 13.7 inches at Bergland Dam and 11.8 inches at Paulding.

Winter Weather, Marquette

When
November 19, 3:00 PM EST to November 20, 5:00 AM EST
Where
Marquette forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
46.663, -87.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was a public report four miles southeast of Big Bay of 4.1 inches of lake effect snow in 14 hours.

Winter Weather, Southern Houghton

When
November 19, 3:00 PM EST to November 20, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Southern Houghton forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
46.992, -88.652 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was a public report of seven inches of lake effect snow in 20 hours at Nisula.

Winter Weather, Gogebic

When
November 19, 5:00 PM CST to November 20, 8:00 AM CST
Where
Gogebic forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
46.496, -89.796 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was a public report of seven inches of lake effect snow in Bessemer over approximately a 15-hour period.

Lake-Effect Snow, Alger

When
November 19, 10:00 PM EST to November 21, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Alger forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
46.451, -86.548 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A spotter five miles north of Shingleton measured eight inches of lake effect snow over a nine-hour period during the morning of the 20th.

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, 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: 548453, 549573, 548450, 549574, 549579, 548451, 548452.