Michigan, 2015

Lake-Effect Snow in Michigan, November 21 to 22, 2015

November 21 to 22, 2015 · NWS APX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Heavy lake effect impacted a small portion of northwest lower Michigan, in the wake of low pressure that passed just south of the state on the 21st. Southern and western Manistee County got by far the worst of it, with 10 inches of snowfall in Wellston.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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

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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 APX wrote it up.

Heavy lake effect impacted a small portion of northwest lower Michigan, in the wake of low pressure that passed just south of the state on the 21st. Southern and western Manistee County got by far the worst of it, with 10 inches of snowfall in Wellston.

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 Nov 21, 10:38 AM EST, 1 hour 22 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 21, 10:38 AM EST, 1 hour 22 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 21, 3:57 AM EST, 8 hours 3 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

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

Lake-Effect Snow, Manistee

When
November 21, 12:00 PM EST to November 22, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Manistee forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.238, -86.288 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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 Michigan in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, November 2015

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 608670.