Michigan, 2016

Winter Storm in Michigan, November 19 to 20, 2016

November 19 to 20, 2016 · NWS APX · 14 events in 13 counties and zones

Strong low pressure moved from Minnesota to Lake Superior late on the 18th, then continued east. Persistent warm weather would give way to by far the coldest air of the season thus far.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 12 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
14

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.

Strong low pressure moved from Minnesota to Lake Superior late on the 18th, then continued east. Persistent warm weather would give way to by far the coldest air of the season thus far. Lake enhanced snow and very gusty winds resulted. Wind gusts to around 60 mph were seen along parts of the Lake Michigan and Whitefish Bay shorelines. Snow amounts were highest southeast of Grand Traverse Bay, with Sharon (Kalkaska County) picking up 11 inches of snow.

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 19, 10:47 AM EST, 2 hours 13 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 19, 10:47 AM EST, 2 hours 13 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 19, 12:47 PM EST, 13 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Nov 19, 9:21 AM EST, 3 hours 39 minutes before
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Local storm report, Nov 19, 12:26 PM EST, 34 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

14 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Antrim

When
November 19, 1:00 PM EST to November 20, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Antrim forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
45.007, -85.176 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Grand Traverse

When
November 19, 1:00 PM EST to November 20, 3:00 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)

Winter Storm, Kalkaska

When
November 19, 1:00 PM EST to November 20, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Kalkaska forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.685, -85.090 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Charlevoix

When
November 19, 1:00 PM EST to November 20, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Charlevoix forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS

Winter Storm, Otsego

When
November 19, 1:00 PM EST to November 20, 3:00 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)

Winter Storm, Crawford

When
November 19, 1:00 PM EST to November 20, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Crawford forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.684, -84.610 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Wexford

When
November 19, 1:00 PM EST to November 20, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Wexford forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
44.338, -85.578 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Missaukee

When
November 19, 1:00 PM EST to November 20, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Missaukee forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
44.337, -85.095 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Chippewa

When
November 19, 1:00 PM EST to November 20, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Chippewa forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Winter Storm, Leelanau

When
November 19, 1:00 PM EST to November 20, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Leelanau forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
45.152, -86.038 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Benzie

When
November 19, 1:00 PM EST to November 20, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Benzie forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
44.617, -86.139 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Manistee

When
November 19, 1:00 PM EST to November 20, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Manistee forecast zone
Reported by
C-MAN Station
Coordinates
44.238, -86.288 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Manistee

When
November 19, 1:00 PM EST to November 20, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Manistee forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
44.238, -86.288 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Roscommon

When
November 19, 1:00 PM EST to November 20, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Roscommon forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
44.336, -84.612 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Michigan in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, November 2016

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: 667699, 667700, 667701, 667702, 667703, 667706, 667707, 667709, 667710, 667712, 667713, 667714, 667715, 667716.