Michigan, 2019

Winter Storm in Michigan, January 19, 2019

January 19, 2019 · NWS IWX · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

A deepening low pressure system through the Ohio Valley produced a swath of accumulating snow and strong winds across the Lower Great Lakes region on Saturday, January 19th. Snow totals of 6 to 10 inches and wind gusts to near 40 mph created difficult travel conditions.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
5

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 IWX wrote it up.

A deepening low pressure system through the Ohio Valley produced a swath of accumulating snow and strong winds across the Lower Great Lakes region on Saturday, January 19th. Snow totals of 6 to 10 inches and wind gusts to near 40 mph created difficult travel conditions.

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 Northern Indiana wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 18, 7:04 PM EST, 4 hours 56 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 18, 7:04 PM EST, 4 hours 56 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

5 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Berrien

When
January 19, 12:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where
Berrien forecast zone
Reported by
Public

Moderate to at times heavy snow developed early on the 19th and continued through the late afternoon hours. Winds really pick up during the day, gusting between 25 and 35 mph during the afternoon. Snow accumulations across the county generally ranged between 6 and 10 inches, with significant blowing and drifting reported due to the strong winds. Stevensville received 8.0 of total snow accumulation. Slide-offs and accidents were reported across the region. A few secondary roads were impassable due to the significant drifting.

Winter Storm, Cass

When
January 19, 12:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where
Cass forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
41.915, -85.993 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Moderate to at times heavy snow developed early on the 19th and continued through the late afternoon hours. Winds really pick up during the day, gusting between 25 and 35 mph during the afternoon. Snow accumulations across the county generally ranged between 6 and 10 inches, with significant blowing and drifting reported due to the strong winds. Magician Lake received 8.0 of total snow accumulation. Slide-offs and accidents were reported across the region. A few secondary roads were impassable due to the significant drifting.

Winter Storm, St. Joseph

When
January 19, 12:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where
St. Joseph forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
41.914, -85.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Moderate to at times heavy snow developed early on the 19th and continued through the late afternoon hours. Winds really pick up during the day, gusting between 25 and 35 mph during the afternoon. Snow accumulations across the county generally ranged between 6 and 10 inches, with significant blowing and drifting reported due to the strong winds. Constantine received 9.5 of total snow accumulation. Slide-offs and accidents were reported across the region. A few secondary roads were impassable due to the significant drifting.

Winter Storm, Branch

When
January 19, 12:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Branch forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
41.916, -85.059 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Moderate to at times heavy snow developed early on the 19th and continued through the late afternoon hours. Winds really pick up during the day, gusting between 25 and 35 mph during the afternoon. Snow accumulations across the county generally ranged between 6 and 10 inches, with significant blowing and drifting reported due to the strong winds. Coldwater received 7.0 of total snow accumulation. Slide-offs and accidents were reported across the region. A few secondary roads were impassable due to the significant drifting.

Winter Storm, Hillsdale

When
January 19, 12:00 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Hillsdale forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.888, -84.593 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Moderate to at times heavy snow developed early on the 19th and continued through the late afternoon hours. Winds really pick up during the day, gusting between 25 and 35 mph during the afternoon. Snow accumulations across the county generally ranged between 6 and 8 inches, with significant blowing and drifting reported due to the strong winds. Litchfield received 6.0 of total snow accumulation. Slide-offs and accidents were reported across the region. A few secondary roads were impassable due to the significant drifting.

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 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, January 2019

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: 793786, 793787, 793788, 793789, 793790.