Lake-Effect Snow, Leelanau
- When
- January 24, 12:00 PM EST to January 25, 5:00 AM EST
- Where
- Leelanau forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 45.152, -86.038 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow in Michigan, January 24 to 25, 2019
This was one of relatively few periods of sustained heavy lake effect snow during the winter. Some of the coldest air of the winter thus far entered northern Michigan, initially on north to north-northwest winds.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
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 APX wrote it up.
This was one of relatively few periods of sustained heavy lake effect snow during the winter. Some of the coldest air of the winter thus far entered northern Michigan, initially on north to north-northwest winds. The lake effect snow initially focused near and west of Grand Traverse Bay during the day on the 24th. However, as winds backed late in the day, the snow pushed further inland into north central lower Michigan. Snowfall rates of around 2 inches per hour were common in the stronger bands. The highest snowfall amounts, 12 to 14 inches, fell near Mancelona and Elmira.
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 24, 9:44 AM EST, 2 hours 16 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 24, 9:44 AM EST, 2 hours 16 minutes before
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</html>Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 24, 9:48 AM EST, 2 hours 12 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Gaylord MI 948 AM EST Thu Jan 24 2019 LHZ345>349-LMZ323-341-342-344>346-LSZ321-322-MIZ008-015>036-041- 042-251200- Straits of Mackinac within 5 nm of Mackinac Bridge including Mackinac Island-St Ignace to False Detour Channel- 5NM East of Mackinac Bridge to Presque Isle Light MI including Bois Blanc Island- Presque Isle Light to Sturgeon Pt MI Including Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary-Sturgeon Pt to Alabaster MI- Grand Traverse Bay south of a line Grand Traverse Light to Norwood MI-Seul Choix Point to 5NM West of Mackinac Bridge- Norwood MI to 5NM West of Mackinac Bridge including Little Traverse Bay-Sleeping Bear Point to Grand Traverse Light MI- Point Betsie to Sleeping Bear Point MI- Manistee to Point Betsie MI- Whitefish Bay (U.S. Portion)/Whitefish Point to Point Iroquois MI- St. Marys River Point Iroquois to E. Potagannissing Bay-Chippewa- Mackinac-Emmet-Cheboygan-Presque Isle-Charlevoix-Leelanau-Antrim- Otsego-Montmorency-Alpena-Benzie-Grand Traverse-Kalkaska-Crawford- Oscoda-Alcona-Manistee-Wexford-Missaukee-Roscommon-Ogemaw-Iosco- Gladwin-Arenac- 948 AM EST Thu Jan 24 2019 This hazardous weather outlook is for northern Lower Michigan... eastern Upper Michigan...and adjacent nearshore waters of Lake Michigan...Lake Huron and Lake Superior. .DAY ONE...Through tonight. Accumulating snow, gusty winds, areas of blowing snow, and low wind chill temperatures are all expected today and tonight. Please see the latest winter weather advisories and winter storm warnings for additional details. Very cold temperatures will result in rapid ice development and potential ice jam formation on area rivers. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. Accumulating lake snow, gusty winds, blowing snow with poor visibility, and low wind chill temperatures continue Friday and into the weekend. Highest snowfall will be in the snowbelts of eastern Upper and northwest Lower Michigan. Another winter storm lifting toward the Great Lakes Monday, will generate the potential for widespread accumulating snow across all of northern Michigan Tuesday and Wednesday. Very cold temperatures will result in rapid ice development and potential ice jam formation on area rivers. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are encouraged to report snowfall amounts to the National Weather Service. Reports may be made one of three ways: Online: weather.gov/gaylord Facebook: facebook.com/nwsgaylord Twitter: twitter.com/nwsgaylord && For more information visit http://weather.gov/gaylord.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
5 lake-effect snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Lake-Effect Snow, Benzie
- When
- January 24, 12:00 PM EST to January 25, 5:00 AM EST
- Where
- Benzie forecast zone
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 44.617, -86.139 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow, Grand Traverse
- When
- January 24, 12:00 PM EST to January 25, 5:00 AM EST
- Where
- Grand Traverse forecast zone
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 44.716, -85.552 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow, Antrim
- When
- January 24, 2:00 PM EST to January 25, 5:00 AM EST
- Where
- Antrim forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS Employee
- Coordinates
- 45.007, -85.176 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow, Otsego
- When
- January 24, 2:00 PM EST to January 25, 5:00 AM EST
- Where
- Otsego forecast zone
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 45.021, -84.599 (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
- Winter Storm and Cold in Michigan, January 24 to 26, 2019
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Florida, January 24, 2019
- Flooding in New York, January 24 to 25, 2019
- Debris Flow and Flooding in Vermont, January 24 to 25, 2019
- Strong Wind in New York, January 24, 2019
- Damaging Winds in Florida, January 24, 2019
- High Wind in New York, January 24, 2019
- High Wind and Strong Wind in Massachusetts, January 24, 2019
- Strong Wind in Connecticut, January 24, 2019
- Flooding in Virginia, January 24 to 25, 2019
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds and Waterspout in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, January 24, 2019
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Gulf of Mexico, January 24, 2019
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 805632, 805633, 805634, 805635, 805636.