Michigan, 2019

Winter Storm in Michigan, November 11 to 12, 2019

November 11 to 12, 2019 · NWS IWX · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

A strong arctic cold front produced a widespread snow event on November 11th in southern Michigan. This then transitioned to heavy lake effect showers late on November 11th into November 12th as unseasonably cold air overspread the Great Lakes region.

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 strong arctic cold front produced a widespread snow event on November 11th in southern Michigan. This then transitioned to heavy lake effect showers late on November 11th into November 12th as unseasonably cold air overspread the Great Lakes region. Total snow accumulations generally ranged between 5 and 10 inches, though locally heavier amounts were common in areas that received heavy lake effect 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 Northern Indiana wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 10, 6:21 PM EST, 8 hours 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 10, 6:21 PM EST, 8 hours 39 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
November 11, 3:00 AM EST to November 12, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Berrien forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS

Widespread light to moderate snow developed during the early morning hours of November 11th and continued through the day. This then transitioned to heavy lake effect snow showers late on November 11th into the morning hours of November 12th. Total snow accumulations generally ranged between 7 and 10 inches, though areas in far eastern Berrien County received amounts up to a foot where a heavy lake effect snow band set up. Buchanan, Michigan received 9.5 inches of snow. Snowfall rates of 2-3 inches per hour were also common with whiteout conditions, which made for very difficult travel. Roads being snow covered, and reduced visibility led to a few accidents and slide-offs, along with numerous school delays and closings across the region.

Winter Storm, Cass

When
November 11, 3:00 AM EST to November 12, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Cass forecast zone
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
41.915, -85.993 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Widespread light to moderate snow developed during the early morning hours of November 11th and continued through the day. This then transitioned to heavy lake effect snow showers late on November 11th into the morning hours of November 12th. Total snow accumulations generally ranged between 8 and 12 inches, though some areas in central Cass County received amounts up to 18 inches where a heavy lake effect snow band set up. Diamond Lake received 15.0 inches of snow. Snowfall rates of 2-3 inches per hour were also common with whiteout conditions, which made for very difficult travel. Roads being snow covered, and reduced visibilities, led to a few accidents and slide-offs, along with numerous school delays and closings across the region.

Winter Storm, St. Joseph

When
November 11, 3:00 AM EST to November 12, 10:00 AM EST
Where
St. Joseph forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.914, -85.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Widespread light to moderate snow developed during the early morning hours of November 11th and continued through the day. This then transitioned to heavy lake effect snow showers late on November 11th into the morning hours of November 12th. Total snow accumulations generally ranged between 6 and 10 inches, with a report of 8.5 inches in Sturgis. Snowfall rates 1-2 inches per hour were also common with whiteout conditions, which made for very difficult travel. Roads being snow covered, and reduced visibilities, led to a few accidents and slide-offs, along with numerous school delays and closings across the region.

Winter Storm, Branch

When
November 11, 3:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where
Branch forecast zone
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
41.916, -85.059 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Widespread light to moderate snow developed during the early morning hours of November 11th and continued through the day before tapering off early in the evening. Total snow accumulations generally ranged between 6 and 9 inches. Roads quickly became snow covered and slick as temperatures fell into the teens and 20s. There were a few accidents and slide-offs reported across the region, along with school delays and closings.

Winter Storm, Hillsdale

When
November 11, 3:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where
Hillsdale forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
41.888, -84.593 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Widespread light to moderate snow developed during the early morning hours of November 11th and continued through the day before tapering off early in the evening. Total snow accumulations generally ranged between 6 and 9 inches. There was a report of 9.0 inches of total snow accumulation near Moscow. Roads quickly became snow covered and slick as temperatures fell into the teens and 20s. There were a few accidents and slide-offs reported across the region, along with school delays and closings.

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, November 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 855856, 855857, 856734, 856736, 856738.