Michigan, 2020

Winter Weather in Michigan, February 25 to 27, 2020

February 25 to 27, 2020 · NWS IWX · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

A potent upper level disturbance produced a long duration snow event late February 25th through early February 27th. Snowfall totals ranged between 4 and 8 inches.

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 potent upper level disturbance produced a long duration snow event late February 25th through early February 27th. Snowfall totals ranged between 4 and 8 inches.

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 Feb 25, 4:32 PM EST, 1 hour 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 25, 4:32 PM EST, 1 hour 28 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 25, 4:51 PM EST, 1 hour 9 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Northern Indiana
451 PM EST Tue Feb 25 2020

INZ003-MIZ077-262200-
La Porte-Berrien-
451 PM EST Tue Feb 25 2020 /351 PM CST Tue Feb 25 2020/

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST /MIDNIGHT CST/
THURSDAY...
...LAKESHORE FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM EST /6 AM CST/
WEDNESDAY TO 1 PM EST /NOON CST/ THURSDAY...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northern Indiana and
southwest Michigan.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Weather Advisory.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Weather Advisory.
   Lakeshore Flood Warning.

Strong northwest winds and high waves will lead to lakeshore
flooding and beach erosion Wednesday into Thursday.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

INZ004-005-012>018-020-022>027-032-033-MIZ078-OHZ004-005-015-016-024-
262200-
St. Joseph IN-Elkhart-Starke-Pulaski-Marshall-Fulton IN-Kosciusko-
Whitley-Allen IN-White-Cass IN-Miami-Wabash-Huntington-Wells-Adams-
Grant-Blackford-Cass MI-Defiance-Henry-Paulding-Putnam-Van Wert-
451 PM EST Tue Feb 25 2020 /351 PM CST Tue Feb 25 2020/

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST /MIDNIGHT CST/
THURSDAY...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northern Indiana, southwest
Michigan and northwest Ohio.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Weather Advisory.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Weather Advisory.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

LMZ043-046-262200-
New Buffalo MI to St Joseph MI-Michigan City IN to New Buffalo MI-
451 PM EST Tue Feb 25 2020

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST WEDNESDAY...
...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM WEDNESDAY TO 1 AM EST THURSDAY...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the nearshore waters of
southeastern Lake Michigan.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Small Craft Advisory.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Small Craft Advisory.
   Gale Warning.

INZ006>009-MIZ079>081-OHZ001-002-262200-
Lagrange-Steuben-Noble-De Kalb-St. Joseph MI-Branch-Hillsdale-
Williams-Fulton OH-
451 PM EST Tue Feb 25 2020

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST THURSDAY...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northern Indiana, southwest
Michigan and northwest Ohio.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Weather Advisory.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Weather Advisory.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

INZ034-OHZ025-262200-
Jay-Allen OH-
451 PM EST Tue Feb 25 2020

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST THURSDAY...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northern Indiana and
northwest Ohio.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Weather Advisory.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Weather Advisory.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

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 weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Hillsdale

When
February 25, 6:00 PM EST to February 27, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Hillsdale forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
41.888, -84.593 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Periods of light to occasionally moderate snow and below freezing temperatures created difficult travel conditions late February 25th through early February 27th. Snowfall totals across the county generally ranged between 6 and 8 inches. Untreated and lesser traveled roads became snow covered and slick in spots, especially during the overnight and morning hours. Numerous school cancellations and slide-offs were reported across the region.

Winter Weather, Branch

When
February 25, 6:00 PM EST to February 27, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Branch forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
41.916, -85.059 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Periods of light to occasionally moderate snow and below freezing temperatures created difficult travel conditions late February 25th through early February 27th. Snowfall totals across the county generally ranged between 6 and 8 inches. Untreated and lesser traveled roads became snow covered and slick in spots, especially during the overnight and morning hours. Numerous school cancellations and slide-offs were reported across the region.

Winter Weather, St. Joseph

When
February 25, 6:00 PM EST to February 27, 9:00 AM EST
Where
St. Joseph forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
41.914, -85.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Periods of light to occasionally moderate snow and below freezing temperatures created difficult travel conditions late February 25th through early February 27th. Snowfall totals across the county generally ranged between 5 and 7 inches. Untreated and lesser traveled roads became snow covered and slick in spots, especially during the overnight and morning hours. Numerous school cancellations and slide-offs were reported across the region.

Winter Weather, Cass

When
February 25, 6:00 PM EST to February 27, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Cass forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
41.915, -85.993 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Periods of light to occasionally moderate snow and below freezing temperatures created difficult travel conditions late February 25th through early February 27th. Snowfall totals across the county generally ranged between 5 and 7 inches. Untreated and lesser traveled roads became snow covered and slick in spots, especially during the overnight and morning hours. Numerous school cancellations and slide-offs were reported across the region.

Winter Weather, Berrien

When
February 25, 6:00 PM EST to February 27, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Berrien forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Periods of light to occasionally moderate snow and below freezing temperatures created difficult travel conditions late February 25th through early February 27th. Snowfall totals across the county generally ranged between 4 and 7 inches. Untreated and lesser traveled roads became snow covered and slick in spots, especially during the overnight and morning hours. Numerous school cancellations and slide-offs were reported across the region.

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Michigan in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, February 2020

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: 870401, 870402, 870403, 870404, 870405.