Lake Michigan, 2021

Marine High Wind in Lake Michigan, December 15 to 16, 2021

December 15 to 16, 2021 · NWS LOT · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

High winds developed over southern Lake Michigan during the evening of December 15th and continued into the early morning of December 16th. Peak wind gusts included 64 knots at the Harrison Dever Crib and 56 knots at the Michigan City Harbor.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 LOT wrote it up.

High winds developed over southern Lake Michigan during the evening of December 15th and continued into the early morning of December 16th. Peak wind gusts included 64 knots at the Harrison Dever Crib and 56 knots at the Michigan City Harbor.

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 Chicago, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 15, 8:19 PM CST, 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 15, 8:19 PM CST, 59 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 15, 4:12 PM CST, 5 hours 6 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

2 marine high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Marine High Wind, Wilmette Harbor to Northerly Island Il

When
December 15, 9:18 PM CST
Where
Wilmette Harbor to Northerly Island Il forecast zone, Harrison-Dever Crib
Measured
64 kt (74 mph) measured gust
Reported by
C-MAN Station
Coordinates
41.920, -87.570

Marine High Wind, Burns Harbor to Michigan City in

When
December 16, 1:20 AM CST
Where
Burns Harbor to Michigan City in forecast zone, Michigan City Harbor
Measured
56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by
C-MAN Station
Coordinates
41.720, -86.920

What these are

Marine High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 48 knots or more over water.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Lake Michigan in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather history

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: 995847, 995845.