Michigan, 2023

Ice Storm in Michigan, April 4 to 5, 2023

April 4 to 5, 2023 · NWS APX · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

A strong longwave trough progressed and deepened over the north central CONUS 4/4 into 4/5 as an impressive embedded jet max punched over the Great Lakes. This system provided strong divergence aloft to support a near 990mb cyclone that trekked across the upper Midwest during that time.

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

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 APX wrote it up.

A strong longwave trough progressed and deepened over the north central CONUS 4/4 into 4/5 as an impressive embedded jet max punched over the Great Lakes. This system provided strong divergence aloft to support a near 990mb cyclone that trekked across the upper Midwest during that time. Intense mid-level warm advection over the Great Lakes drove temperatures above freezing aloft with sub-freezing surface temperatures, creating a favorable environment for freezing rain. Multiple rounds of showers and storms tracked across this environment that set up over the eastern upper peninsula, resulting in ice accumulations exceeding 0.25 in this area -- including 0.5 of ice accumulation reported on surfaces in Kinross.

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 Apr 4, 6:13 PM EST, 1 hour 47 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 4, 6:13 PM EST, 1 hour 47 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 4, 2:53 PM EST, 5 hours 7 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 4, 3:09 PM EST, 4 hours 51 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 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Western Mackinac County

When
April 4, 8:00 PM EST to April 5, 6:00 AM EST
Where
Western Mackinac County forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
45.872, -84.762 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Western Chippewa County

When
April 4, 8:00 PM EST to April 5, 6:00 AM EST
Where
Western Chippewa County forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
46.328, -84.529 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Central Chippewa County

When
April 4, 8:00 PM EST to April 5, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Central Chippewa County forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
46.328, -84.529 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Eastern Mackinac County

When
April 4, 8:00 PM EST to April 5, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Eastern Mackinac County forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
45.872, -84.762 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Southeast Chippewa County

When
April 4, 8:00 PM EST to April 5, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Southeast Chippewa County forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
46.328, -84.529 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Ice Storm
Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Michigan in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, April 2023

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: 1096970, 1096971, 1096972, 1096973, 1096974.