Michigan, 2023

Winter Weather in Michigan, January 27, 2023

January 27, 2023 · NWS MQT · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Poor visibility due to snow and blowing snow and slippery roads likely contributed to a fatal multi-vehicle accident in Garden Township on the afternoon of the 27th. A semi-truck driving westbound lost control and struck a Toyota SUV head-on killing both occupants of the Toyota.

Where it happened

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The toll

Deaths
2
Injuries
1
Property damage
$50,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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 MQT wrote it up.

Poor visibility due to snow and blowing snow and slippery roads likely contributed to a fatal multi-vehicle accident in Garden Township on the afternoon of the 27th. A semi-truck driving westbound lost control and struck a Toyota SUV head-on killing both occupants of the Toyota. A Chevrolet SUV then struck the end of the semi-trailer still on the road and driver of the Chevrolet was trapped inside the vehicle and sustained broken bones. The driver of the semi-truck was not injured.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

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Event by event

1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Southern Schoolcraft

When
January 27, 3:30 PM EST to 3:55 PM EST
Where
Southern Schoolcraft forecast zone
Deaths
0 direct, 2 indirect
Injuries
0 direct, 1 indirect
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
46.043, -86.177 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Poor visibility due to snow and blowing snow and slippery roads likely contributed to a fatal multi-vehicle accident in Garden Township on the afternoon of the 27th. A semi-truck driving westbound lost control and struck a Toyota SUV head-on killing the husband and wife occupants of the Toyota, a 47-year-old male and a 46-year-old female, both from Escanaba. A Chevrolet SUV, driven by a 54-year-old man from Oshkosh, WI, then struck the end of the semi-trailer still on the road and the Oshkosh man was trapped inside the vehicle and sustained broken bones. The driver of the semi-truck was not injured.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Winter Weather, Southern Schoolcraft2023-01-2747MaleVehicle/Towed TrailerIndirect
Winter Weather, Southern Schoolcraft2023-01-2746FemaleVehicle/Towed TrailerIndirect

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 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, January 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: 1076736.