Blizzard in Michigan
Every blizzard event the National Weather Service has filed in Michigan, year by year, with the most significant episodes. Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.
The most significant on the map
The most significant blizzard episodes in Michigan.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 438
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 20
- Damage
- $1.4 million
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Blizzard and Winter Weather in Michigan, February 6 to 7, 2026An arctic cold front brought widespread lake effect snow and strong winds to the north-central U.P. Winds were strongest near the lakeshore where blizzard conditions were observed at times.
- Blizzard in Michigan, February 10, 2008A powerful arctic cold front blasted through lower Michigan and produced severe winter conditions. Temperatures at the Grand Rapids airport plummeted from 28 degrees at midnight on the ninth to 7 degrees at 6 am |on the tenth. Temperatures dropped to zero degrees by 11 am.
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Michigan, February 10 to 11, 2008The second big blast of snow, wind, and bitter cold in as many weeks. In fact, this storm was extremely similar to the January 29-30 event. Low pressure rapidly strengthened as it moved northeast away from Lake Superior.
- Blizzard in Michigan, December 21 to 22, 2008Arctic air filtered into southwest lower Michigan behind a strong cold front early on December 21st.
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Michigan, December 11 to 12, 2000A powerful storm system moved east just south of Michigan, dumping heavy snow across all of the area, with some freezing rain and sleet near the Ohio border. Near blizzard conditions were found across all of the area, with an outright blizzard in the Thumb.
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Michigan, February 23 to 25, 2019A powerful bomb cyclone developing over the Central Plains and moving into the Great Lakes region produced heavy snow and blizzard conditions across much of the Upper Michigan from the 24th into early on the 25th.
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Michigan, November 12 to 13, 2003Low pressure intensified rapidly as it moved through and east of the northern Great Lakes region. Winds rapidly increased behind a cold front passage on the evening of the 12th, with numerous wind gusts in excess of 50 mph.
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Michigan, January 26 to 31, 2019Arctic air pouring across the Upper Great Lakes produced bitter cold temperatures and wind chills from the 26th into the 31st.
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Michigan, March 9, 1998A strengthening low pressure center tracked northeast across the Ohio Valley on Monday, March 9th, and brought heavy snow and blizzard conditions to west central, southwest, central, and most of south central Lower Michigan.
- Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Michigan, January 2 to 3, 1999A strong low pressure system moved from the mid Mississippi Valley on the morning of the 2nd, to northern Lake Huron by the afternoon of the 3rd.
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Michigan, April 2 to 4, 2024A powerful storm system tracking through the Great Lakes brought moderate to heavy wet snow and strong north to northeast winds to Upper Michigan from the evening of the 2nd into the morning of the 4th.
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Michigan, February 18 to 20, 2013A major winter storm impacted portions of west and north central Upper Michigan 2/18-2/20. Blizzard conditions developed across the Keweenaw Peninsula and Alger County from 2/19-2/20.
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Michigan, February 7 to 8, 2019A strong winter storm tracking through northern Lower Michigan dropped moderate to heavy snow across much of Upper Michigan on the 7th.
- Blizzard in Michigan, January 29 to 31, 1996Low pressure moved east from Minnesota through Upper Michigan during the day on the 29th.At the same time a strong cold frontmoved through the region. Behind the cold front,strong west winds between 25 and 35 mph developed.
- Blizzard and High Wind in Michigan, February 18 to 28, 2011Strong west winds in the wake of a powerful cold front resulted in downed trees and power lines over portions of west and north central Upper Michigan on the 18th. Lake effect snow and extreme blowing snow also resulted in blizzard conditions over the Keweenaw Peninsula.
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Michigan, February 16 to 18, 2006Low pressure originating over the southern Plains deepened rapidly as it moved into the Great Lakes region on the afternoon and evening of the 16th.
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Michigan, April 3 to 7, 2007An intense storm system tracking from the Plains into the Great Lakes dumped heavy lake enhanced snow across much of Upper Michigan from the 3rd into the 7th.
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Michigan, March 15 to 17, 2026Low pressure developed over the central US overnight on the 14th into the 15th, resulting in a first round of snowfall across northern Michigan on the morning of the 15th.
- Blizzard and High Wind in Michigan, February 24 to 25, 2019A high-impact winter storm blasted northern Michigan with ice, snow, and wind. Intense low pressure would move almost due north up the long axis of Lake Michigan on the 24th.
- Blizzard in Michigan, January 2 to 3, 1999An intense winter storm which developed over the southern plains lifted northeastward across lower Michigan from the evening of the 2nd through the morning of the 3rd producing blizzard conditions across the region.
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Michigan, March 9 to 10, 2002A major winter storm passed northeast through Michigan into Ontario on the 9th, with the associated cold front passing through during the afternoon hours. Strong winds and lake effect snow showers were widespread across northern Michigan in the wake of the cold front.
- Blizzard in Michigan, March 9, 1998Low pressure tracking through the Eastern Great Lakes region...together with a strong upper low and strong cold front crossing the state brought blizzard conditions to Northern Lower Michigan during the 8th.
- Blizzard in Michigan, January 2, 1999Blizzard conditions developed across lower Michigan the morning of January 2nd, and continued through the afternoon, out ahead of an intensifying low pressure area over the western Tennessee Valley.
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Michigan, February 1 to 2, 2011A major winter storm brought 10 to 15 inches of snow and blizzard conditions to much of southwest lower Michigan the during the late evening of Tuesday, February 1st into the morning hours of Wednesday, February 2nd.
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Michigan, December 22 to 24, 2022A major winter storm with blizzard conditions impacted much of Lower Michigan just before the Christmas holiday weekend. Conditions deteriorated rapidly on the 23rd near Lake Michigan overnight and further inland during the daytime as snow moved in.
More
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 2026-09-24.