Northern Indiana
Weather Forecast Office
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA 547 AM EST MON DEC 20 2004 ...MAJOR LAKE EFFECT SNOWSTORM BLANKETS NORTHWEST INDIANA... THE LARGEST LAKE EFFECT SNOWSTORM IN SEVERAL YEARS HIT NORTHWEST INDIANA AND PORTIONS OF EXTREME SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. A STRONG COLD FRONT CROSSED THE REGION SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THE COLDEST AIR OF THE SEASON SO FAR MOVED INTO THE REGION FOLLOWING THE COLD FRONT. THE COLD AIR MOVING ACROSS THE RELATIVELY WARM WATERS OF THE GREAT LAKES RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT LAKE EFFECT SNOW. OFF LAKE MICHIGAN NORTHWEST WINDS SATURDAY NIGHT QUICKLY SHIFTED TO THE NORTH ON SUNDAY. THIS RESULTED IN AN INTENSE SINGLE BAND OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW EXTENDING THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF LAKE MICHIGAN. THE BAND OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW CAME ONSHORE NEAR BENTON HARBOR MICHIGAN THEN SHIFTED SOUTHWEST TO WESTERN LAPORTE COUNTY AND EASTERN PORTER COUNTY. THE BAND THEN REMAINED NEARLY STATIONARY FROM LATE SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. SNOWFALL RATES WITHIN THE CENTER OF THIS INTENSE BAND OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW WERE 2 TO 3 INCHES PER HOUR. THE HEAVIEST SNOW WAS CONFINED TO A SMALL AREA OF WESTERN LAPORTE COUNTY AND EASTERN PORTER COUNTY WHERE 15 TO 25 INCHES OF SNOW FELL. THE HIGHEST ACCUMULATION WAS AT MICHIGAN CITY WITH 26 INCHES OF SNOW. ...SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN... CITY.................COUNTY.......SNOWFALL BERRIEN SPRINGS......BERRIEN.......8.0 BENTON HARBOR........BERRIEN.......7.8 EAU CLAIRE...........BERRIEN.......5.3 BUCHANAN.............BERRIEN.......4.0 NILES (EAST SIDE)....BERRIEN.......2.4 ...NORTHWEST INDIANA... MICHIGAN CITY........LAPORTE......26.0 WESTVILLE............LAPORTE......20.0 WANATAH..............LAPORTE......12.0 WANATAH 5S...........LAPORTE.......8.0 SOUTH BEND AIRPORT...ST. JOSEPH....8.0 NORTH JUDSON.........STARKE........6.0 ROLLING PRAIRIE......LAPORTE.......4.8 SOUTH BEND CITY......ST. JOSEPH....4.5 NEW CARLISLE.........ST. JOSEPH....3.0 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORTHERN INDIANA THANKS OUR VOLUNTEER SNOW SPOTTERS FOR THEIR REPORTS. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO REPORT YOUR SNOWFALL THROUGHOUT THE WINTER SEASON. $$ HITCHCOCK
Hazards
Heat Related
Watch/Warning
Outlook
Storm Prediction Center
Storm Reports
Submit a Report
Outdoor Event Watcher
EM Briefing
Current Conditions
Hourly Weather
Surface Observations
Regional Temps/Precip
Precip Reports
Satellite
Climate
CoCoRaHS
FWA Daily
SBN Daily
FWA Monthly
SBN Monthly
Cliplot
Spring Frost Climatology
Fall Frost Climatology
Severe Climatology
Tornado Climatology
Local Information
Public Information Statement
Probabilistic Snowfall
Storm Data
Skywarn
COOP
Our Office
WSR-88D
Headline Criteria
NOAA Weather Radio
Weather History
Social Media Feeds
Weather Events Page
US Dept of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Weather Service
Northern Indiana
7506 E 850 N
Syracuse, IN 46567
574-834-1104
Comments? Questions? Please Contact Us.