Remembering Southeastern Michigan’s spring snowstorm of 1886

By David Fleet
Editor
Ortonville — A white Christmas is almost certain for Southeast Michigan for 2022 as winter storm watches were posted for Michigan as of press time Dec. 21.
However, few reported storms (so far) topped the blast on April 5, 1886 when temperatures dipped to 38 degrees and southeastern lower Michigan was dumped on with the largest snow storm in history.
According to a report from Detroit regarding the storm on April 6, “Snow began at 12:30 a.m., and fell light until about 4:30 a.m. when it began to fall heavy and a tremendous fall of snow continued all day ending at 9 p.m. The fall at 7 a.m. was 4.5 inches and at 3 p.m. was 17.1 inches and at 11 p.m., 2.4 inches making the total 24.1 inches according to the National Weather Service, Detroit.

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