Traverse City Power Outages Caused by Weather
Events
June 25, 2023 - Thunderstorm Wind
Broadcast media report of power lines down on Hartman road.
Traverse City - Traverse City
August 10, 2021 - Thunderstorm Wind
Widespread tree and powerline damage countywide between approximately 1030 and 1100 PM.
(Tvc)Traverse City A - (Tvc)Traverse City A
November 1, 2020 - High Wind
Power lines were downed in Mapleton, blocking a road. Trees and power lines were downed in the Holiday Hills area, east of Traverse City, with roads blocked.
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August 28, 2018 - Thunderstorm Wind
Several trees were downed near Seventh Street. The power was knocked out in much of Traverse City. A 56 mph gust was measured at Cherry Capital Airport.
Traverse City - Traverse City
August 9, 2001 - Thunderstorm Wind
Trees and power lines down.
Traverse City - Traverse City
Episodes
December 16, 2021
An impressive sub-980mb cyclone tracked across western Lake Superior into Ontario during the morning of 12/16, bringing widespread wind gusts of 60-70mph across all of northern Michigan. The highest gust recorded was 70mph at Traverse City Cherry Capitol airport. Widespread downed trees, limbs and powerlines were seen across the County Warning Area, leaving many with power outages that extended for several days. Some schools and businesses across the area were forced to close for the day due to power outages. The Mackinac Bridge was forced to partially close to high profile vehicles for around 12 hours due to winds reported of 82 mph from the mid-span of the bridge.
July 8, 2016
Powerful thunderstorms developed over Lake Michigan late in morning of the 8th, ahead of an incoming cold front. These storms produced very large hail, and some damaging winds, as they swept across northern Michigan. Approximately 60 percent of the cherry crop in northwest lower Michigan was damaged by the severe thunderstorms.
April 11, 2013
A large and complex low pressure system lifted toward the southern and western Great Lakes region, bumping into high pressure over northern Ontario and Quebec. The high helped anchor cold air in place at low levels, while warm and moist air surged in aloft ahead of the low. This resulted in a wide mix of wintry precipitation, developing on the afternoon of the 11th, and ending late that night. Eastern Upper Michigan was far enough north to get mostly snow, with up to nine inches measured in Pickford. In northern Lower, snow transitioned to sleet and freezing rain, and in some places to just rain before dwindling. Ice amounts were substantial near Saginaw Bay, with 3/4 of an inch of ice in parts of Gladwin County. Trees and large limbs were downed, and power outages were common. Another pocket of lighter ice accumulations, around a quarter of an inch, extended from the Grand Traverse Bay region, east to near Gaylord.
December 20, 2012
A powerful low pressure system passed across Southern Lower Michigan on the night of the 20th. Precipitation surged north into Northern Michigan early in the day on the 20th, falling primarily as snow over Eastern Upper and the high terrain of Northern Lower, and as a rain/snow mix near the coasts. The snow was heavy where it was all snow, with 6 to 9 inches falling during the day in some areas. As night arrived, cooler air started to enter the region, and precipitation changed to all snow (except near Saginaw Bay). Another, more widespread round of heavy snow resulted. Total snowfall amounts of 5 to 10 inches were common near the Northern Lower Michigan coastline, ramping up to 10 to 20 inches in Eastern Upper and higher terrain of Northern Lower. The highest accumulations, 18 to 20 inches, fell on Gaylord in Northern Lower Michigan, and Kinross in Eastern Upper. The snow was wet and sticky early on, especially in Northern Lower, and the resulting weight of the snow produced considerable damage to trees. Hundreds of downed trees and limbs resulted in widespread power outages in parts of Northern Lower, some of which weren't restored until around Christmas Day. Travel was brought to a near-standstill in some areas for a day or two, with gusty winds throughout the event producing problems with blowing and drifting snow. All told, this was very much a high-impact winter storm in Northern Michigan.
March 2, 2012
One of the highest-impact snowstorms in recent memory pounded Northern Michigan on the night of the 2nd. Low pressure tracked from Missouri, to southern Lower Michigan, and on to eastern Canada, while rapidly strengthening. Precipitation surged northward into the region on the evening of the 2nd. This was primarily snow, except in parts of east central Lower Michigan (especially near Lake Huron), where temperatures were mild enough for rain. Snow wound down on the morning of the 3rd, and though somewhat blustery winds occurred behind the system on the 3rd, blowing snow was limited because the snowfall was so wet.|Snow totals ranged from 6 to 14 inches across most of Northern Michigan. Higher amounts fell near and west of Grand Traverse Bay, with a maximum amount of 20 inches near Lake Ann. With relatively warm temperatures, the snow was very wet; Traverse City saw around a foot of snow during the night, with a low temperature of 33 degrees. The snow stuck to everything, with the weight of the snow downing many, many trees and power lines. Power outages were widespread, with an outright majority of Northern Michigan residents losing power at some time during or after the storm. In Benzie County, 95 percent of residents lost power. Outages lasted up to a week in some spots. Great Lakes Energy described it as the worst snowstorm (in regards to power outages) in 30 years. A number of counties and communities opened shelters to aid those without power or heat. Also included in the tree damage was substantial damage to fruit trees in the Grand Traverse Bay region, particularly cherry trees. In Corwith Township in Otsego County, the weight of snow caused the roof of the former township hall to collapse.
Power Outage FAQs
What is Power Outage?
Power outage (also called a power cut, a power blackout, power failure or a blackout) is a short-term or a long-term loss of the electric power to a particular area.
What Causes Power Outages?
- Severe weather (high winds, lightning, winter storms, heat waves, rain or flooding can cause damage to power lines or equipment);
- Other damage to electric transmission lines (vehicle accidents, trees, and animals can cause damage to power lines or equipment);
- Repairing, maintenance or upgrades on power lines and equipment.
What are the Top Outage Safety Tips?
- Stay away from the downed power lines, park vehicles in protected areas;
- Unplug appliances and electronics, limit cell phone use to conserve battery life;
- Use portable generators outdoors only, well away from open windows and doors;
- Pack perishable foods into a cooler, keep refrigerator and freezer doors shut as much as possible.
