4Warn Weather - Southeast Michigan started the last couple of mornings seeing some snowflakes. If anything, we had a light dusting on the grass, which quickly melted as temperatures warmed throughout the midday hours.
But go back to this day in 1886, and it was a different story.
April 6, 1886, holds the top spot for Metro Detroit’s biggest snowstorm in recorded history.
A record 24.5″ of snow fell that day.
According to the Detroit National Weather Service, the Detroit Weather Log shares a detailed account of the heavy snow falling throughout the entire day. It goes on to say vehicles and immobilized train cars were abandoned as a fierce wind helped shape snow drifts 12 feet high.
The second-highest total occurred on December 1st and 2nd in 1974.
Heavy snow fell on the 1st, adding up to 18.4″ at Detroit Metro Airport by midnight. With an additional 0.9″ of snow falling the next day, the overall total came to 19.3″ of snow.
The third heaviest snowstorm took place on February 1st and 2nd in 2015. This system produced 16.7″ of snow accumulation.