Overview
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A strong cold front moved through in the morning of January 14th. At the time, temperatures in the upper 30s resulted in a period of rain along the front changing to graupel, changing to snow. Accumulations were generally 1" or less as this "system snow" passed through. Wind gusts of 45 to 55 mph were recorded as the front moved through (Starke County IN Airport recorded 54 mph). As cold air rushed in behind the front, wet pavement began to freeze and lake effect snow was brewing. A single band of snow was well organized by early afternoon and reached all the way to Gas City, IN along the I-69 cooridor for a time. Within the band, snow rates of 2" per hour were reported. The band moved very little after sunset resulting in rapid accumulations in a matter of hours. During the early-morning hours of January 15, the band shifted west into extreme eastern La Porte County. Preditibly, travel conditions were dangerous within and in the vicnity of the band. Multi-vehicle crashes were reported on the Indiana Toll Road and the northern portion of I-69. First responders were busy with innumerous additional slide-offs and crashes. |
 Snowfall analysis from Local Storm Reports, Co-Op and CoCoRaHS Observers |
Snow
Below is a Local Storm Report, followed by a Public Information Statement, each containing snowfall reports from this event. The highest total we received was 20" from a CoCoRaHS observer in La Porte County, IN.
South Bend recorded 17.1 inches from the 14th through 15th. The 12.6" total on the 14th broke the previous daily record of 6" set in 1985. This is the greatest 2-day snow total since January 7th and 8th, 2011 when 36.6" was recorded.
At our weather forecast office in Syracuse, IN, our 2-day total was 3.2". Only 1" was recorded at the Fort Wayne International Airport.
You can see a map of CoCoRaHS reports here.
Preliminary Local Storm Report...Summary
National Weather Service Northern Indiana
1148 AM EST Thu Jan 15 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0750 AM Snow 3 NNE Fish Lake 41.61N 86.52W
01/15/2026 M20.0 Inch La Porte IN Cocorahs
Cocorahs station IN-LP-73 Mill Creek 1.9
NNE.
0900 AM Snow Barron Lake 41.84N 86.18W
01/15/2026 M17.0 Inch Cass MI Cocorahs
Cocorahs station MI-CS-5 Niles 3.5 E.
0100 AM Snow 1 NE Georgetown 41.75N 86.22W
01/15/2026 M16.6 Inch St. Joseph IN Public
Reported by Trained Spotter.
1200 AM Snow Niles 41.83N 86.26W
01/15/2026 M16.4 Inch Berrien MI Public
1100 PM Snow Bourbon 41.30N 86.12W
01/14/2026 M15.0 Inch Marshall IN Public
1155 PM Snow 1 ENE Bertrand 41.78N 86.24W
01/14/2026 M14.0 Inch Berrien MI Trained Spotter
0800 AM Snow 2 NNE Gulivoire Park 41.64N 86.23W
01/15/2026 M14.0 Inch St. Joseph IN Cocorahs
Cocorahs station IN-SJ-74 South Bend 3.3 SE.
1140 PM Snow 2 NE Gulivoire Park 41.64N 86.22W
01/14/2026 M13.0 Inch St. Joseph IN Public
0730 AM Snow New Carlisle 41.71N 86.50W
01/15/2026 M13.0 Inch St. Joseph IN CO-OP Observer
CO-OP Observer station NCLI3 New Carlisle.
0800 AM Snow 3 W Niles 41.84N 86.30W
01/15/2026 M12.9 Inch Berrien MI Cocorahs
Cocorahs station MI-BN-4 Niles 2.7 W.
1155 PM Snow 1 SSE Roseland 41.71N 86.25W
01/14/2026 M12.6 Inch St. Joseph IN Official NWS Obs
Official daily total at KSBN.
1103 PM Snow 1 NE Georgetown 41.75N 86.22W
01/14/2026 M12.1 Inch St. Joseph IN Public
Reported by Trained Spotter.
0700 AM Snow 2 ENE Granger 41.75N 86.11W
01/15/2026 M10.5 Inch St. Joseph IN Cocorahs
Cocorahs station IN-SJ-46 Granger 1.8 ENE.
0800 AM Snow 2 NW Osceola 41.68N 86.10W
01/15/2026 M10.0 Inch St. Joseph IN Cocorahs
Cocorahs station IN-SJ-26 Mishawaka 3.9 ENE.
0600 AM Snow 1 ESE Buchanan 41.82N 86.34W
01/15/2026 M9.5 Inch Berrien MI Cocorahs
Cocorahs station MI-BN-3 Buchanan 1.4 ESE.
0730 AM Snow 3 N Teegarden 41.50N 86.39W
01/15/2026 M9.0 Inch St. Joseph IN Cocorahs
Cocorahs station IN-SJ-17 Walkerton 5.7 ENE.
1000 AM Snow 2 N Twin Lakes 41.33N 86.36W
01/15/2026 M8.0 Inch Marshall IN Cocorahs
Cocorahs station IN-ML-6 Plymouth 2.5 WSW.
0700 AM Snow 2 ESE La Paz 41.45N 86.28W
01/15/2026 M7.5 Inch Marshall IN Cocorahs
Cocorahs station IN-ML-32 Plymouth 7.3 NNE.
0854 PM Snow Bremen 41.45N 86.15W
01/14/2026 M7.3 Inch Marshall IN Emergency Mngr
1028 PM Snow Wabash 40.80N 85.82W
01/14/2026 M7.0 Inch Wabash IN Emergency Mngr
0800 AM Snow 4 S Buchanan 41.76N 86.36W
01/15/2026 M7.0 Inch Berrien MI Cocorahs
Cocorahs station MI-BN-32 Niles 7.4 SW.
0700 AM Snow 1 WSW Fair Plain 42.08N 86.48W
01/15/2026 M6.7 Inch Berrien MI Cocorahs
Cocorahs station MI-BN-13 St. Joseph 1.5
SSE.
0800 AM Snow 2 SE Shoreham 42.03N 86.49W
01/15/2026 M6.4 Inch Berrien MI Cocorahs
Cocorahs station MI-BN-22 Shoreham 2.0 SE.
1110 PM Snow Fair Plain 42.09N 86.46W
01/14/2026 E6.0 Inch Berrien MI Trained Spotter
0400 AM Snow 1 WNW Jimtown 41.64N 86.04W
01/15/2026 M6.0 Inch Elkhart IN Cocorahs
Cocorahs station IN-EL-36 Elkhart 4.8 SW.
0600 AM Snow Wabash 40.80N 85.83W
01/15/2026 M6.0 Inch Wabash IN Cocorahs
Cocorahs station IN-WB-18 Wabash 0.3 NNW.
0700 AM Snow 3 SE La Fontaine 40.64N 85.69W
01/15/2026 M6.0 Inch Grant IN Cocorahs
Cocorahs station IN-GR-32 Marion 6.5 N.
0700 AM Snow 1 WNW Rochester 41.07N 86.21W
01/15/2026 M6.0 Inch Fulton IN CO-OP Observer
CO-OP Observer station RCRI3 Rochester.
0521 AM Snow 2 SSE Stevensville 41.99N 86.51W
01/15/2026 M4.0 Inch Berrien MI Cocorahs
Cocorahs station MI-BN-2 Stevensville 1.7
SSE.
1155 PM Snow 2 S Lake Wawasee 41.37N 85.70W
01/14/2026 M3.2 Inch Kosciusko IN Official NWS Obs
Daily total at NWS IWX.
1155 PM Snow 2 ENE Nine Mile 40.99N 85.18W
01/14/2026 M1.0 Inch Allen IN Official NWS Obs
daily total at KFWA.
Public Information Statement National Weather Service Northern Indiana 1153 AM EST Thu Jan 15 2026 ...SNOWFALL REPORTS OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS... Location Amount Time/Date Provider ...Indiana... ...Allen County... Hoagland 1.5 SSW 1.7 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Fort Wayne 4.1 NE 1.4 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Fort Wayne 6.8 NE 1.1 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Fort Wayne 9.1 SE 1.0 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Fort Wayne 2.6 NE 1.0 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS ...Blackford County... Hartford City 4 ESE 2.0 in 0800 AM 01/15 COOP ...De Kalb County... Auburn 0.2 SE 2.5 in 0800 PM 01/14 COCORAHS ...Elkhart County... Elkhart 4.8 SW 6.0 in 0400 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Wakarusa 2.4 NNE 3.2 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Goshen 3 SW 1.8 in 0700 PM 01/14 COOP Goshen 3.0 WSW 1.8 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Goshen 1.8 SE 1.0 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS ...Fulton County... Rochester 6.0 in 0700 AM 01/15 COOP Rochester 2.4 NW 2.2 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS ...Grant County... Marion 6.5 N 6.0 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Marion 4.0 in 1000 PM 01/14 Public 2.2 N Marion 3.5 in 0700 AM 01/15 COOP (KB9CRA)Gas City 0.3 N 3.0 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS (KC9QCJ) Shamrock Lakes 3.0 2.5 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS ...Huntington County... Huntington 0.3 W 1.4 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS ...Kosciusko County... Mentone 10.0 in 0903 PM 01/14 Public Warsaw 3.0 SE 4.2 in 0800 AM 01/15 COCORAHS 2 S Lake Wawasee 3.2 in 1155 PM 01/14 Official NWS Obs Leesburg 0.1 WNW 2.5 in 0600 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Milford 0.9 N 2.5 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Leesburg 6.7 ESE 2.4 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Syracuse 3.0 ESE 2.0 in 0800 AM 01/15 COCORAHS ...La Porte County... Mill Creek 1.9 NNE 20.0 in 0750 AM 01/15 COCORAHS 0.8 W La Porte 3.0 in 1258 AM 01/15 COOP La Porte 1.6 SW 2.5 in 0800 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Wanatah 4.4 ESE 2.0 in 0900 AM 01/15 COCORAHS ...Lagrange County... Lagrange 9.6 ESE 2.7 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS ...Marshall County... Bourbon 15.0 in 1100 PM 01/14 Amateur Radio 2 E Bourbon 12.0 in 0900 PM 01/14 NWS Employee Tippecanoe 10.0 in 0931 PM 01/14 Emergency Mngr Plymouth 2.5 WSW 8.0 in 1000 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Bremen 7.3 in 0854 PM 01/14 Emergency Mngr Plymouth 4.0 in 0843 PM 01/14 Emergency Mngr ...Miami County... Denver 0.5 SSE 2.5 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Denver 1.3 NE 2.2 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS ...Noble County... Kendallville 0.5 NW 2.0 in 0545 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Albion 2.9 S 2.0 in 0900 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Kendallville 4.5 NW 1.0 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS ...Pulaski County... Monterey 2.2 WNW 3.0 in 0900 AM 01/15 COCORAHS ...St. Joseph County... 1 NNE Georgetown 16.6 in 0100 AM 01/15 South Bend 3.3 SE 14.0 in 0800 AM 01/15 COCORAHS 2 NE Gulivoire Park 13.0 in 1140 PM 01/14 Public New Carlisle 13.0 in 0730 AM 01/15 COOP 1 SSE Roseland 12.6 in 1155 PM 01/14 Official NWS Obs 1 NNE Georgetown 12.1 in 1103 PM 01/14 South Bend 4.6 SE 11.3 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS 2 NNE Gulivoire Park 11.0 in 0900 PM 01/14 Cocorahs Granger 1.8 ENE 10.5 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Mishawaka 3.9 ENE 10.0 in 0800 AM 01/15 COCORAHS 1 S Gulivoire Park 9.5 in 0901 PM 01/14 Trained Spotter 2 ESE Georgetown 9.0 in 0944 PM 01/14 Public Walkerton 5.7 ENE 9.0 in 0730 AM 01/15 COCORAHS 2 SE Indian Village 8.5 in 0844 PM 01/14 Trained Spotter 1 NNE Georgetown 6.5 in 0800 PM 01/14 Trained Spotter ...Steuben County... Hudson 4.6 N 3.2 in 0715 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Hudson 4.1 NNW 2.9 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS 2 ENE Salem Center 2.6 in 0536 PM 01/14 Cocorahs Hamilton 1.7 E 2.0 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS ...Wabash County... Wabash 7.0 in 1028 PM 01/14 Emergency Mngr Wabash 0.3 NNW 6.0 in 0600 AM 01/15 COCORAHS La Fontaine 1.1 NW 4.1 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS ...Wells County... Markle 5.1 NE 1.1 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS ...Michigan... ...Berrien County... Niles 16.4 in 1200 AM 01/15 Public 1 ENE Bertrand 14.0 in 1155 PM 01/14 Trained Spotter Niles 2.7 W 12.9 in 0800 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Buchanan 1.4 ESE 9.5 in 0600 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Niles 7.4 SW 7.0 in 0800 AM 01/15 COCORAHS St. Joseph 1.5 SSE 6.7 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Shoreham 2.0 SE 6.4 in 0800 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Fair Plain 6.0 in 1110 PM 01/14 Trained Spotter St. Joseph 2.8 SSE 5.1 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS ...Cass County... Niles 3.5 E 17.0 in 0900 AM 01/15 COCORAHS ...Hillsdale County... Hillsdale 2.5 ESE 2.5 in 0800 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Hillsdale 3.2 SW 2.3 in 0830 AM 01/15 COCORAHS 1 NW Hillsdale 2.3 in 0658 PM 01/14 ...Ohio... ...Allen County... Delphos 2.3 ESE 2.2 in 0600 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Lima 2.7 NE 2.0 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Lima 3.0 SSE 1.5 in 0600 AM 01/15 COCORAHS ...Fulton County... Delta 0.4 ENE 2.8 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Swanton 4.0 S 2.8 in 0800 AM 01/15 COCORAHS ...Henry County... Napoleon 4.5 NNW 2.3 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS ...Putnam County... Ottawa 1.0 N 1.2 in 0700 AM 01/15 COCORAHS Observations are collected from a variety of sources with varying equipment and exposures. We thank all volunteer weather observers for their dedication. Not all data listed are considered official.
Storm Reports
Prior to lake effect snow, a cold front moved through in the morning. This resulted in a brief period of 45 to 55 mph wind gusts. Wind gusts later subsided for most of the area. The exception was in the vicinity of the lake effect snow band where wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph were common. The combination of 2" per hour rates and strong northwest wind gusts resulted in incredibly treacherous travel.
Public Information Statement National Weather Service Northern Indiana 738 PM EST Wed Jan 14 2026 ...HIGHEST WIND REPORTS... Location Speed Time/Date Provider ...Indiana... ...Allen County... Fort Wayne International Ap 39 MPH 0223 PM 01/14 ASOS ...Blackford County... MONTPELIER 42 MPH 1229 PM 01/14 CWOP ...Cass County... Walton 52 MPH 1115 AM 01/14 CWOP Logansport 41 MPH 1237 PM 01/14 AWOS ...De Kalb County... Auburn Dekalb C 35 MPH 0352 PM 01/14 AWOS ...Elkhart County... Goshen 47 MPH 0630 PM 01/14 ASOS ...Fulton County... Rochester 38 MPH 1055 AM 01/14 AWOS ...Grant County... Grant County Municipal Apt 37 MPH 0115 PM 01/14 AWOS ...Jay County... 1 N Portland 35 MPH 0355 PM 01/14 AWOS ...Kosciusko County... Warsaw Muni 38 MPH 0455 PM 01/14 AWOS ...La Porte County... La Porte 47 MPH 1226 PM 01/14 AWOS Michigan City KMGC 41 MPH 0415 PM 01/14 AWOS ...Marshall County... Plymouth Site KC65 37 MPH 0435 PM 01/14 AWOS ...Miami County... Grissom AFB Peru 38 MPH 0116 PM 01/14 AWOS ...St. Joseph County... South Bend International Ap 46 MPH 0530 PM 01/14 ASOS ...Starke County... Knox - Starke Co. Airport 54 MPH 1043 AM 01/14 AWOS ...White County... Monticello - White County Ar 43 MPH 1215 PM 01/14 AWOS ...Michigan... ...Berrien County... Saint Joseph 54 MPH 0715 PM 01/14 DAVIS Benton Harbor 46 MPH 0417 PM 01/14 ASOS I94e-Mm0419 40 MPH 0229 PM 01/14 MESOWEST I94w-Mm0419 40 MPH 0228 PM 01/14 MESOWEST I94w-Mm0342 39 MPH 0308 PM 01/14 MESOWEST I94mm0340b Benton Harbor 38 MPH 0928 AM 01/14 MESOWEST I94e-Mm0372 37 MPH 0232 PM 01/14 MESOWEST I94w-Mm0372 36 MPH 1025 AM 01/14 MESOWEST 2.0 W Spinks Corners (MAWN) 36 MPH 0300 PM 01/14 MESOWEST ...St. Joseph County... Sturgis Kirsch 35 MPH 0631 PM 01/14 AWOS ...Ohio... ...Allen County... 2 WNW Westminster 40 MPH 0253 PM 01/14 AWOS ...Defiance County... Defiance 36 MPH 0325 PM 01/14 ASOS ...Putnam County... Ottawa 37 MPH 0521 PM 01/14 AWOS ...Van Wert County... Van Wert 47 MPH 0135 PM 01/14 CWOP ...Indiana... ...Maritime Stations... 2 WNW Pottawattomie Park 53 MPH 0600 PM 01/14 C-Man Station
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