Lake Snow Causes Massive Pile-Up on I-94 in Southwest Michigan

Traffic is snarled across Southwest Michigan as a major lake effect snow event has cased a pile-up along I-94 between Benton Harbor and Kalamazoo.

It happened on Monday December 2 in the early afternoon hours. Storm Chaser Brandon Copic shared video from the scene with a drone overhead of the vehicle carnage along I-94.

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The highway was closed near Hartford after a vehicle hauler semi slid along the interstate blocking both lanes.

The video above begins in the St Joeseph/Benton Harbor area and then moves eastbound though Watervliet and Hartford which is the area of the highway closure.

Red Arrow Highway, which parallels I-94 though the region was backed up as all traffic was forced off the interstate. That roadway was at a standstill in spots.

Storm Chaser Brandon Copic/YouTube

While Lake Effect bands can pop up anywhere, this stretch of I-94 in Van Buren County is considered the singular worst spot in the state for winter driving as there's a steep rise in elevation that can allow weather systems to get stuck.

More drone footage comes from Chicago and Midwest Storm Chasers who estimate it's a 40 vehicle pile-up.

Community Facebook groups, including the Road Reports 94-131 are reporting that drivers have been stuck for 3 or more hours along the freeway. Another comment shared they were stuck in Watervliet, some 5 miles from the scene of the accidents near Hartford.