Bit more to think about:

-- datetime data type

declare @DateVal datetime;

set dateformat mdy;

set @DateVal = '2013-02-14';

select @DateVal;

go

declare @DateVal datetime;

set dateformat dmy;

set @DateVal = '2013-02-14';

select @DateVal;

go

declare @DateVal datetime;

set dateformat mdy;

set @DateVal = '2013-14-02';

select @DateVal;

go

declare @DateVal datetime;

set dateformat dmy;

set @DateVal = '2013-14-02';

select @DateVal;

go

-- SQL Server 2008 and newer, Date and Datetime2 data types

declare @DateVal date;

set dateformat mdy;

set @DateVal = '2013-02-14';

select @DateVal;

go

declare @DateVal datetime2;

set dateformat dmy;

set @DateVal = '2013-02-14';

select @DateVal;

go

declare @DateVal datetime2;

set dateformat mdy;

set @DateVal = '2013-02-14';

select @DateVal;

go

declare @DateVal datetime2;

set dateformat dmy;

set @DateVal = '2013-02-14';

select @DateVal;

go

declare @DateVal date;

set dateformat mdy;

set @DateVal = '2013-14-02';

select @DateVal;

go

declare @DateVal datetime2;

set dateformat dmy;

set @DateVal = '2013-14-02';

select @DateVal;

go

declare @DateVal datetime2;

set dateformat mdy;

set @DateVal = '2013-14-02';

select @DateVal;

go

declare @DateVal datetime2;

set dateformat dmy;

set @DateVal = '2013-14-02';

select @DateVal;

go