Winter Storm in Michigan, December 10, 1997

A winter storm which tracked across the Ohio Valley region from southwest Indiana into northern Ohio produced an area of heavy, wet snow across the southern third of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Snow first moved into the southern border counties of the state shortly after midnight on Wednesday, December 10th. Snow ended from west to east during the early afternoon hours. The heaviest snow fell between 6 and 10 am, when snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour were common along and south of a line from Holland to Grand Rapids to St. Johns in Clinton County. Snow accumulations across the mentioned counties ranged from 3 to 12 inches, with 8 to 12 inch totals concentrated in Eaton, Ingham, and Jackson Counties. With the heaviest snow falling during the morning rush hour, numerous accidents were reported. Three fatalities were blamed on weather-related, serious traffic accidents. One 18 year-old female was killed when the automobile she was riding in slid into the path of an oncoming school bus, shortly before 8 am in Mason, south of Lansing in Ingham County. The driver, a 17 year-old male was in serious condition upon arriving at a local hospital. Two cars collided on Michigan Highway 66 in Calhoun County around 10:30 am, resulting in a fatality. No information about the victim was available. Another fatal accident claimed the life of a Spring Arbor man who was killed instantly when his automobile was struck by oncoming traffic, after he lost control when trying to pass a county snow plow on southbound U.S. Highway 127 around 3 pm in Jackson County. Several other injury and property damage accidents were reported throughout the storm. Three school bus-car related accidents occurred in a one-hour period in Ingham County, between 7:30 and 8:30 am. Many area schools along and north of Interstate 94 started classes for the day because snow had not yet started falling at the decision-making time of 4-5:30 am, even though Winter Storm Warnings had been posted the night before. However, snow became heavy at the onset, catching many school bus drivers off-guard. Many schools which had opened for the day sent students home early. The weight of the wet snow caused power outages in Berrien, Branch, Hillsdale, Ingham, and Jackson Counties. Up to 18,000 customers lost power at the height of the storm due to arcing wires and downed branches. Flight delays and cancellations were common at airports across southern Michigan and local bus service was suspended for several hours of the day in Jackson. Snowfall reports included 10-12 inches in Jackson County, 10 inches in Mason, 7.5 to 9 inches in the city of Lansing, 8.8 inches in Portland, 8 inches in Eaton Rapids, 7 inches in Hastings, 6-7 inches in Kalamazoo, 6.6 inches in Battle Creek, 6 inches in Plainwell, 5.2 inches in Grand Haven, 4-6 inches across the Grand Rapids metropolitan area (4.6 inches at the National Weather Service Office in southeast Grand Rapids), and 4 inches in Muskegon and St. Johns.