Lake-Effect Snow, Allegan
- When
- December 21, 1:00 PM EST to December 22, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Allegan forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 42.518, -85.910 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow in Michigan, December 21 to 22, 1998
The winter season's first widespread snowfall came in the form of lake effect snow showers which developed behind an arctic cold front which moved across western Lower Michigan during the afternoon and early evening hours of Monday, December 21st. Snow showers continued until the late afternoon hours of December 22nd.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 20 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 20
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS GRR wrote it up.
The winter season's first widespread snowfall came in the form of lake effect snow showers which developed behind an arctic cold front which moved across western Lower Michigan during the afternoon and early evening hours of Monday, December 21st. Snow showers continued until the late afternoon hours of December 22nd. Snowfall totals ranged from 1 to 5 inches in the listed counties. The highest snow amounts were reported from the counties adjacent to Lake Michigan, with an average of 3 to 5 inches reported in Lake, Mason, Oceana, Muskegon, Ottawa, Allegan, and Van Buren Counties. As is typically the case in this area, the first snow of the season contributed to a dramatic increase in the reported number of traffic accidents. Most of the accidents were minor, however one fatal accident in Allegan County was blamed on hazardous road conditions. A 35-year old male was killed when he lost control of his sport utility vehicle on northbound I-196 near Saugatuck in Allegan County. The vehicle left the road and smashed into a tree. The most snow reported from this event was 5.1 inches in Allegan. Other snowfall reports included 5.0 inches in Bloomingdale (Van Buren County), 4.2 inches in Grandville (Kent County), 3.5 inches in Holland, 3.0 inches at the Kent County International Airport in Grand Rapids, 2.5 inches in Hastings (Barry County), and 1.5 inches in Big Rapids (Mecosta County).
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
20 lake-effect snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Lake-Effect Snow, Barry
- When
- December 21, 1:00 PM EST to December 22, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Barry forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 42.595, -85.309 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow, Calhoun
- When
- December 21, 1:00 PM EST to December 22, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Calhoun forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 42.247, -85.006 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow, Clinton
- When
- December 21, 1:00 PM EST to December 22, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Clinton forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 42.944, -84.601 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow, Eaton
- When
- December 21, 1:00 PM EST to December 22, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Eaton forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 42.596, -84.838 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow, Ingham
- When
- December 21, 1:00 PM EST to December 22, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Ingham forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 42.597, -84.373 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow, Ionia
- When
- December 21, 1:00 PM EST to December 22, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Ionia forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 42.945, -85.075 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow, Jackson
- When
- December 21, 1:00 PM EST to December 22, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Jackson forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 42.249, -84.423 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow, Kalamazoo
- When
- December 21, 1:00 PM EST to December 22, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Kalamazoo forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 42.245, -85.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow, Kent
- When
- December 21, 1:00 PM EST to December 22, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Kent forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 43.032, -85.549 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow, Lake
- When
- December 21, 1:00 PM EST to December 22, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Lake forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 43.990, -85.802 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow, Mason
- When
- December 21, 1:00 PM EST to December 22, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Mason forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 43.956, -86.423 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow, Mecosta
- When
- December 21, 1:00 PM EST to December 22, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Mecosta forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 43.641, -85.325 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow, Montcalm
- When
- December 21, 1:00 PM EST to December 22, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Montcalm forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 43.311, -85.152 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow, Muskegon
- When
- December 21, 1:00 PM EST to December 22, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Muskegon forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 43.219, -86.212 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow, Newaygo
- When
- December 21, 1:00 PM EST to December 22, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Newaygo forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 43.554, -85.801 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow, Oceana
- When
- December 21, 1:00 PM EST to December 22, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Oceana forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 43.682, -86.317 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow, Osceola
- When
- December 21, 1:00 PM EST to December 22, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Osceola forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 43.990, -85.325 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow, Ottawa
- When
- December 21, 1:00 PM EST to December 22, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Ottawa forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 43.003, -86.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow, Van Buren
- When
- December 21, 1:00 PM EST to December 22, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Van Buren forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 42.285, -86.306 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Lake-Effect Snow
- Heavy snow in bands downwind of a large lake as cold air crosses warmer water.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Frost and Freeze in California, December 21 to 24, 1998
- Cold in Utah, December 21 to 24, 1998
- Winter Storm in Missouri, December 21 to 22, 1998
- Winter Weather in Oklahoma, December 21, 1998
- Winter Weather in Illinois, December 21, 1998
- Winter Storm in Illinois, December 21 to 22, 1998
- Winter Weather in Kentucky, December 21, 1998
- Dense Fog in Florida, December 21, 1998
- Winter Weather in Missouri, December 21, 1998
- Heavy Snow in Michigan, December 21 to 22, 1998
- Ice Storm in Texas, December 21, 1998
- Winter Weather in Indiana, December 21, 1998
More
Every storm in Michigan in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, December 1998
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5678007, 5678008, 5678009, 5678010, 5678011, 5678012, 5678013, 5678014, 5678015, 5678016, 5678017, 5678018, 5678019, 5678020, 5678021, 5678022, 5678023, 5678024, 5678025, 5678026.