Michigan, 1998Heavy Snow and Lake-Effect Snow in Michigan, December 29 to 30, 1998
December 29 to 30, 1998 · NWS GRR · 5 events in 5 counties and zones
Strong northerly winds brought arctic air south across the warmer waters of Lake Michigan on the night of Tuesday, December 29th and into the day of December 30th, resulting in lake effect snow showers along the immediate lake shore communities of the above-mentioned counties. One very heavy lake effect snow band (or snow squall) developed over eastern Lake Michigan and moved onshore across…
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
Open the live radar over this ground
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 5
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.
Strong northerly winds brought arctic air south across the warmer waters of Lake Michigan on the night of Tuesday, December 29th and into the day of December 30th, resulting in lake effect snow showers along the immediate lake shore communities of the above-mentioned counties. One very heavy lake effect snow band (or snow squall) developed over eastern Lake Michigan and moved onshore across southwest Allegan County and western Van Buren County on the evening of the 29th and remained nearly stationary until dissipating between 5:00 and 7:00 am EST on the morning of the 30th. See above details for snowfall totals under this band. Elsewhere, snowfall totals in the listed counties averaged 1 to 3 inches. Specific snowfall reports included 4 inches in Bloomingdale (Van Buren County); 3 inches in Ludington and Scottville (Mason County), 3 miles NE of Pentwater (Oceana County), and Whitehall (Muskegon County); and 2 inches in Bangor (Van Buren County), Pullman (Allegan County), Little Sable Point (Oceana County), and North Muskegon (Muskegon County).
Heavy Snow, Allegan
- When
- December 29, 7:00 PM EST to December 30, 5:00 AM EST
- Where
- Allegan forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 42.518, -85.910 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A heavy lake effect snow band moved onshore across southwest Allegan County and western Van Buren County around 7:00 pm EST on Tuesday, December 29th. The snow band remained nearly stationary until dissipating around 5:00 am EST on December 30th. However, additional light lake effect snow showers moved across the 2 counties through the day of the 30th. In Allegan County, the heaviest snow fell across Ganges and Casco Townships, affecting the towns of Ganges, Glenn, and Kibbie. Glenn reported 6 inches of snow ending at 5:00 am EST from the snow band. In Van Buren County, the heaviest snow fell along a north-south oriented axis which extended from South Haven to Watervliet (in Berrien County). Along this axis, snowfall averaged 6 to 12 inches. Specific totals included 8 inches in South Haven and 14 inches in Covert.
Lake-Effect Snow, Mason
- When
- December 29, 7:00 PM EST to December 30, 7:00 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, Muskegon
- When
- December 29, 7:00 PM EST to December 30, 7:00 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, Oceana
- When
- December 29, 7:00 PM EST to December 30, 7:00 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)
Heavy Snow, Van Buren
- When
- December 29, 8:00 PM EST to December 30, 7:00 AM 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)
- Heavy Snow
- Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
- 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.
- Dense Fog in California, December 29, 199810 injured · $100,000 · 1 event
- Heavy Snow in Ohio, December 29 to 30, 1998$100,000 · 2 events
- Dense Fog in Florida, December 29, 199815 events
- Ice Storm in Montana, December 29 to 30, 199811 events
- High Wind in Wyoming, December 29 to 30, 199863 kt wind · 7 events
- Heavy Snow in Massachusetts, December 29 to 30, 19987 events
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in New Hampshire, December 29 to 30, 19986 events
- Heavy Snow in Montana, December 29, 19985 events
- Heavy Snow in Michigan, December 29 to 30, 19985 events
- Winter Storm in Montana, December 29 to 30, 19985 events
- Winter Weather in West Virginia, December 29 to 30, 19984 events
- Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, December 29, 19983 events
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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5678027, 5678066, 5678067, 5678068, 5678065.