Winter Storm in Michigan, December 11 to 12, 2000

Name: Winter Storm in Michigan, December 11 to 12, 2000
Start: 2000-12-11T06:00
End: 2000-12-12T02:00
Location: Michigan

December 11 to 12, 2000 · NWS GRR · 23 events in 23 counties and zones

A significant winter storm affected southern lower Michigan with very heavy snow and strong winds. A weak area of low pressure developed over Oklahoma during the late evening hours of the 10th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 23 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

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 23

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.

A significant winter storm affected southern lower Michigan with very heavy snow and strong winds. A weak area of low pressure developed over Oklahoma during the late evening hours of the 10th. The low intensified quickly as it moved northeast to near Indianapolis, Indiana by 7 p.m. on the 12th. A 24 hour record snowfall was tied at the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids of 15.1", measured between 6 a.m. on the 11th through 6 a.m. on the 12th. The heaviest snowfall total observed was in Albion (Calhoun county) where 18 inches fell. The following is a list of snowfall totals by county: Kent, 11 to 15 inches; Barry, 10 to 15 inches; Clinton, 10 to 15 inches; Calhoun, 10 to 14 inches; Allegan, Ottawa and Clare, 11 to 12 inches; Kalamazoo and Van Buren, 10 to 12 inches. Anywhere from 6 to as much as 15 inches of snow fell across all of the other counties as well. Strong winds caused blowing and drifting snow. Some snowfall totals in specific locations: Albion (Calhoun county): 18 inches; NWS Grand Rapids (Kent county): 15.1 inches; Lansing (Ingham county): 14.5 inches; Kalamazoo (Kalamazoo county) 13.7 inches; Muskegon (Muskegon county): 10.8 inches; Battle Creek (Calhoun county): 13 inches; Paw Paw (Van Buren county): 10 inches; Hastings (Barry county): 12 inches; Holland (Ottawa county): 9.5 inches. The combination of the heavy snow and winds that gusted to 40 m.p.h. created blizzard conditions at times, causing virtually every school and many businesses to close for a day. In fact many area schools, particularly in outlying and rural areas, were closed for several days and even a week in some instances. Numerous accidents were reported in blowing and drifting snow. Many counties reported upwards of 100 accidents occurring between 7 a.m. on the 11th and 7 a.m. on the 12th.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

23 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Mason

When: December 11, 6:00 AM EST to December 12, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Mason forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.956, -86.423 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Lake

When: December 11, 6:00 AM EST to December 12, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Lake forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.990, -85.802 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Osceola

When: December 11, 6:00 AM EST to December 12, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Osceola forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.990, -85.325 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Clare

When: December 11, 6:00 AM EST to December 12, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Clare forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.988, -84.848 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Oceana

When: December 11, 6:00 AM EST to December 12, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Oceana forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.682, -86.317 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Newaygo

When: December 11, 6:00 AM EST to December 12, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Newaygo forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.554, -85.801 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Mecosta

When: December 11, 6:00 AM EST to December 12, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Mecosta forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.641, -85.325 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Isabella

When: December 11, 6:00 AM EST to December 12, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Isabella forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.641, -84.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Muskegon

When: December 11, 6:00 AM EST to December 12, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Muskegon forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.219, -86.212 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Ottawa

When: December 11, 6:00 AM EST to December 12, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Ottawa forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.003, -86.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Kent

When: December 11, 6:00 AM EST to December 12, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Kent forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.032, -85.549 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Montcalm

When: December 11, 6:00 AM EST to December 12, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Montcalm forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.311, -85.152 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Gratiot

When: December 11, 6:00 AM EST to December 12, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Gratiot forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 43.293, -84.605 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Ionia

When: December 11, 6:00 AM EST to December 12, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Ionia forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 42.945, -85.075 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Clinton

When: December 11, 6:00 AM EST to December 12, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Clinton forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 42.944, -84.601 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Allegan

When: December 11, 6:00 AM EST to December 12, 2:00 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)

Winter Storm, Barry

When: December 11, 6:00 AM EST to December 12, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Barry forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 42.595, -85.309 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Eaton

When: December 11, 6:00 AM EST to December 12, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Eaton forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 42.596, -84.838 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Ingham

When: December 11, 6:00 AM EST to December 12, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Ingham forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 42.597, -84.373 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Van Buren

When: December 11, 6:00 AM EST to December 12, 2:00 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)

Winter Storm, Kalamazoo

When: December 11, 6:00 AM EST to December 12, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Kalamazoo forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 42.245, -85.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Calhoun

When: December 11, 6:00 AM EST to December 12, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Calhoun forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 42.247, -85.006 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Jackson

When: December 11, 6:00 AM EST to December 12, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Jackson forecast zone
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 42.249, -84.423 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Michigan in 2000 Every state in 2000 This day in weather history Warnings in Michigan, December 2000

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5168187, 5168188, 5168189, 5168190, 5168191, 5168192, 5168193, 5168194, 5168195, 5168196, 5168197, 5168198, 5168199, 5168200, 5168569, 5168570, 5168571, 5168572, 5168573, 5168574, 5168575, 5168576, 5168673.