1 heavy snow, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Grand Rapids, MI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 22, 3:09 PM EST, 5 hours 51 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 309 PM EST WED DEC 22 2004 .SHORT TERM... SNOW...BOTH OF THE SYNOPTIC AND LAKE EFFECT VARIETIES ARE MAJOR CONCERNS WITH THIS FORECAST ISSUANCE. FIRST OFF...A DEEPENING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM SWINGING FROM THE GULF COAST TONIGHT THROUGH THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES TOMORROW WILL NEED TO BE DEALT WITH. AFTER THIS SYSTEM EXITS STAGE RIGHT...NORTH TO NORTHWEST FLOW LAKE EFFECT WILL BECOME A CONCERN INTO CHRISTMAS EVE. MODELS ARE FAIRLY SIMILAR WITH THE MAIN FEATURES...WITH THE GFS INDICATING HIGHER PRECIP AMOUNTS WITH THE SYNOPTIC SYSTEM TONIGHT AND THURSDAY. WILL TREND THE FORECAST IN BETWEEN THE AMOUNT FROM THE ETA AND THE GFS. FEEL THE GFS AMOUNTS MAY BE A LITTLE HIGH. TONIGHT...THE SURFACE LOW WILL RACE NORTHEAST FROM MISSISSIPPI TO OHIO. WARM AIR ADVECTION OVER THE COLD DOME IN PLACE OVER THE GREAT LAKES WILL VERY EFFICIENTLY WRING OUT MOISTURE OVER SOUTH CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN. WILL HOIST WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES. WINTER STORM WARNING FOR JACKSON AND INGHAM...SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY FOR CALHOUN...EATON AND CLINTON COUNTIES FOR OVERNIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. THE BULK OF THE SNOW WILL FALL IN THE 2 AM THROUGH 1 PM TIME FRAME. LOOKING AT A QUICK 3-5 TONIGHT IN THE WARNING AREA AS STRONG LIFT SPREADS INTO THE WARNING AREA. DECENT ISENTROPIC LIFT IS PRESENT AS SEEN ON THE 290K SURFACE. IN ADDITION...THE UPPER SHORTWAVE IS SWINGING THROUGH THE AREA...GOING NEGATIVE TILT WITH TIME. A COUPLED UPPER JET STRUCTURE WILL ADD LIFT TO THE COLUMN WITH STRONG UPPER DIVERGENCE. 2-4 INCHES IN THE ADVISORY COUNTIES TONIGHT. WITH LESSER AMOUNTS TO THE NORTHWEST. BUFFERING THE ADVISORY FOR AZO...GRR AND AMN LOOKING AT A 1-3 STORM TOTAL (TON/THU)...WITH AN INCH OR LESS IN THE FAR NORTHWEST. ON THURSDAY...AN ADDITIONAL 2-4 INCHES IN THE WARNING FOR STORM TOTALS OF 5-9 INCHES. ANOTHER 1-3 IN THE ADVISORY FOR STORM TOTALS THERE OF 3-7 INCHES. THE LIFT AND DEEPER MOISTURE ARE SWEPT OFF TO THE NORTHEAST WITH THE UPPER WAVE. SNOW WILL TAPER OFF SUBSTANTIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON. THURSDAY NIGHT...NORTHERLY FLOW QUICKLY SWINGS TO THE NORTHWEST...ACTUALLY STARTING THIS TREND THURSDAY AFTERNOON. DEEP MOISTURE WILL BE IN PLACE...WITH 1000-700MB MOISTURE INCREASING TO 80 PCT. INVERSION HEIGHTS LOOK TO INCREASE TO OVER 10000 FT. THE DEEP MOISTURE COMBINED WITH GOOD LIFT BEING AIDED BOTH BY AN UPPER SHORTWAVE AND STRONG INSTABILITY OVER THE LAKE (DELTA T/S OF 20-25 C) WILL PROVIDE FOR POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT LAKE EFFECT SNOW. HAVE OPTED TO HOIST A LAKE EFFECT SNOW WATCH FOR THE POTENTIAL OF GREATER THAN 8 INCHES OF SNOW IN THE THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY TIME FRAME. THE NORTHWEST FLOW SHOULD KEEP MOST OF THE WATCH COUNTIES IN GOOD SNOW MUCH OF THE NIGHT. LAND/LAKE INTERACTION WILL ALSO TEND TO KEEP A STRONG BAND NEAR THE COAST...POSSIBLY A SHORE PARALLEL BAND. ETA12 IS INDICATING THE POTENTIAL IN ITS SURFACE DIVERGENCE/CONVERGENCE FIELDS OF A MESOSCALE CIRCULATION 12Z FRIDAY CENTERED NEAR ALLEGAN AND VAN BUREN COUNTIES. THIS WILL LIKELY BE AIDED BY COLD AIR SWEEPING AROUND THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE SETTING UP A BAROCLINIC ZONE. FRIDAY...MUCH THE SAME SCENARIO IS IN PLACE...WITH DEEP MOISTURE AND STRONG LIFT. INSTABILITY REMAINS HIGH WITH DELTA T/S IN THE 20S. PUTTING THE WATCH UP FOR IN EXCESS OF 8 INCHES IN 24 HOURS. WILL NAIL DOWN THE DETAILS BETTER TONIGHT AND TOMORROW REGARDING THE LAKE EFFECT SCENARIO...BUT SUFFICE IT TO SAY WARNING CRITERIA SNOWFALL LOOKS LIKELY...ESPECIALLY SOUTH AND WEST OF GRR...HENCE THE WATCH. FRIDAY NIGHT...EXPECT THE LAKE EFFECT TO CONTINUE. WILL FEATURE LIKELY POPS WEST AT THIS POINT AND CHANCE EAST. SIGNIFICANT LAKE EFFECT COULD STILL BE GOING ON. LAKE EFFECT SNOW HEADLINES THAT ARE EVENTUALLY ISSUED WILL PROBABLY NEED TO BE CARRIED INTO FRIDAY NIGHT AS WELL GIVEN THE INSTABILITY IN PLACE. IF GFS 850MB TEMPS ARE TO BE BELIEVED...DELTA T/S FRIDAY NIGHT WILL BE 30 DEG C. THE BALMY ETA HAS DELTA T/S IN THE MIDDLE 20S C. SATURDAY...WILL CARRY CHANCE POPS AT THIS POINT AS RIDGING WILL BE MOVING BACK INTO THE AREA. THIS SHOULD TONE DOWN THE LAKE EFFECT QUITE A BIT. WITH THE LIGHT WINDS IT WILL MAINLY BE NEAR THE COAST. .LONG TERM... THE EXTENDED PERIOD WILL BE RELATIVELY QUIET AS THE UPPER FLOW TRANSITIONS TO A ZONAL FLOW PATTERN AND THEN EVENTUALLY SOUTHWEST FLOW AS AN UPPER TROUGH DEVELOPS OVER THE SOUTHWEST US. WILL KEEP THE CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS GOING SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING. 850 MB TEMPS NEAR -15C WILL WARM TO -4C BY SUNDAY MORNING. WARM AIR ADVECTION WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY SUNDAY AND WARM TO +4 BY EVENING. A SFC RIDGE OVER THE MID ATLANTIC WILL KEEP TEMPS A BIT ABOVE NORMAL WITH A SOUTH FLOW OFF THE GULF THROUGH TUESDAY BEFORE THE SFC LOW ASSOCIATED WITH THE WEST COAST TROUGH MOVES NORTHEAST THROUGH THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND BRINGS PCPN BACK INTO THE PICTURE ON WEDNESDAY. ON WEDNESDAY THE LOW IS PROGGED TO BE MOVING INTO NORTHERN ILLINOIS. WILL GO WITH A CHANCE OF RAIN AS 850 MB TEMPS CLIMB TO +6. && .GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR JACKSON AND INGHAM COUNTIES OVERNIGHT AND THURSDAY. SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY FOR CALHOUN...EATON AND CLINTON COUNTIES OVERNIGHT AND THURSDAY. LAKE EFFECT SNOW WATCH FOR ALL OF THE LAKESHORE COUNTIES FROM VAN BUREN NORTH THROUGH MASON COUNTY THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. && DUKE 93
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 546 PM EST WED DEC 22 2004 LMZ843>849-MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-231118- ALLEGAN-BARRY-CALHOUN-CLARE-CLINTON-EATON-GRATIOT-INGHAM-IONIA- ISABELLA-JACKSON-KALAMAZOO-KENT-LAKE-MASON-MECOSTA-MONTCALM-MUSKEGON- NEWAYGO-OCEANA-OSCEOLA-OTTAWA-VAN BUREN- GRAND HAVEN TO WHITEHALL MI-HOLLAND TO GRAND HAVEN MI- NEW BUFFALO MI TO ST JOSEPH MI-PENTWATER TO MANISTEE MI- SOUTH HAVEN TO HOLLAND MI-ST JOSEPH TO SOUTH HAVEN MI- WHITEHALL TO PENTWATER MI- 546 PM EST WED DEC 22 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER STORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN LATE TONIGHT. A STEADY SNOW WILL DEVELOP...MAINLY AFTER MIDNIGHT. NEAR JACKSON AND LANSING...THE SNOW COULD BE HEAVY AT TIMES...ESPECIALLY AROUND DAYBREAK. FURTHER NORTH AND WEST THE SNOW WILL BE LIGHTER. IT WILL BE A DRY SNOW...SO BLOWING AND DRIFTING COULD ADD TO THE HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. TEMPERATURES WILL BE COLD ...GENERALLY IN THE TEENS. GENERATING THE SNOW WILL BE A STORM DEVELOPING OVER IN THE SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI VALLEY...THAT IS FORECAST TO TRACK THROUGH EASTERN OHIO ON THURSDAY. WAVES OF 4 TO 7 FEET ON LAKE MICHIGAN WILL POSE A THREAT TO SMALL CRAFT TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY ONGOING SNOW ASSOCIATED WITH THE STORM WILL PERSIST INTO THURSDAY. INCREASING NORTHERLY WINDS WILL CREATE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW...ESPECIALLY FOR THE JACKSON TO LANSING REGION. TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY REMAIN AROUND 20. LOCALLY 9 INCHES COULD ACCUMULATE. AN ARCTIC AIRMASS WILL PULL IN FROM THE NORTHWEST THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. THIS WILL LEAD TO INCREASING LAKE EFFECT SNOWFALL. SOME OF THE SNOW COULD BE HEAVY FOR THE LAKESHORE COUNTIES. BY FRIDAY EVENING MORE THAN 8 INCHES COULD ACCUMULATE. ADDITIONALLY TEMPERATURES WILL STRUGGLE TO CLIMB INTO THE TEENS. THE LAKE EFFECT SNOW COULD PERSIST INTO FRIDAY NIGHT...FOLLOWED BY A VERY COLD CHRISTMAS DAY. LARGE WAVES WILL BE FREQUENT ON LAKE MICHIGAN THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED BUT SNOW REPORTS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME. YOU CAN SEND THEM IN THROUGH OUR WEBSITE. MJS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy snow was reported in Jackson county, where up to 7 inches of snow fell in Brooklyn in southern Jackson county. The remainder of Jackson county received an average of 5 to 6 inches of snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, December 2004
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: 5429285.