A strong early winter season low pressure system brought snow and freezing rain to southwestern and west central lower Michigan. The heaviest ice accumulations occurred over southern lower Michigan south of I-96 where many locations reported at least three tenths of an inch of ice.
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.
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 episode as NWS GRR wrote it up.
A strong early winter season low pressure system brought snow and freezing rain to southwestern and west central lower Michigan. The heaviest ice accumulations occurred over southern lower Michigan south of I-96 where many locations reported at least three tenths of an inch of ice. Snow amounts ranged from 3 to 6 inches along and near I-96, and 6 to 9 inches north of a line from Grand Haven to Alma. Heaviest snowfall was reported in Mason and Oceana counties where up to 12 inches of snow fell.
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 Nov 30, 10:25 PM EST, 5 hours 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 1025 PM EST THU NOV 30 2006 .UPDATE... NOT ANTICIPATING ANY CHANGES TO GOING FORECAST. WHAT MAY THROW A WRENCH IN THE WORKS IS THE PLACEMENT OF THE LOW PRESSURE AS IT MOVES INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION. THE LATEST MODEL RUNS HAVE BUMPED ABOUT 20 TO 30 MILES NORTH TO NORTHWEST WITH THE LOW ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOWER MI...OR JUST TO THE WEST OF LAKE ST. CLAIR. WITH THIS TRACK THE PLACEMENT OF PRECIP TYPES SHIFTS A LITTLE FURTHER NW...WITH THE HEAVIEST SNOW PUSHED SLIGHTLY NW. THE WATER VAPOR IMAGERY DEPICTS A NICE CURL IN THE MOISTURE ACROSS SW MISSOURI AND NE OKLAHOMA. PRESSURE FALL MAXS HAVE PERSISTED ACROSS SW ILLINOIS. WHAT MAKES FOR A CHALLENGE IS A NE SFC WIND AND ANY TAPPING OFF OF LAKE HURON. THIS MAY HELP TO KEEP THE BOUNDARY LYR SLIGHTLY WARMER IN THE PROFILE AND PARTIALLY MELT FROZEN PRECIP..RESULTING IN SN PELLETS. DEWPOINTS HAVE COOLED INTO THE MID AND UPPER 20S NW OF A LINE FROM BIV...GRR...MOUNT PLEASANT. ICE PELLETS MIXED WITH RAIN WAS BEING REPORTED AT LAN SHORTLY BEFORE 02Z. REGIONAL RADAR HAS AN ENHANCED BAND OF PRECIPITATION FROM BENTON HARBOR NE THROUGH CALHOUN COUNTY...PIVOTING NW. && .GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...WINTER STORM WARNING LATE TONIGHT AND FRIDAY FOR ALL OF THE CWFA EXCEPT JACKSON COUNTY. WINTER WX ADVISORY FOR THE SAME TIME FRAME FOR JACKSON COUNTY. GALE WARNING FOR NEARSHORE WATERS FROM ST JOE TO MANISTEE TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. && BEACHLER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 538 AM EST THU NOV 30 2006 MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-011045- MASON-LAKE-OSCEOLA-CLARE-OCEANA-NEWAYGO-MECOSTA-ISABELLA-MUSKEGON- MONTCALM-GRATIOT-OTTAWA-KENT-IONIA-CLINTON-ALLEGAN-BARRY-EATON- INGHAM-VAN BUREN-KALAMAZOO-CALHOUN-JACKSON- 538 AM EST THU NOV 30 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ANY RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SNOW...SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT AS COLDER AIR FILTERS IN FROM THE NORTHWEST. THE MIXED PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO BECOME STEADIER AND HEAVIER AS WE HEAD THROUGH THE NIGHT. COATINGS OF ICE AND ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL LEAD TO HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS TONIGHT. SNOWFALL RATES OF 1 TO 3 INCHES PER HOUR COULD OCCUR IN THE HEAVIER SNOW BANDS LATE TONIGHT. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AFTER MIDNIGHT. A STORM DEVELOPING OVER TEXAS WILL BEGIN HEADING OUR WAY TODAY. THIS SYSTEM WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WINTRY MIX TONIGHT. SIGNIFICANT RISES ON AREA RIVERS AND STREAMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT DUE TO ALL THE RECENT RAIN. SOME FLOODING IS EXPECTED ON THE FLAT RIVER. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE STORM CURRENTLY DOWN IN TEXAS WILL CONTINUE TO HEAD OUR WAY FOR FRIDAY...EVENTUALLY TRACKING NEAR TOLEDO FRIDAY AFTERNOON. A TIGHT GRADIENT OF TEMPERATURES WILL EXIST ACROSS SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN ON FRIDAY. THIS WILL LEAD TO A WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION TYPES FOR PARTS OF THE AREA. RIGHT NOW IT APPEARS THAT THE AREA SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM HOLLAND TO GRAND RAPID TO LANSING SHOULD SEE A MIXTURE OF SNOW...SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN WITH SOME HEAVY ACCUMULATIONS AND COATINGS OF ICE POSSIBLE ON FRIDAY. NORTHWEST OF THIS LINE...MAINLY SNOW IS EXPECTED...WITH STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLY REACHING OR EXCEEDING A FOOT WHERE THE HEAVIEST SNOW BAND PERSISTS. KEEP IN MIND THAT SLIGHT CHANGES IN THE STORM TRACK COULD LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE TOTAL SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS. THE BEST ADVICE IS TO MONITOR FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS CLOSELY THROUGH TONIGHT. LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS COULD LEAD TO SOME ACCUMULATING SNOW SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. A STORM SYSTEM WILL TRACK THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES REGION MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THIS COULD LEAD TO SOME ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS. LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS WILL THEN PERSIST INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED...HOWEVER SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATION REPORTS WOULD BE HELPFUL THROUGH FRIDAY. LMZ844>849-011045- ST JOSEPH TO SOUTH HAVEN-SOUTH HAVEN TO HOLLAND- HOLLAND TO GRAND HAVEN-GRAND HAVEN TO WHITEHALL- WHITEHALL TO PENTWATER-PENTWATER TO MANISTEE- 538 AM EST THU NOV 30 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE COMBINATION OF WAVES IN EXCESS OF 4 FEET AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES DUE TO SNOW WILL LEAD TO SOME HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS FOR SMALL CRAFT TODAY AND TONIGHT. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATER TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY WINDS MAY APPROACH GALE FORCE ON FRIDAY...PLUS WAVES WILL REMAIN IN EXCESS OF 4 FEET. HAZARDOUS BOATING CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE. LARGE WAVES WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. MJS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
13 ice storm, 10 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
One quarter to one half inch of ice was reported in Allegan county, with the half inch ice report coming from Salem township.
A third of an inch of ice was reported across most of Barry county.
A third of an inch of ice was reported across most of Eaton county.
A third of an inch of ice was reported across most of Ingham county.
A third of an inch of ice was reported across most of Van Buren county.
A half of an inch of ice was reported across most of Kalamazoo county.
A third of an inch of ice was reported across most of Calhoun county.
A third of an inch of ice was reported across most of Ionia county.
A third of an inch of ice was reported across most of Clinton county.
Six to seven inches of snow was reported.
Six to seven inches of snow was reported.
Six to nine inches of snow was reported.
Five to seven inches of snow was reported.
Six to nine inches of snow was reported.
Six to seven inches of snow was reported.
Six to seven inches of snow was reported.
Six to seven inches of snow was reported.
Nine to twelve inches of snow was reported.
Eight to ten inches of snow was reported.
Three tenths of an inch of ice accumulation occurred along with five to six inches of snow later in the day.
Three tenths of an inch of ice accumulation was reported at 6 am and three to fiven inches of snow fell later in the day.
Three tenths of an inch of ice was reported.
A third of an inch of ice was reported across most of Jackson county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, December 2006
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: 8412, 8413, 8416, 8417, 8419, 8420, 8421, 8423, 8424, 8428, 8429, 8430, 8432, 8433, 8434, 8435, 8437, 8438, 8440, 9971, 9974, 9975, 8422.