A narrow line of rain with embedded thunderstorms just ahead of an arctic cold front produced high wind gusts ranging from 50 to 78 mph. This resulted in widespread power outages and reports of wind damage across central and southern lower Michigan.
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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 narrow line of rain with embedded thunderstorms just ahead of an arctic cold front produced high wind gusts ranging from 50 to 78 mph. This resulted in widespread power outages and reports of wind damage across central and southern lower Michigan.
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 23, 4:43 AM EST, 12 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 443 AM EST SUN DEC 23 2007 LATEST UPDATE...ALL SECTIONS EXCEPT AVIATION... .SYNOPSIS...(443 AM EST SUN DEC 23 2007) AN INTENSE STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE OVER THE GREAT LAKES REGION TODAY. THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING A SHARP CHANGE TO THE REGIONS WEATHER. MUCH COLDER AIR WILL POUR INTO THE STATE ALONG WITH VERY STRONG WINDS. THE QUICK DROP IN TEMPERATURES WILL CAUSE A RAPID FREEZE UP OF PUDDLES AND WATER ON ROADWAYS. AS THE COLD AIR COMES OVER LAKE MICHIGAN...LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. THESE SNOW SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME LOCALLY HEAVY BY MID AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE OVERNIGHT. SOME AREAS ALONG U.S. 131 COULD RECEIVE SIX INCHES OR MORE OF SNOW ACCUMULATIONS. THE STRONG WINDS WILL ALSO CAUSE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM MID AFTERNOON THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD. THE WEATHER CALMS DOWN BY CHRISTMAS EVE AND CHRISTMAS DAY. && .SHORT TERM...(443 AM EST SUN DEC 23 2007) LIMITED TIME FOR A DISCUSSION DUE TO VERY CHALLENGING WEATHER CONDITIONS. HOWEVER SUFFICE IT TO SAY CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE THROUGH THE DAY. STRONG WINDS WILL USHER IN MUCH COLDER AIR THIS MORNING. THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY INTENSIFYING LAKE EFFECT SNOW BY MID AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING. NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED TOWARD SUNSET WITH THE COMBINATION OF FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW CAUSING LOW VSBYS. HAVE GONE WITH HEADLINES STARTING THIS MORNING AS A QUICK FREEZE UP IS EXPECTED ALONG WITH STRONG WINDS. THIS WILL THEN BE FOLLOWED BY THE LAKE EFFECT SNOW. && .LONG TERM...(443 AM EST SUN DEC 23 2007) NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES MADE. && .AVIATION...(1128 AM EST SAT DEC 22 2007) LOW CLOUDS HAVE SCATTERED OUT THIS EVENING BUT EXPECT THEM TO RETURN ALONG WITH STEADY RAIN AROUND 10Z. VISIBILITIES WILL ALSO BE DECREASING...BUT DO NOT EXPECT THEM TO DROP BELOW TWO MILES UNTIL CHANGEOVER TO SNOW OCCURS AROUND 15Z. IFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED AT MKG...GRR...AZO AND BTL BETWEEN 00Z AND 06Z SUNDAY AS LAKE EFFECT SNOW GETS GOING. LAN AND JXN MAY NOT BE GETTING MUCH SNOW UNTIL WINDS COME AROUND MORE TO THE NW LATER SUNDAY NIGHT. && .MARINE...(443 AM EST SUN DEC 23 2007) CONTINUED THE GALE WARNING. SOME WINDS TO 45 KNOTS WILL BE LIKELY WITH THIS SYSTEM TODAY INTO TONIGHT. && .HYDROLOGY...(443 AM EST SUN DEC 23 2007) NO SIGNIFICANT HYDRO ISSUES ARE ANTICIPATED AS RAINFALL WILL QUICKLY TRANSITION TO SNOW LATE THIS MORNING. && .GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...A WINTER STORM WARNING TODAY AND TONIGHT MASON...LAKE... OSCEOLA...OCEANA...NEWAYGO...MUSKEGON...OTTAWA AND ALLEGAN COUNTIES. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TODAY AND TONIGHT NORTH OF I94 AND INLAND FROM WARNING COUNTIES. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR I94 CORRIDOR AND LANSING AREA TODAY AND TONIGHT. LM...A GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING FOR ALL NEAR SHORE WATERS. && SYNOPSIS: JK SHORT TERM: JK LONG TERM: JK AVIATION: OSTUNO MARINE: JK HYDROLOGY: JK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 410 PM EST SAT DEC 22 2007 MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-230930- MASON-LAKE-OSCEOLA-CLARE-OCEANA-NEWAYGO-MECOSTA-ISABELLA-MUSKEGON- MONTCALM-GRATIOT-OTTAWA-KENT-IONIA-CLINTON-ALLEGAN-BARRY-EATON- INGHAM-VAN BUREN-KALAMAZOO-CALHOUN-JACKSON- 410 PM EST SAT DEC 22 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT WINDS WILL BE BECOME GUSTY TONIGHT AS A NARROW COLD FRONTAL RAIN BAND WITH MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN SQUALLS MOVES THROUGH THE AREA AFTER 4 AM. THAT IS JUST AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. LAKE SHORE AREAS COULD SEE GUSTS OVER 40 MPH AS THAT MOVES THROUGH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL COME THROUGH LOWER MICHIGAN DURING THE MID MORNING HOURS OF SUNDAY. THE ARCTIC AIR STREAMING IN FROM WISCONSIN AROUND A VERY INTENSE WINTER STORM WILL RESULT IN SNOW SQUALLS FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON INTO MONDAY MORNING. WINDS WILL BE GUSTING NEAR 50 MPH AT TIMES. AT THIS POINT WHILE THERE MAY BE SOME SNOW SHOWERS SUNDAY AFTERNOON... ALMOST ALL THE SNOW THAT WILL ACCUMULATE DURING THIS EVENT WILL BE AFTER 7 PM SUNDAY NIGHT. THE COMBINATION OF THE STRONG WINDS AND SNOW SHOWERS WILL RESULT IN NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WITH VISIBILITIES OCCASIONALLY NEAR ZERO. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL WILL BE NEAR OR JUST EAST OF US-131 DUE TO THE STRONG WINDS BLOWING THE SNOW SHOWERS INLAND. THE MOST LIKELY TIMING FOR THE LOWEST VISIBILITIES AND HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IS BETWEEN 7 PM SUNDAY AND 2 AM MONDAY MORNING. AFTER A PERIOD OF QUIET WEATHER TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY... MORE SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. LMZ844>849-230930- ST JOSEPH TO SOUTH HAVEN MI-SOUTH HAVEN TO HOLLAND MI- HOLLAND TO GRAND HAVEN MI-GRAND HAVEN TO WHITEHALL MI- WHITEHALL TO PENTWATER MI-PENTWATER TO MANISTEE MI- 410 PM EST SAT DEC 22 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT INCREASING SOUTH WINDS WILL CAUSE WAVES OF 3 TO 5 FEET TONIGHT. A RAIN SQUALL WITH WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 40 KNOTS IS POSSIBLE JUST AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT AFTER 300 AM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY GALE FORCE SOUTHWEST WINDS WITH WAVES OF 12 TO 16 FEET ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. FREQUENT SNOW SQUALLS WILL RESTRICT VISIBILITIES. STORM FORCE WINDS ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE SOUTHERN NEAR SHORE AREAS DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING. AFTER A PERIOD OF QUIET WEATHER TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY... MORE SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. MEADE WDM
The Grand Rapids radar (KGRR), 84 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 09:54 UTC.
37 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees were blown down in Lawton.
Trees and power lines were blown down across Allegan county.
A square yard of shingles was blown off a roof of an eight year old home. Downed trees and limbs were blocking county road 653.
An estimated 52 knot wind gust was reported.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across Van Buren county.
The Muskegon ASOS recorded a 66 knot wind gust.
The Muskegon ASOS recorded a 66 knot wind gust.
The Muskegon ASOS recorded a 68 knot wind gust.
An estimated 56 knot wind gust was reported by a trained spotter in Ottawa county.
Numerous power lines were blown down along with 6 inch tree limbs.
A 58 knot wind gust was measured at the Kalamazoo airport.
A tree was blown down across a road near R drive and 9 mile roads.
A 56 knot wind gust was estimated by a trained spotter in Barry county.
A 54 knot wind gust was estimated in Battle Creek.
A 52 knot wind gust was reported by a trained spotter in Mattawan.
A power pole was blown down.
Power lines were blown down.
A 56 knot wind gust was recorded at the Gerald R. Ford Interational Airport in Grand Rapids.
Numerous power lines were blown down.
A tree was blown down across a road.
A tree was blown down onto a house and crashed into the kitchen.
A trained spotter in Cannonsburg reported power failure and that a gas grill was blown over.
A tree was blown down onto a highway.
A 62 knot wind gust was recorded by a mesonet site in Montcalm county.
A 53 knot wind gust was observed in Muskegon.
Trees and power lines were blown down onto Grand River avenue.
Power lines were blown down in Big Rapids township.
A trained spotter reported a 52 knot wind gust in Jackson.
A power pole was snapped and downed power lines and blown transformers were reported.
A sign at a car wash was destroyed.
A couple of trees were blown down in Leroy and White Oak.
High winds ripped the siding off of a house.
A couple of trees were blown down.
A utility pole was snapped.
Trees and power lines were blown down across Isabella county.
A tree was blown down onto a road.
Power lines were blown down in Big Rapids township.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, December 2007
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: 71530, 71531, 71552, 71553, 71532, 71554, 71555, 71556, 71557, 71533, 71558, 71534, 71559, 71560, 71561, 71535, 71536, 71562, 71537, 71538, 71539, 71563, 71540, 71564, 71565, 71541, 71542, 71566, 71543, 71544, 71545, 71546, 71547, 71548, 71549, 71550, 71551.