Lake-Effect Snow in Indiana, November 17 to 18, 2008

Name: Lake-Effect Snow in Indiana, November 17 to 18, 2008
Start: 2008-11-17T18:00
End: 2008-11-18T15:00
Location: Indiana

November 17 to 18, 2008 · NWS IWX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Lake-Effect snow squalls and showers affected much of far northwest Indiana and southwest lower Michigan November 17th into very early November 18th. This was a result of arctic air overriding warm lake waters behind a strong cold front.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 IWX wrote it up.

Event by event

1 lake-effect snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Lake-Effect Snow, La Porte

When: November 17, 6:00 PM CST to November 18, 3:00 PM CST
Where: La Porte forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

A trained spotter in La Porte, IN reported a snowfall storm total of 6.1 inches. The bulk of the snow fell late November 17th into the first half of November 18th, as an intense single lake effect band slowly migrated through far northwest Indiana and southwest Lower Michigan. The rest of the region generally reported between 2 and 5 inches. The snow created icy road conditions, which resulted in a few accidents across the area.

What these are

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.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Indiana in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Indiana, November 2008

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 139366.