Lake-Effect Snow, Lake
- When
- November 18, 12:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Lake forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 41.472, -87.376 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lake-Effect Snow in Indiana, November 18, 2008
Lake effect snow developed during the early morning hours of November 18th across northwest Indiana. The snow shifted east from Lake County into Porter County.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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 LOT wrote it up.
Lake effect snow developed during the early morning hours of November 18th across northwest Indiana. The snow shifted east from Lake County into Porter County. Snowfall totals ranged from only a few inches across western Lake County to 6 to 8 inches along the Lake Porter County Line. Numerous locations in central Porter County received 8 to 10 inches of snow. The highest total reported was 10.0 inches 5 miles west southwest of Valparaiso. The snow was so heavy at times that visibilities were reported to be near zero.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
2 lake-effect snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Lake-Effect Snow, Porter
- When
- November 18, 1:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Porter forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 41.509, -87.073 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
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
More
Every storm in Indiana in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 138872, 138873.