A low pressure system brought approximately four to eight inches of snow to portions of the area on one of the busiest travel days of the year during the latter portion of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Snow began on November the 30th and continued into December the first before gradually ending.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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 low pressure system brought approximately four to eight inches of snow to portions of the area on one of the busiest travel days of the year during the latter portion of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Snow began on November the 30th and continued into December the first before gradually ending.
Snowfall amounts were quite variable across relatively small areas, possibly due to differences in surface temperatures, the frequency of measurements, or how sheltered the location was. The snow fell when temperatures were above freezing, which frequently resulted in melting or settling as soon as the snow hit the ground.
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, 10:51 PM EST, 1 hour 9 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 1051 PM EST SUN NOV 30 2008 LATEST UPDATE...SHORT TERM... .SYNOPSIS...(340 PM EST SUN NOV 30 2008) A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM NEAR INDIANAPOLIS WILL TRACK NORTHEAST TONIGHT THROUGH TOLEDO. THIS SYSTEM WILL PRODUCE HEAVIER SNOWS TO THE NORTH OF ITS TRACK ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN TONIGHT INTO MONDAY. THE STORM WILL PULL AWAY MONDAY NIGHT TAKING THE HEAVIER SNOWS WITH IT. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN FOR TUESDAY. A COLD FRONT WILL ARRIVE FOR WEDNESDAY. A MUCH COLDER AIRMASS WILL FILTER IN FOR THURSDAY. && .SHORT TERM...(1051 PM EST SUN NOV 30 2008) (TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY) NO HEADLINE CHANGES ARE PLANNED FOR THE OVERNIGHT. CURRENT REGIONAL AND LOCAL RADARS SHOW THE CENTER OF THE LOW PRESSURE CIRCULATION OVER NORTH CENTRAL INDIANA. A LARGE AREA OF ENHANCED ECHOS WAS NOTED MAINLY NORTH OF I-96...COINCIDENT WITH THE TROWAL. DEFORMATION TYPE PCPN EXTENDS SOUTHWEST INTO ILLINOIS. THUS...SNOW WILL CONTINUE FOR MUCH OF THE CWA OVERNIGHT. THE EXCEPTION WILL BE THE FAR SOUTHERN CWA WHERE DRIER AIR HAS WORKED IN. EVEN THERE...THOUGH...LIGHT SNOW WILL PROBABLY MOVE BACK INTO THAT AREA AS THE LOW MOVES EAST. EXPECT A FEW MORE INCHES OF SNOW OVERNIGHT ACROSS THE NRN HALF OF THE CWA. SREF POPS CONTINUE TO SHOW CAT POPS MONDAY AS THE DEFORMATION REGION WILL BE SLOW TO MOVE OUT. COLDER AIR WILL ALSO BE MOVING BACK INTO THE REGION AS BOUNDARY LAYER WINDS BACK TO THE WEST. H8 TEMPS ARE PROGD TO FALL TO -12C WHICH SHOULD INDUCE SOME LAKE EFFECT SNOWS THAT WILL CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY AND ALSO BE ENHANCED BY A SHORT WAVE MOVING THROUGH THE REGION. && .LONG TERM...(340 PM EST SUN NOV 30 2008) (TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) OUR MAIN WX STORY IN THE LONG RANGE FCST PERIOD WILL BE MUCH BELOW NORMAL TEMPS AND POTENTIAL FOR LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS THURSDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. THE COLDEST AIR OF THE SEASON IS ON THE WAY AND MAX TEMPS WILL ONLY REACH THE MID TO PERHAPS UPPER 20S BOTH DAYS. LIGHT MIXED PCPN IS POSSIBLE TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT IN THE SW FLOW WAA PATTERN IN ADVANCE OF THE COLD FRONT. THE COLD FRONT WILL BRING A CONTINUED CHC OF MIXED PCPN WEDNESDAY FOLLOWED BY THE SHOT OF UNSEASONABLY COLD AIR AND LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS IN A WNW FLOW REGIME THURSDAY. A CLIPPER SYSTEM WILL BRING ANOTHER CHC OF SNOW SHOWERS LATE IN THE WEEK WITH ANOTHER SHOT OF COLDER AIR ARRIVING NEXT WEEKEND. && .MARINE...(340 PM EST SUN NOV 30 2008) I CONTINUED THE GALE WARNING TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON DUE TO STRONG WIND EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AS THE DEEPENING LOW MOVES THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES. && .AVIATION...(715 PM EST SUN NOV 30 2008) WIDESPREAD IFR/LIFR CIGS CAN BE EXPECTED TONIGHT. VSBYS WILL BE REDUCED BELOW ONE MILE AT TIMES... PRIMARILY DUE TO SNOW NORTH OF A HOLLAND TO LANSING LINE AND MOSTLY DUE TO FOG SOUTH OF THERE. IFR CIGS AND VSBYS WILL LIKELY LINGER MUCH OF THE DAY MONDAY TOO AS LOW CLOUDS AND SNOW SHOWERS LINGER ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE SLOW MOVING SYSTEM. && .HYDROLOGY...(340 PM EST SUN NOV 30 2008) SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL WILL OCCUR DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS. HOWEVER...TEMPS IN THE LOWER TO MID 30S WILL ENSURE A SLOW MELT IF AT ALL. THEREFORE HYDRO ISSUES ARE NOT ANTICIPATED. && .GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE NORTHERN TWO THIRDS OF OUR CWFA. A WINTER WX ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF OUR CWFA TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON. LM...GALE WARNING TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON FROM ST JOE TO MANISTEE. && SYNOPSIS: MJS SHORT TERM: 93 LONG TERM: LAURENS MARINE: MJS AVIATION: MEADE HYDROLOGY: MJS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 740 PM EST SUN NOV 30 2008 MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-010945- MASON-LAKE-OSCEOLA-CLARE-OCEANA-NEWAYGO-MECOSTA-ISABELLA-MUSKEGON- MONTCALM-GRATIOT-OTTAWA-KENT-IONIA-CLINTON-ALLEGAN-BARRY-EATON- INGHAM-VAN BUREN-KALAMAZOO-CALHOUN-JACKSON- 740 PM EST SUN NOV 30 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THE HEAVIEST SNOW TONIGHT IS EXPECTED TO FALL NORTH OF A LINE FROM HOLLAND TO LANSING WHERE A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT. SOUTH OF THAT LINE THE SNOW WILL BE LIGHTER AND MORE INTERMITTENT AND A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT. DENSE FOG WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE INTERSTATE 94 CORRIDOR TONIGHT...AND VISIBILITIES MAY BE REDUCED TO A HALF MILE OR LESS AT TIMES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY SNOW WILL DIMINISH BY EARLY MONDAY AFTERNOON. STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL WILL RANGE FROM 5 TO 9 INCHES NORTH OF A HOLLAND TO LANSING LINE. SOUTH OF THAT LINE ONLY AN ADDITIONAL INCH OR TWO OF SNOW IS EXPECTED TONIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING WHICH WILL BRING THE SNOW TOTAL TO 3 TO 5 INCHES. ENHANCED SNOW SHOWERS MAY CONTINUE WEST OF ROUTE 131 INTO MONDAY NIGHT. ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING MIXED PRECIPITATION TO THE AREA WEDNESDAY AS A STORM PASSES NORTHEAST ACROSS CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN LATE IN THE DAY. ARCTIC AIR WILL FOLLOW THIS SYSTEM THURSDAY WHICH WILL RESULT IN ACCUMULATING LAKE EFFECT SNOWS INTO FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NECESSARY. HOWEVER...SPOTTER REPORTS OF SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE APPRECIATED THIS THROUGH MONDAY. SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. LMZ844>849-010945- 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- 740 PM EST SUN NOV 30 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NORTHEAST GALES...DANGEROUSLY HIGH WAVES AND SNOW HEAVY AT TIMES WILL RESULT IN HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS IN THE NEAR SHORE WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN THROUGH TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY GALES WILL DIMINISH MONDAY BUT WAVES AND SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP THE NEAR SHORE WATERS HAZARDOUS INTO MONDAY NIGHT. ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY WILL RETURN STRONG WINDS...HIGH WAVES AND SNOW TO THE NEAR SHORE WATERS. THE WINDS...WAVES AND SNOW SHOWERS WILL KEEP THE NEAR SHORE WATERS HAZARDOUS INTO FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NECESSARY. HOWEVER...SPOTTER REPORTS OF SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE APPRECIATED THROUGH MONDAY. WDM MJS MEADE
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
919 PM EST SUN NOV 30 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0918 PM SNOW ST. JOHNS 43.00N 84.56W
11/30/2008 M3.6 INCH CLINTON MI TRAINED SPOTTER
SNOW TOTAL THROUGH 9 PM.
&&
MKALEMBKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
920 PM EST SUN NOV 30 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0919 PM SNOW 1 SSE BIG RAPIDS 43.69N 85.47W
11/30/2008 M2.0 INCH MECOSTA MI COCORAHS
SNOWFALL TOTAL FROM 330 PM THROUGH 9 PM.
&&
MKALEMBKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
925 PM EST SUN NOV 30 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0924 PM SNOW ESE BRECKENRIDGE 43.41N 84.47W
11/30/2008 M4.0 INCH GRATIOT MI COCORAHS
SNOWFALL TOTAL FROM 4 PM THROUGH 9 PM.
&&
MKALEMBKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
1008 PM EST SUN NOV 30 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1007 PM SNOW WAYLAND 42.67N 85.64W
11/30/2008 M3.0 INCH ALLEGAN MI TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
MKALEMBKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
1110 PM EST SUN NOV 30 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1109 PM SNOW MOUNT PLEASANT 43.61N 84.75W
11/30/2008 E3.5 INCH ISABELLA MI PUBLIC
&&
MKALEMBKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
1145 PM EST SUN NOV 30 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1141 PM SNOW 2 NE BATH 42.84N 84.42W
11/30/2008 M4.4 INCH CLINTON MI TRAINED SPOTTER
1141 PM SNOW GRANDVILLE 42.90N 85.76W
11/30/2008 M3.5 INCH KENT MI NWS EMPLOYEE
&&
WFELVERThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Four to as much as eight inches of snow was reported in a twelve hour period across Ottawa county.
Four to as much as eight inches of snow was reported in a twelve hour period across Kenty county. A little over seven inches of snow was reported by a trained spotter in Byron Center.
Four to eight inches of snow was reported in a twelve hour time frame.
A trained spotter in St. John's reported that nearly seven inches of snow fell and there were several reports of four to eight inches of snow in a twelve hour time frame. A spotter two miles northeast of Bath reported about six inches of snow.
Anywhere from four to as much as eight inches of snow was reported in a twelve hour period across Montcalm county. A trained spotter one mile northwest of Greenville reported a storm total of seven inches.
Anywhere from four to as much as eight inches of snow was reported in a twelve hour period across Gratiot county. A county official six miles east of Crystal reported that seven inches of snow fell.
Anywhere from four to as much as nine inches of snow was reported in a twenty four hour period across Mason county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, December 2008
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: 142236, 142237, 142238, 142239, 142240, 142241, 142242.