Southwestern lower Michigan experienced a mix of precipitation from the afternoon of December the 8th through the 9th. Due to warmer temperatures farther south near the I-94 corridor, precipitation was mainly rain with some freezing rain across that area.
Every event with a place to put it; 11 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.
Southwestern lower Michigan experienced a mix of precipitation from the afternoon of December the 8th through the 9th. Due to warmer temperatures farther south near the I-94 corridor, precipitation was mainly rain with some freezing rain across that area.
The first burst of precipitation spread northeast over southwest lower Michigan during the early evening hours of the 8th. Near the I-94 corridor freezing rain in the evening changed to rain overnight as warmer air was transported north into the region. Approximately 5 to 8 inches of new snow fell north of a Muskegon to Mount Pleasant line by early Tuesday morning.
Another upper disturbance approached Southwest Lower Michigan during the day of Tuesday the 9th while a cold front moved slowly southeast across the area. Many areas saw a change from rain or freezing rain to snow immediately behind the front. However, this snow only lasted a couple hours at most spots.
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 8, 4:40 PM EST, 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 440 PM EST MON DEC 8 2008 LATEST UPDATE...ALL BUT LONG TERM AND AVIATION... .SYNOPSIS...(440 PM EST MON DEC 8 2008) A MIXTURE OF PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST QUARTER OF LOWER MICHIGAN TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY AS A FRONTAL BOUNDARY LIFTS INTO THE AREA. SNOW...SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED TONIGHT...TRANSITIONING OVER TO ALL RAIN SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 96 ON TUESDAY. AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL RIDE ALONG THE FRONT ON TUESDAY BRINGING ANOTHER BURST OF PRECIPITATION. MAINLY SNOW IS EXPECTED ACROSS CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN WHERE 6 TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW MAY FALL BY TUESDAY EVENING. LESSER AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE INTERSTATE 96 CORRIDOR WHERE 2 TO 6 INCHES MAY FALL. A MIXTURE OF PRECIPITATION ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 96 TONIGHT MAY MAKE TRAVEL HAZARDOUS AS A COATING OF ICE IS POSSIBLE. && .SHORT TERM...(440 PM EST MON DEC 8 2008) (TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT) AN INITIAL BURST OF WARM AIR ADVECTION PRECIPITATION IS UNDERWAY WITH FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET BEING REPORTED AT KALAMAZOO ALREADY. LIGHT SNOW HAS BEGUN IN GRAND RAPIDS AS WELL. THE MIXTURE OF PRECIPITATION WILL LIFT NORTH THROUGH THE AREA THIS EVENING. ISENTROPIC LIFT WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE BULK OF THE NIGHT AS SEEN ON THE 295K SURFACE. THE LIFT WILL BE MOST PERSISTENT ACROSS NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA WHERE THE PRECIPITATION WILL BE MAINLY SNOW. THE PRECIPITATION WILL TRY TO CUT OFF ACROSS SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA...ESPECIALLY TOWARD JACKSON OVERNIGHT. 3 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW MAY FALL TONIGHT ACROSS CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN...WITH LIGHTER AMOUNTS SOUTH THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA. THE PRECIPITATION WILL BE A MIX OF SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN IN THE SOUTH...GRADUALLY TRANSITIONING OVER TO RAIN OVERNIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING. ICE ACCUMULATIONS MAY REACH THE ONE TO TWO TENTH RANGE HOWEVER RESULTING IN TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. A SURGE OF WARM AIR WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TRANSITION IN THE SOUTH...AS TEMPERATURES RISE TO +4 C AROUND 925MB/S. TEMPERATURES ACROSS SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST SHOULD RISE ABOVE FREEZING OVERNIGHT. THE SNOWPACK MAY TRY TO OFFSET THE TEMPERATURE RISE HOWEVER WHICH IS WHY THE ADVISORY GOES THROUGH 15Z ON TUESDAY. THE PRECIPITATION SHOULD CONTINUE AS ALL SNOW ACROSS CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN ON TUESDAY AS THE DEFORMATION ZONE WORKS ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE COURSE OF THE DAY. ANOTHER 3 TO 6 INCHES MAY FALL ON TUESDAY ACROSS CENTRAL LOWER AS THIS OCCURS. 6 TO 10 INCH TOTALS ARE EXPECTED ALONG U.S. 10 WITH SLIGHTLY HIGHER AMOUNTS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. THE INTERSTATE 96 CORRIDOR IS THE TRICKY ZONE...AS IT WILL BE THE PIVOT POINT FOR THE WARMER AIR. IT WILL ALSO BE POSITIONED NEAR THE TRACK OF THE 850MB LOW. BEST CHANCE FOR HIGHER SNOW AMOUNTS IN THIS AREA WILL EXTEND FROM CONKLIN IN THE PANHANDLE OF OTTAWA COUNTY EAST THROUGH CEDAR SPRINGS...BELDING AND ST. JOHNS. IF TRENDS COME IN A TAD WARMER THOUGH IN MODEL RUNS TONIGHT...THE AREA MAY REMAIN MIXY WITH LESS IN THE WAY OF SNOWFALL. AS IT STANDS NOW THIS REGION MAY PICK UP 4 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW....WITH THE HIGHEST TOTALS OCCURRING UP TOWARD SAND LAKE IN FAR NORTHERN KENT COUNTY. COLD AIR WILL SWEEP INTO THE REGION TUESDAY EVENING BEHIND THE DEPARTING WAVE TRANSITIONING ALL PRECIPITATION OVER TO SNOW. NOT EXPECTING A GREAT DEAL OF ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATION TUESDAY EVENING...BUT AND INCH OR TWO IS POSSIBLE AS THE DEFORMATION ZONE EXITS TO THE EAST. && .LONG TERM...(155 PM EST MON DEC 8 2008) (WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY) AGREE WITH PREVIOUS DISCUSSION THAT LAKE EFFECT SNOWFALL SHOULD BE MINIMAL WEDNESDAY BEHIND THE DEPARTING SYSTEM...THANKS TO RAPIDLY APPROACHING ANTICYCLONIC FLOW. MODELS REMAIN IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT REGARDING A CLIPPER THAT SHOULD BRING ENHANCED SNOW CHANCES ON THURSDAY...PARTICULARLY TO THE NORTHERN CWFA. HAVE LEFT CHANCES FOR SNOW NEAR THE LAKESHORE INTO THURSDAY NIGHT...ALTHOUGH RECENT MODEL RUNS SUGGEST AN EARLIER EXIT TO THIS SYSTEM. THERE HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT WARMING TREND WITH THE MODELS DURING THE END OF THIS WORK WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND. THE CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION ARE IMPROVING SUNDAY AND MONDAY AS A DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM SHOULD APPROACH FROM THE SOUTHWEST. THE TRACK OF THIS LOW IS TRENDING FARTHER N...MEANING THAT LOWER MI WOULD BE IN THE WARM SECTOR WITH A CORRESPONDINGLY WARM LOWER TROPOSPHERE. AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION THAT THIS MAY WELL END UP BEING A RAIN EVENT. FOR NOW...HAVE MENTIONED A RAIN/FREEZING RAIN COMBINATION IN THE FORECASTS BASED ON POTENTIALLY COLD NEAR-SURFACE TEMPERATURES. OF COURSE...THIS IS A HIGHLY UNCERTAIN FORECAST SO FAR OUT...AND IT WILL BE VERY SUBJECT TO CHANGE. && .MARINE...(440 PM EST MON DEC 8 2008) SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL SHIFT AROUND TO THE NORTH ON TUESDAY AND INCREASE IN STRENGTH TUESDAY NIGHT. WAVES WILL BUILD TONIGHT INTO THE 3 TO 5 FOOT RANGE AND REMAIN THAT HEIGHT INTO TUESDAY AS THE WINDS COME AROUND TO THE NORTH. WAVES WILL BUILD FURTHER TUESDAY NIGHT AS NORTH FLOW INCREASES TO 30 KNOTS. WAVES WILL LIKELY BUILD INTO THE 5-10 FOOT RANGE TUESDAY NIGHT. && .AVIATION...(1146 AM EST MON DEC 8 2008) VFR CONDITIONS ARE SLOWLY SPREADING NORTH ACROSS LOWER MICHIGAN AS A WARM FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE SOUTH. LIGHT PCPN WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD NORTH BUT CIGS MAY BE SLOW TO FALL. LIGHT FREEZING RAIN WILL DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE FAR SOUTH AND MOVE NORTH...CHANGING TO SOME LIGHT SNOW NORTH OF I-96. THIS PCPN WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT. EXPECT ICING CONDITIONS OVER THE SRN TAF SITES TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING. IT/S ALSO POSSIBLE THAT SOME ICING WILL OCCUR AT KLAN/KGRR/KMKG TOO BUT WILL NOT BE AS MUCH AS THE OTHER THREE SITES. && .HYDROLOGY...(440 PM EST MON DEC 8 2008) NO HYDRO ISSUES ARE EXPECTED...AS PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS SHOULD NOT BE HIGH ENOUGH TO AFFECT RIVER LEVELS. ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE HYDROLOGIC SERVICE AREA THE PRECIPITATION WILL MAINLY BE IN THE FORM OF SNOW...WHICH WILL NOT AFFECT RIVER LEVELS EITHER. && .GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM MUSKEGON...MONTCALM AND GRATIOT COUNTIES NORTHWARD TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR OTTAWA...KENT...IONIA AND CLINTON COUNTIES TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY THROUGH 15Z TUESDAY FOR THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF OUR CWFA. LM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY ST. JOSEPH TO MANISTEE THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON. && SYNOPSIS: DUKE SHORT TERM: DUKE LONG TERM: TJT MARINE: DUKE AVIATION: 93 HYDROLOGY: DUKE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 401 PM EST MON DEC 8 2008 MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-091015- MASON-LAKE-OSCEOLA-CLARE-OCEANA-NEWAYGO-MECOSTA-ISABELLA-MUSKEGON- MONTCALM-GRATIOT-OTTAWA-KENT-IONIA-CLINTON-ALLEGAN-BARRY-EATON- INGHAM-VAN BUREN-KALAMAZOO-CALHOUN-JACKSON- 401 PM EST MON DEC 8 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A MIXTURE OF SNOW...SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN WILL DEVELOP ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 96 LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MAINLY SNOW IS ANTICIPATED NORTH OF INTERSTATE 96...DEVELOPING THIS EVENING AND PERSISTING INTO TONIGHT WITH 3 TO 6 INCHES OF ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE BY DAYBREAK TUESDAY. THE HIGHEST SNOW TOTALS TONIGHT WILL BE ALONG THE U.S. 10 CORRIDOR FROM BALDWIN TO CLARE. 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE ALONG THE INTERSTATE 96 CORRIDOR TONIGHT. FREEZING RAIN IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE A LIGHT GLAZE OF A TENTH OF AN INCH OR LESS ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE INTERSTATE 96 CORRIDOR. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A WINTRY MIX OF SNOW... SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN AND EVEN FOG IS ANTICIPATED TUESDAY. THE PRECIPITATION WILL CHANGE OVER TO ALL SNOW ON TUESDAY NIGHT. THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR A STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL OF 6 TO 10 INCHES BY DAYBREAK WEDNESDAY NORTH OF A LINE FROM MUSKEGON TO ALMA. THE INTERSTATE 96 CORRIDOR MAY EXPERIENCE A TOTAL OF UP TO ONE QUARTER INCH OF ICE ACCUMULATION ALONG WITH TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 6 INCHES. MEANWHILE MOSTLY RAIN AND FOG ARE ANTICIPATED SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 96 ON TUESDAY. SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE EACH DAY WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. LMZ844>849-091015- 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- 401 PM EST MON DEC 8 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SOUTH WINDS OF 10 TO 20 KNOTS WILL PRODUCE WAVES HAZARDOUS TO SMALL CRAFT TONIGHT. SNOW WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES NORTH OF MUSKEGON TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY WINDS WILL SHIFT OUT OF THE NORTH ON TUESDAY AND INCREASE... RESULTING IN WAVES HAZARDOUS TO SMALL CRAFT. THE WINDS AND WAVES WILL DIMINISH ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. SNOW WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES NORTH OF MUSKEGON ON TUESDAY AND OVER ALL OF THE LAKE TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. MEADE/DUKE
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Five to ten inches of snow along with a little bit of sleet and freezing rain was reported.
Four to nine inches of snow along with a little bit of sleet and freezing rain was reported.
Three to eight inches of snow along with a little bit of sleet and freezing rain was reported.
Ten to sixteen inches of snow was reported.
Ten to sixteen inches of snow was reported.
Ten to fourteen inches of snow was reported.
Ten to fourteen inches of snow was reported.
Ten to twelve inches of snow was reported.
Six to twelve inches of snow and ice pellets were reported.
Ten to twelve inches of snow was reported.
Ten to twelve inches of snow was reported.
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: 142337, 142338, 142339, 142329, 142330, 142331, 142332, 142333, 142334, 142335, 142336.