Lake-Effect Snow in Michigan, January 1 to 2, 2008

Name: Lake-Effect Snow in Michigan, January 1 to 2, 2008
Start: 2008-01-01T10:30
End: 2008-01-02T01:00
Location: Michigan

January 1 to 2, 2008 · NWS GRR · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Lake effect snow developed on New Year's Day on the back side of a strong low pressure system that brought a round of significant synoptic snow to far south and southeast lower Michigan on New Year's Eve into New Year's Day. Many locations from Ottawa county south southeast along the Lake Michigan shoreline to near Kalamazoo reported eight to nine inches of snow.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
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Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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 GRR wrote it up.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jan 1, 9:10 AM EST, 1 hour 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 1, 9:10 AM EST, 1 hour 20 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 1, 5:04 AM EST, 5 hours 26 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 1, 8:46 AM EST, 1 hour 44 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 1, 8:50 AM EST, 1 hour 40 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 1, 9:11 AM EST, 1 hour 19 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 1, 9:16 AM EST, 1 hour 14 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 1, 9:40 AM EST, 50 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 1, 9:50 AM EST, 40 minutes before

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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Lake-Effect Snow, Van Buren

When: January 1, 10:30 AM EST to January 2, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Van Buren forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.285, -86.306 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Kalamazoo

When: January 1, 10:38 AM EST to January 2, 1:00 AM EST
Where: Kalamazoo forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.245, -85.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Ottawa

When: January 1, 11:00 AM EST to 10:30 PM EST
Where: Ottawa forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.003, -86.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake-Effect Snow, Allegan

When: January 1, 11:00 AM EST to January 2, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Allegan forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.518, -85.910 (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

Every storm in Michigan in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Michigan, January 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 73538, 73535, 73536, 73537.