Heavy Snow and Lake-Effect Snow in Michigan, January 17 to 18, 2008

Name: Heavy Snow and Lake-Effect Snow in Michigan, January 17 to 18, 2008
Start: 2008-01-17T03:00
End: 2008-01-18T23:00
Location: Michigan

January 17 to 18, 2008 · NWS MQT · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

A low pressure system tracking from Wisconsin into eastern Upper Michigan brought widespread heavy snow to much of the region on the 17th and 18th.

Where it happened

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.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 11

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 MQT wrote it up.

A low pressure system tracking from Wisconsin into eastern Upper Michigan brought widespread heavy snow to much of the region on the 17th and 18th.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 heavy snow, 2 winter weather, 1 lake-effect snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Luce

When: January 17, 3:00 AM EST to January 18, 11:00 PM EST
Where: Luce forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.368, -85.509 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Newberry observer measured eight inches of snow in 12 hours.

Heavy Snow, Northern Schoolcraft

When: January 17, 3:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Northern Schoolcraft forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.043, -86.177 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ten to twelve inches of snow was reported in the Germfask area in an 18-hour period.

Heavy Snow, Southern Schoolcraft

When: January 17, 3:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Southern Schoolcraft forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.043, -86.177 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ten to twelve inches of snow was reported in the Germfask area in an 18-hour period.

Heavy Snow, Delta

When: January 17, 3:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where: Delta forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 45.792, -86.871 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Widespread snowfall of six to eight inches was reported by COOP observers throughout Delta County. Law enforcement officials reported numerous accidents in Escanaba and Gladstone to due snowpacked and slippery roadways. School closures from the snow included Big Bay De Noc, Escanaba Head Start, Bark River-Harris, Hannahville, Carney-Nadeau, Rapid River and Superior Central.

Heavy Snow, Menominee

When: January 17, 3:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Menominee forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.525, -87.510 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A storm spotter in Menominee reported seven inches of snow in 15 hours.

Heavy Snow, Dickinson

When: January 17, 3:00 AM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: Dickinson forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.009, -87.870 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A spotter seven miles north of Iron Mountain measured eight inches of snow during the event. Many area school districts on the 18th were operating on a two-hour delay due to the snowpacked highways.

Lake-Effect Snow, Ontonagon

When: January 17, 6:00 AM EST to January 18, 6:00 AM EST
Where: Ontonagon forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.778, -89.305 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

COOP observers between Silver City and Ontonagon reported nine inches of snow in 12 hours and 16 inches over 24 hours.

Winter Weather, Keweenaw

When: January 17, 7:00 AM EST to January 18, 7:00 AM EST
Where: Keweenaw forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 47.283, -88.212 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The observer in Ahmeek measured six inches of snow in 24 hours.

Winter Weather, Northern Houghton

When: January 17, 8:00 AM EST to January 18, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Northern Houghton forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.992, -88.652 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Spotters measured nine inches of snow at Calumet and Painesdale in a 24-hour period.

Heavy Snow, Marquette

When: January 17, 11:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Marquette forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.663, -87.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Spotters near Carlshend and Skandia reported eight inches of snow in 12 hours.

Heavy Snow, Alger

When: January 17, 2:00 PM EST to January 18, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Alger forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.451, -86.548 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Chatham observer measured ten inches of snow in 18 hours.

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Lake-Effect Snow: Heavy snow in bands downwind of a large lake as cold air crosses warmer water.
Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 75848, 75849, 75850, 76471, 76472, 76475, 76473, 76487, 76486, 76474, 75847.