Michigan, 2008

Lake-Effect Snow in Michigan, November 20 to 21, 2008

November 20 to 21, 2008 · NWS IWX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Cold northwesterly winds crossed relatively warm Lake Michigan waters early November 20th. This resulted in lake-effect snow, with an intense single band (Type 3 Lake Effect Snow event) that set up over Berrien County and western Cass County late on November 20th into the first half of November 21st.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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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 IWX wrote it up.

Cold northwesterly winds crossed relatively warm Lake Michigan waters early November 20th. This resulted in lake-effect snow, with an intense single band (Type 3 Lake Effect Snow event) that set up over Berrien County and western Cass County late on November 20th into the first half of November 21st. Amounts of 8-14 inches were reported within this heavy lake effect snow band.

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 Northern Indiana wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 19, 6:34 PM EST, 15 hours 26 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 19, 6:34 PM EST, 15 hours 26 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

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

Lake-Effect Snow, Cass

When
November 20, 10:00 AM EST to November 21, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Cass forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.915, -85.993 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An intense single lake-effect band set up over Cass County November 20th and continued into very early November 21st. The heaviest snowfall reports were across the western half of the county, with 10 of snow accumulation reported just northwest of Dowagiac. Several slide-offs and some accidents were reported.

Lake-Effect Snow, Berrien

When
November 20, 9:00 PM EST to November 21, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Berrien forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

An intense single lake-effect band set up over Berrien County late November 20th into November 21st. Snowfall reports ranged between 8 and 14 inches, with 13.5 at Benton Harbor, 11.0 at Stevensville, 8.9 at Niles, and 8.5 at Buchanan. Several slide-offs and some accidents were reported.

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 Michigan in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, 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: 135784, 135783.