The second in a series of Alberta clipper systems was located just south of Chicago on the morning of the fourteenth. An area of light snow moved across the area during the day with the steadiest snow south of I-96.
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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.
The second in a series of Alberta clipper systems was located just south of Chicago on the morning of the fourteenth. An area of light snow moved across the area during the day with the steadiest snow south of I-96. Less than one inch of snow accumulation occurred as a direct result of the clipper. As the clipper pulled east of the area, increasing northwest winds pushed lake effect snow showers into all of the coastal counties and were most numerous over the southwest coastal counties.
The mainly light snow shower activity continued through the evening of the fifteenth before dissipating. Generally, three to locally eight inches of snow fell, with the highest accumulation rates occurring early on the fourteenth as a moderate to heavy lake effect band initially pushed onshore. Occasional wind gusts to 30 mph combined with temperatures of zero to five degrees above zero to produce wind chill readings of fifteen to twenty degrees below zero.
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 15, 3:31 AM EST, 59 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 331 AM EST THU JAN 15 2009 LATEST UPDATE...ALL BUT AVIATION... .SYNOPSIS...(331 AM EST THU JAN 15 2009) FRIGID ARCTIC AIR WILL CONTINUE TO SETTLE OVER LOWER MICHIGAN FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK. WIND CHILL READINGS IN THE 15 TO 20 BELOW RANGE WILL BE COMMON TODAY AND TONIGHT. LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS WILL MOVE INLAND TODAY. SIGNIGICANT ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN FAR SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN TODAY. MORE SNOW IS POSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY BEFORE A SLOW WARMING TREND BEGINS TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEKEND. && .SHORT TERM...(331 AM EST THU JAN 15 2009) (TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY) FORECAST CONCERNS REMAIN THE BITTER COLD AND LAKE EFFECT SNOW. RADAR SHOWS A PERSISTENT SNOW BAND OVER THE NEARSHORE WATERS SOUTH OF GRAND HAVEN. THIS LIKELY EXTENDS A BIT FARTHER NORTH BUT THE RADAR IS OVERSHOOTING IT. IR IMAGERY SHOWS THE COLDEST CLOUD TOPS HUGGING THE SOUTHEAST LAKE MICHIGAN COAST. THIS AREA CONICIDES WITH THE MAX H8 OMEGA. NAM12 SHOWS THIS AREA SLOWLY DRIFTING EAST EARLY THIS MORNING BEFORE WEAKENIG LATE MORNING AS BOUNDARY LAYER FLOW GOES WESTERLY. THE GOING FORECAST IS IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE IN SHOWING AN INCREASE IN SNOW FOR INLAND AREAS OF WEST MICHIGAN AS THE DAY WEARS ON. THE SNOW BAND CURRENTLY OVER THE FAR SW PORTION OF THE STATE IS PUTTING DOWN 1-2 IN/HR SNOW RATES AND VSBYS ARE A QUARTER MILE. HEAVIEST SNOW WILL FALL IN VAN BUREN COUNTY AND WRN ALLEGAN COUNTY. ANOTHER 3-6 INCHES IS POSSIBLE THERE AS THE SNOW BAND MOVES EAST. WIND CHILL WILL CONTINUE TO BE AN ISSUE. TEMPS WILL REMAIN IN THE SINGLE DIGITS TODAY EXCEPT CLOSE TO THE COAST. WIND CHILLS WILL LIKELY REACH ADVISORY CRITERIA TODAY. WE DECIDED TO ADD THE LAKESHORE COUNTIES TO THE WIND CHILL ADVISORY SINCE THE ERN PORTIONS OF THE COUNTIES WILL LIKELY EXPERIENCE WIND CHILLS AT LEAST -15F. WE/LL SEE A LULL IN THE SHSN ACTIVITY LATE MORNING AS WEAK DNVA MOVES IN AHEAD OF THE NEXT SHORT WAVE. THAT WAVE WILL MOVE THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. AS BOUNDARY LAYER WINDS VEER AHEAD OF IT...WE/LL SEE THE LAKE SNOWS MOVE INLAND. MAX OMEGA REMAINS ABOVE THE DGZ TODAY. THAT WILL LIMIT ACCUMS A BIT. IN FACT BUFKIT SHOWS MAX OMEGA REMAINING ABOVE THE DGZ THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. A STRONGER SHORT WAVE WILL MOVE SOUTH FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. THIS COULD BE ADVISORY TYPE SNOWFALL IN THE 3 TO 6 INCH RANGE AGAIN...AIDED BY SW LAKE EFFECT AHEAD OF IT. && .LONG TERM...(331 AM EST THU JAN 15 2009) (SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY) A RATHER IMPRESSIVE EXTENDED EAST ASIAN JET (FROM SOUTH OF JAPAN TO EAST OF THE DATELINE) WILL TRY TO MOVE THE LONGWAVE WESTERN RIDGE EAST EARLY NEXT WEEK. THAT WILL LEAD TO WARMER TEMPERATURES OVER TIME AS EACH SUCCEEDING NORTHERN STREAM WAVE WILL NOT DIVE AS FAR SOUTH AS THE ONE BEFORE IT. FINALLY BY WEDNESDAY THE POLAR JET CORE WILL BE NORTH AND EAST OF LOWER MICHIGAN PUTTING THIS AREA INTO ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES. THE SYSTEM FROM SATURDAY WILL MOVE OUT OF THE AREA BY SUNDAY MORNING BUT THE LAST TWO RUNS OF THE ECMWF SUGGEST A STRONGER UPPER AIR SYSTEM AND THUS A SLOWER MOVEMENT EAST. AS A RESULT I INCREASED THE POP SATURDAY NIGHT. NORTHWARD LAKE EFFECT WILL FOLLOW ON SUNDAY HOWEVER THE NEXT NORTHERN STREAM SHORTWAVE WILL DIVE SOUTH (ECWMF STRONGER THAN THE GFS) TO BRING YET ANOTHER SYSTEM WITH WARM ADVECTION SNOW MONDAY INTO TUESDAY. TIMING AND SYSTEM STRENGTH ARE ISSUES HERE. IF THE ECWMF WERE TO BE CORRECT IT WOULD BRING THE SYSTEM IN FASTER AND COLDER. TUESDAY WILL SEE THE LAST OF THE LAKE EFFECT SNOWS AS WARMER AIR BEGINS TO MOVE IN. SHORTWAVE RIDGING SHOULD PROVIDE A DECENT CHANCE FOR SUNSHINE ON WEDNESDAY AND ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR MID JANUARY. && WEEK TWO OUTLOOK IT WOULD SEEM OUR WARM UP WILL BE SHORT LIVED. ONCE THAT EXTENDED EAST ASIAN JET MOVES INTO THE EASTERN PACIFIC BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK... THAT ALLOWS THE WESTERN RIDGE TO REFORM AND THE COLD AIR FROM NORTHERN CANADA AND ALASKA TO RETURN. THE ECMWF IS STRONGER WITH THE DIGGING OF THE NORTHERN STREAM BY NEXT WEEKEND. EITHER WAY TEMPERATURES WOULD ONCE AGAIN FALL BELOW NORMAL AFTER A COLD FRONT COMES THROUGH IN THE THURSDAY/FRIDAY TIME FRAME. AT THIS POINT IT DOES NOT APPEAR A STRONG SURFACE SYSTEM WILL OCCUR. SO ANY PRECIPITATION WITH THE FRONT AT THIS POINT SHOULD BE ON THE LIGHT SIDE. IN FACT THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTERS LATEST FORECAST FROM THE 20TH THROUGH THE 28TH OF JANUARY SUGGESTS BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR LOWER MICHIGAN. && .MARINE...(331 AM EST THU JAN 15 2009) WAVES GREATER THAN 4 FEET WILL POSE A THREAT TO SMALL CRAFT THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON. && .AVIATION...(1210 AM EST THU JAN 15 2009) INLAND TAF SITES REMAIN CLEAR...WHILE THE LAKE EFFECT SNOW BAND THAT HAS BEEN OFF SHORE MOST OF THE EVENING NEAR AND SOUTH OF KMKG MAKES A MOVE TOWARD THE COAST. KMKG SHOULD BE THE ONLY TAF SITE IMPACTED BY THE HEAVIER SNOW THROUGH MOST OF THE NIGHT. KAZO AND KGRR WILL SEE THE ACTIVITY MOVE IN BETWEEN 11Z AND 14Z THURSDAY MORNING. THE SNOW WILL THEN MOVE EAST...ALTHOUGH LIGHTER...THROUGH THE REMAINING TAF SITES. THE SNOW MAY ACTUALLY FLARE UP A BIT ONCE AGAIN THURSDAY EVENING AS A SHORTWAVE ROTATES OVER LAKE MICHIGAN. && .HYDROLOGY...(331 AM EST THU JAN 15 2009) ARCTIC BLAST OF COLD AIR WILL MEAN SIGNIFICANT ICE BUILDUP NEXT FEW DAYS THAT WILL CAUSE SOME ICE JAMMING. SOME ICE MOVEMENT IS POSSIBLE BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK AS TEMPERATURES MAY RISE ABOVE FREEZING. && .GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING ALLEGAN AND VAN BUREN COUNTIES THROUGH 5 PM FRIDAY. LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY FOR MASON...OCEANA...MUSKEGON...OTTAWA AND KALAMAZOO COUNTIES THROUGH 5 PM FRIDAY. WIND CHILL ADVISORY TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY AFTERNOON ENTIRE CWA. LM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ST JOSEPH TO MANISTEE THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON. && SYNOPSIS: 93 SHORT TERM: 93 LONG TERM: WDM MARINE: 93 AVIATION: DUKE HYDROLOGY: 93
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 326 PM EST WED JAN 14 2009 MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-150945- MASON-LAKE-OSCEOLA-CLARE-OCEANA-NEWAYGO-MECOSTA-ISABELLA-MUSKEGON- MONTCALM-GRATIOT-OTTAWA-KENT-IONIA-CLINTON-ALLEGAN-BARRY-EATON- INGHAM-VAN BUREN-KALAMAZOO-CALHOUN-JACKSON- 326 PM EST WED JAN 14 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT LAKE EFFECT SNOW WILL BE ON THE INCREASE THROUGH TONIGHT. A BAND OF HEAVIER SNOW IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ONSHORE WITH VAN BUREN... ALLEGAN...OTTAWA AND WESTERN KALAMAZOO COUNTIES TO BE THE HARDEST HIT AREAS. WIND CHILL VALUES OF MINUS 15 DEGREES OR LOWER ACROSS MUCH OF THE INTERIOR TONIGHT ARE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY LAKE EFFECT SNOW WILL CONTINUE ON THURSDAY...WITH SOME LOCALLY HEAVY ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE...MAINLY WEST OF HIGHWAY 131. DANGEROUSLY LOW WIND CHILL VALUES COULD OCCUR ACROSS MUCH OF THE INTERIOR ON THURSDAY. ANOTHER STORM MAY ARRIVE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. ACCUMULATING SNOW IS POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED...BUT SNOWFALL REPORTS WOULD BE HELPFUL. LMZ844>849-150945- 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- 326 PM EST WED JAN 14 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT FREEZING SPRAY AND WINDS TO 30 KNOTS WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS BOATING CONDITIONS TONIGHT. LOW VISIBILITIES WILL OCCUR IN SNOW SHOWERS THROUGH TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY FREEZING SPRAY WILL CONTINUE INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. WINDS AND WAVES WILL REMAIN HAZARDOUS TO SMALL CRAFT INTO SATURDAY. LOW VISIBILITIES WILL OCCUR IN SNOW SHOWERS THROUGH SATURDAY. MJS NJJ
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Locally up to eight to nine inches of snow was reported in Van Buren county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, January 2009
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: 147190.