Heavy snow occurred December 23rd into the early morning hours of the 24th near Lake Michigan, particularly west of Grand Rapids from near Saugatuck north to Muskegon and Newaygo.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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.
Heavy snow occurred December 23rd into the early morning hours of the 24th near Lake Michigan, particularly west of Grand Rapids from near Saugatuck north to Muskegon and Newaygo.
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 23, 10:19 AM EST, 1 hour 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
1019 AM EST MON DEC 23 2013
LATEST UPDATE...
UPDATE
.SYNOPSIS...
ISSUED AT 330 AM EST MON DEC 23 2013
SNOW SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO BE ON THE INCREASE TODAY...ESPECIALLY
FOR AREAS ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF LOWER MICHIGAN. THE SNOW
SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME LOCALLY HEAVY AND COULD BRING A FEW
INCHES OF SNOW TO SOME LOCAL AREAS. THE SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE
INTO THE EVENING HOURS BEFORE MOVING SOUTH AND WEST OF THE AREA
TOWARD DAYBREAK TUESDAY MORNING.
COLDER AIR WILL MOVE IN FOR TUESDAY ALONG WITH SOME POSSIBLE
SUNSHINE FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THE AREA WILL SEE A COUPLE OF
WAVES OF LOW PRESSURE THEN MOVE IN FOR CHRISTMAS DAY AND ON
THURSDAY. THIS WILL BRING MORE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS TO THE
AREA...ESPECIALLY FOR AREAS NEAR THE LAKESHORE.
&&
.UPDATE...
ISSUED AT 1018 AM EST MON DEC 23 2013
WILL BE EXPANDING THE ADVISORY TO INCLUDE MUSKEGON AND KENT
COUNTIES. THE THREAT FOR HEAVY SNOW HAS DECREASED SOMEWHAT OVER VAN
BUREN AND KALAMAZOO...BUT WILL KEEP THEM IN THE ADVISORY.
RADAR INDICATES THE BEGINNINGS OF A DOMINANT SNOW BAND EXTENDING
SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE HOLLAND AREA. THIS IS CONSIDERABLY FARTHER
NORTH THAN PREVIOUS THINKING. RADAR RETURNS ARE STARTING TO SPREAD
TO THE NORTHWEST OVER LAKE MICHIGAN...SUGGESTING THAT THE DEPTH OF
THE BAND IS INCREASING WITH INVERSION HEIGHTS AHEAD OF THE UPPER
TROUGH APPROACHING FROM THE MIDWEST.
THIS BAND IS EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY AND WILL LIKELY UNDULATE. RADAR
ALREADY SUGGESTS A MESOLOW TRYING TO FORM WEST OF MUSKEGON. A
CONSENSUS OF SIMULATED REFLECTIVITY IN THE HIGH RESOLUTION MODELS
SUGGESTS THAT THE BAND WILL LIFT NORTH TOWARDS MUSKEGON AND KENT
COUNTY DURING THE COURSE OF THE DAY. A PARTICULARLY INTERESTING TIME
FRAME WILL BE EARLY TONIGHT WHEN THE HRRR AND DOWNSCALED NAM BRING A
PRONOUNCED MESOLOW ACROSS MUSKEGON AND KENT COUNTIES WITH A LIKELY
ENHANCED BURST OF SNOW.
&&
.SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY)
ISSUED AT 330 AM EST MON DEC 23 2013
THE MAIN CONCERN IN THE SHORT TERM IS THE POTENTIAL LOCALLY HEAVY
SNOW BAND THAT LOOKS LIKELY TO AFFECT THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE
CWFA TODAY AND TONIGHT. WE WILL BE EXPANDING THE ADVISORY IN
COVERAGE TO INCLUDE OTTAWA AND BARRY COUNTIES. WE WILL ALSO BE
EXTENDING THE ADVISORY IN TIME TO GO THROUGH 12Z TUE. WE ARE
CONCERNED THAT MUSKEGON AND KENT COUNTIES MAY NEED TO BE INCLUDED IN
THE ADVISORY ALSO...HOWEVER WE ARE NOT QUITE CONFIDENT YET TO
INCLUDE THEM IN AT THIS TIME DUE TO UNCERTAINTY WITH THE MOVEMENT OF
THE NARROW BAND.
SNOW SHOWERS HAVE STARTED TO AFFECT THE SW CORNER OF THE CWFA
ALREADY THIS MORNING. THE SNOW SHOWERS ARE RESULTING FROM COLDER AIR
COMING ON THE NW FLOW IN PLACE. THIS NW FLOW IS ON THE SRN PERIPHERY
OF A LARGER SCALE SFC TROUGH THAT CURRENTLY IS ORIENTED FROM THE
STORM SYSTEM ACROSS THE NE U.S. ALL THE WAY TO MANITOBA. THE TROUGH
IS RESULTING FROM BOTH THE UPPER WAVE DIVING SE TOWARD THE AREA...
AND A CONTRIBUTION FROM THE GREAT LAKES.
WE EXPECT THE SNOW SHOWERS TO INTENSIFY DURING THE DAY TODAY. THE
SHORTWAVE DIVING IN FROM THE NW WILL HELP TO INCREASE INVERSION
HTS TO OVER 10K FEET AND CAUSE THE SFC TROUGH TO SHARPEN UP. THIS
WILL ENHANCE THE CONVERGENCE OVER PLENTY OF OVER LAKE INSTABILITY
WITH DELTA T/S SITTING AROUND THE MID TO UPPER TEENS. ANOTHER
FACTOR FOR HEAVIER SNOW AMOUNTS IS THE BEST CONVERGENCE OCCURS IN
THE FAVORED LAYER OF THE DGZ AROUND 2-4K FT ALOFT. WE EXPECT TO
SEE SNOW SHOWERS TO BECOME HEAVY ENOUGH TO SEE LOCAL SNOWFALL
RATES OF OVER AN INCH PER HOUR UNDER THE NARROW BAND.
WE EXPECT THE BAND TO GRADUALLY SHIFT NORTH THIS AFTERNOON RESULTING
FROM THE UPPER FLOW AHEAD OF THE WAVE. THE FLOW WILL SHIFT FROM THE
NW ORIENTATION TO A MORE WNW ORIENTATION. THIS WILL SHIFT THE
HEAVIEST SNOW BAND FROM THE CURRENT LOCATION TO AT LEAST A HOLLAND
TO HASTINGS CORRIDOR. SOME OF THE HIGHER RES MODELS ARE EVEN SHOWING
THE BAND GETTING INTO A GRAND HAVEN TO SRN KENT COUNTY LINE...AND
EVEN SOME ARE TAKING THIS TO A MUSKEGON TO GR LINE. THESE BANDS ARE
QUITE TRICKY TO NAIL DOWN...BUT WHERE THEY GO CAN CAUSE QUITE AN
IMPACT IN A SHORT TIME. OUR CONFIDENCE IS HIGH ENOUGH AT THIS TIME
TO ADD IN OTTAWA AND BARRY COUNTIES FOR NOW. THERE IS SOME TIME TO
WATCH THE EVOLUTION OF THE BAND AND EXPAND THE ADVISORY FURTHER
NORTH INTO KENT AND MUSKEGON COUNTIES IF NEEDED AS IT WOULD NOT
AFFECT THOSE AREAS UNTIL AT LEAST 21Z OR SO.
THE BAND WILL END UP AT ITS FARTHEST NORTH ORIENTATION BETWEEN
00-03Z BEFORE IT THEN SINKS BACK SOUTH AND THEN EXITS THE AREA
TOWARD 12Z TUE. THIS WILL OCCUR AS THE UPPER WAVE PASSES EAST OF THE
AREA TOWARD 12Z TUE. WE CAN NOT RULE OUT AMOUNTS REACHING WARNING
CRITERIA AT LOCATIONS THAT SEE THE BANDS LAST OVER A CERTAIN AREA
THE LONGEST LIKE ALLEGAN COUNTY AND NEAR HOLLAND. WE WILL STICK WITH
THE ADVISORY AND WATCH HOW SNOWFALL TRANSPIRES.
MOST OF THE SNOW SHOWERS SHOULD TRANSITION OFFSHORE BY TUE MORNING
AS THE FLOW BECOMES NNE BEHIND THE TROUGH PASSAGE. WE ACTUALLY
EXPECT AT LEAST SOME CLEARING WHICH WOULD ALLOW TEMPS TO FALL OFF
QUITE COLD AT INLAND LOCATIONS. WE COULD SEE SOME BELOW ZERO
READINGS UP TOWARD LEOTA IF SKIES CLEAR ENOUGH. SOME SUN WILL BE
FOUND ON TUE WITH THE SFC RIDGE MOVING OVERHEAD AND STRONG
SUBSIDENCE BUILDING IN BETWEEN THE TWO UPPER WAVES. SOME LIGHT SNOW
SHOWERS MAY MOVE INLAND ON TUE AS THE LOW LEVEL FLOW BECOMES WRLY
WITH THE RIDGE.
.LONG TERM...(TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY)
ISSUED AT 330 AM EST MON DEC 23 2013
MORE ACCUMULATING LAKE EFFECT/ENHANCED SNOW IS EXPECTED STARTING
LATE CHRISTMAS EVE AND CONTINUING CHRISTMAS DAY AND THURSDAY. THIS
IS FUELED BY A SERIES OF SHORTWAVES ASSOCIATED WITH A 120 KT UPPER
LEVEL JET DIVING SE FROM WRN CANADA. TOTAL NEW SNOWFALL DURING THIS
48 HOUR PERIOD COULD EASILY EXCEED SIX INCHES WEST OF A CADILLAC TO
KALAMAZOO LINE.
THE FIRST BATCH OF SNOW FOR LATE CHRISTMAS EVE INTO CHRISTMAS
MORNING IS A COMBINATION OF WARM ADVECTION SNOW WITH SSW FLOW LAKE
ENHANCEMENT. SEVERAL INCHES OF ACCUMULATION ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE
LK MI COAST NORTH OF HOLLAND DURING THIS TIME.
THEN A FAIRLY POTENT SHORTWAVE FOLLOWS IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THIS
STARTING LATE CHRISTMAS DAY AND LASTING INTO THURSDAY. MEAN FLOW
DURING THIS PERIOD IS WESTERLY BRINGING ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS
ALONG AND WEST OF HIGHWAY 131. MORE LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS ARE
POSSIBLE THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY AS A FINAL NRN STREAM SHORTWAVE
COMES THROUGH BEFORE THE UPPER FLOW GOES BRIEFLY ZONAL.
SATURDAY CONTINUES TO LOOK LIKE A MILDER DAY AS H8 TEMPS ABOVE ZERO
ARRIVE FROM THE WEST AS A LOW MOVES EAST ACROSS LK SUPERIOR. THE
WARM UP SHOULD BE RATHER BRIEF HOWEVER AS MODELS SHOW MORE -20C H8
AIR SWEEPING IN ON SUNDAY OR SUNDAY NIGHT. THIS OUGHT TO GET THE
LAKE EFFECT CRANKED UP AGAIN.
&&
.AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z TUESDAY MORNING)
ISSUED AT 703 AM EST MON DEC 23 2013
THE MAIN FOCUS WILL BE ON A NARROW BAND OF HEAVY LAKE EFFECT SNOW
TODAY AND TONIGHT WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT IMPACT THE MKG AND GRR
TERMINALS.
CONFIDENCE IS LOW... BUT IT COULD BECOME ORIENTED FROM MKG TO GRR
LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND BRING SEVERAL HOURS OF
IFR/LIFR VSBYS IN MDT TO HVY SNOW. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THE
BAND WILL EXTEND WELL EAST INTO THE LAN AREA ALTHOUGH IT PROBABLY
WOULD NOT BE AS INTENSE THERE.
THE WEST-EAST ORIENTED BAND SHOULD MOVE SOUTHWARD AFTER 06Z TONIGHT
AND BEGIN IMPACTING AZO/BTL/JXN WHILE SNOW ENDS AT MKG/GRR/LAN.
OUTSIDE OF THE POTENTIAL INTENSE BAND OF SNOW TODAY AND TONIGHT...
MVFR SHOULD BE THE PREDOMINATE FLIGHT CATEGORY WITH CIGS 1500-2500
FEET AND SCATTERED/OCNL LIGHT SNOW REDUCING VSBYS TO 3-5 MILES.
&&
.MARINE...
ISSUED AT 419 AM EST MON DEC 23 2013
WE HAVE ISSUED A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR THE SOUTHERN TWO MARINE
ZONES. WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL COME UP ENOUGH TODAY TO
REQUIRE A HEADLINE.
THE NEXT HEADLINE WILL COME ON TUESDAY NIGHT AND INTO CHRISTMAS DAY.
A SOLID SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY AND POSSIBLE GALE WILL OCCUR AHEAD OF
THE CLIPPER SYSTEM EXPECTED TO MOVE IN AT THAT TIME.
&&
.HYDROLOGY...
ISSUED AT 857 AM EST MON DEC 23 2013
ARCTIC AIR RETURNS TODAY AND RIVERS ARE EXPECTED TO LOCK BACK IN
PLACE WITH ICE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THIS SHOULD SERVE TO
STABILIZE LEVELS. RELATIVELY FLAT ICE ON RIVERS IS A SIGN WATER IS
FLOWING RELATIVELY SMOOTHLY BENEATH. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN
BELOW FREEZING...AND WILL RESULT IN CONTINUED ICE GROWTH ON RIVERS
IN SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. UNDER THESE CONDITIONS THE THREAT FOR
ICE JAMS IS LOW.
&&
.GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MI...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EST TUESDAY FOR MIZ056-064-
071-072.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EST TUESDAY FOR MIZ050-057-
065.
LM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 1 PM EST TUESDAY FOR LMZ844-845.
&&
UPDATE...TJT
SYNOPSIS...NJJ
SHORT TERM...NJJ
LONG TERM...MEADE
AVIATION...MEADE
HYDROLOGY...WALTON
MARINE...NJJHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 430 AM EST MON DEC 23 2013 MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-240845- MASON-LAKE-OSCEOLA-CLARE-OCEANA-NEWAYGO-MECOSTA-ISABELLA-MUSKEGON- MONTCALM-GRATIOT-OTTAWA-KENT-IONIA-CLINTON-ALLEGAN-BARRY-EATON- INGHAM-VAN BUREN-KALAMAZOO-CALHOUN-JACKSON- 430 AM EST MON DEC 23 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT HEAVY ICE REMAINS ON TREES AND POWER LINES SOUTH OF A LINE FROM MUSKEGON TO ALMA...WITH WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES CONTINUING. WATCH FOR FALLING TREE LIMBS AND STAY AWAY FROM DOWNED LINES. LOCALIZED SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO 8 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE SOUTH AND WEST OF GRAND RAPIDS TODAY AND TONIGHT. SNOWFALL RATES OF OVER AN INCH PER HOUR AND WHITEOUTS COULD DISRUPT TRAVEL ON I-196 AS WELL AS ON I-94 WEST OF BATTLE CREEK AND U.S. 131 SOUTH OF GRAND RAPIDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO REMAIN BELOW FREEZING THROUGH FRIDAY SO ICE WILL PROBABLY CONTINUE TO COAT TREE LIMBS ALL WEEK. STRONGER WINDS ARE EXPECTED FOR CHRISTMAS DAY AND THURSDAY WHICH COULD AGGRAVATE THE POWER OUTAGE SITUATION. MORE ACCUMULATING SNOW IS EXPECTED ALONG AND WEST OF A CADILLAC TO GRAND RAPIDS TO KALAMAZOO LINE STARTING LATE CHRISTMAS EVE... CONTINUING THROUGH CHRISTMAS DAY AND THURSDAY. ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS DURING THIS TIME MAY EXCEED SIX INCHES WITH TRAVEL IMPACTS LIKELY. RIVER ICE JAM FLOODING IS POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. LMZ844>849-240845- 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- 430 AM EST MON DEC 23 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WINDS AND WAVES WILL BE HAZARDOUS TO SMALL CRAFT SOUTH OF HOLLAND TODAY AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY WINDS AND WAVES WILL BE HAZARDOUS TO SMALL CRAFT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. MEADE
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 winter weather, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Up to 18 inches was measured one mile south southwest of Holton, with 17.5 inches at Twin Lake and 17 inches reported at Lakewood Club. 12 inches or more was experienced across most of the county.
Up to around 8 inches of snow fell, with heaviest amounts near Grand Haven over extreme northwest Ottawa county.
Over 8 inches of snow was reported in Fremont, with heaviest lake effect snow impacting southwestern Newaygo county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, December 2013
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: 488941, 488942, 488945.