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Overview
A major winter storm with blizzard conditions impacted much of Lower Michigan just before the Christmas holiday weekend 2022. Conditions deteriorated rapidly on Thursday afternoon with snow moving into the area. Around 6 PM on Thursday December the 23rd, wind at the Grand Rapids NWS office was calm. Then, the arctic cold front came through resulting in 20 mph and gusty winds from the west. The worst conditions at Grand Rapids were between 3 PM and 6 PM on Friday December 23rd. This is when the wind was strongest, and visibility was lowest in blowing and drifting snow. Accidents and multi-car pile ups led to closures of some Interstates and Highways on Friday.
Snow
Drifting snow during blizzard conditions naturally makes it difficult to precisely measure newly fallen snow. Based on the many reports that have been sent in, it appears that the December 22 to 25 snow totals fell into roughly these ranges when averaged out, with some higher drifts. Frequent wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph (a few gusts to 55 mph) were recorded on December 23 with quarter mile visibility or less especially in West Michigan downwind of Lake Michigan, and temperatures were in the single digits to teens.
Wind
The strongest winds occurred in the afternoon and evening on Friday December 23. This is also when blowing and drifting snow was at its worst. Peak wind speeds at various locations are listed below by County. Location Speed Time/Date Lat/Lon ...Michigan... ...Allegan County... W Mich Regional Arpt 47 MPH 0514 PM 12/23 42.75N/86.10W Hopkins 37 MPH 0139 PM 12/23 42.64N/85.68W Plainwell 35 MPH 1110 PM 12/22 42.66N/85.65W Hopkins 35 MPH 1007 AM 12/23 42.59N/85.70W ...Calhoun County... Battle Creek Executive Airpo 53 MPH 0124 PM 12/23 42.32N/85.23W Marshall Brooks Field 40 MPH 0235 PM 12/23 42.23N/84.95W ...Clinton County... Lansing 51 MPH 1238 PM 12/23 42.78N/84.58W ...Eaton County... Charlotte Fitch Beach Arpt 39 MPH 0335 PM 12/23 42.57N/84.82W ...Gratiot County... Alma 43 MPH 0215 PM 12/23 43.32N/84.68W ...Ingham County... 1.8 S East Lansing (MAWN) 41 MPH 0300 PM 12/23 42.71N/84.48W Mason Jewett Arpt 39 MPH 0635 AM 12/23 42.57N/84.42W 3.2 NE Holt (MAWN) 37 MPH 1200 PM 12/23 42.67N/84.49W ...Ionia County... Ionia County Arpt 41 MPH 1235 PM 12/23 42.93N/85.07W 4.4 NW Smyrna (MAWN) 41 MPH 0200 PM 12/23 43.11N/85.31W 2.4 NW Clarksville (MAWN) 38 MPH 0600 PM 12/23 42.87N/85.26W ...Isabella County... Shepherd 41 MPH 0145 PM 12/23 43.47N/84.67W Mt Pleasant Muni Arpt 40 MPH 0535 PM 12/23 43.62N/84.73W Mount Pleasant 36 MPH 0610 PM 12/23 43.59N/84.77W Mount Pleasant 35 MPH 0305 PM 12/23 43.58N/84.77W ...Jackson County... Jackson County-Reynolds Fiel 45 MPH 0802 AM 12/23 42.27N/84.47W ...Kalamazoo County... Kalamazoo/BC Intl Airport 43 MPH 1243 PM 12/23 42.23N/85.55W Fulton 35 MPH 0108 PM 12/23 42.12N/85.37W ...Kent County... 1 W Sand Lake 49 MPH 0120 PM 12/23 43.29N/85.54W Gerald R Ford Intl 45 MPH 0422 PM 12/23 42.88N/85.52W Cedar Springs 37 MPH 1227 PM 12/23 43.19N/85.51W Cedar Springs 37 MPH 1238 PM 12/23 43.20N/85.59W 2.0 NW Sparta (MAWN) 35 MPH 0100 PM 12/23 43.18N/85.74W 3.2 NW Comstock Park (MAWN) 35 MPH 0700 PM 12/23 43.07N/85.72W ...Mason County... Ludington Mason County Arpt 38 MPH 0515 PM 12/23 43.97N/86.40W Ludington 37 MPH 0642 PM 12/23 43.95N/86.44W ...Mecosta County... 1.8 N Sylvester (MAWN) 37 MPH 0300 PM 12/23 43.57N/85.24W Big Rapids Roben-hood Arpt 36 MPH 1255 PM 12/23 43.72N/85.50W ...Montcalm County... 1.1 W Entrican (MAWN) 41 MPH 0100 PM 12/23 43.35N/85.18W ...Muskegon County... Norton Shores 56 MPH 0455 PM 12/23 43.17N/86.26W Muskegon County Airport 52 MPH 0637 PM 12/23 43.17N/86.23W Muskegon Pier 51 MPH 0520 PM 12/23 43.23N/86.34W ...Oceana County... Shelby 52 MPH 0655 PM 12/23 43.62N/86.54W Pentwater 47 MPH 0615 PM 12/23 43.81N/86.38W Pentwater 42 MPH 0545 PM 12/23 43.78N/86.43W 2 NE Shelby 36 MPH 0540 PM 12/23 43.64N/86.33W ...Osceola County... Evart 37 MPH 0413 PM 12/23 43.90N/85.25W ...Ottawa County... Holland Harbor 48 MPH 1242 PM 12/23 42.77N/86.20W ...Van Buren County... South Haven Rgnl Arpt 40 MPH 0615 PM 12/23 42.35N/86.25W 0.9 SE Lawton (MAWN) 39 MPH 0400 PM 12/23 42.16N/85.83W ...Maritime Stations... Saugatuck Pier 62 MPH 0233 PM 12/23 42.68N/86.22W Grand Haven Light 56 MPH 0839 AM 12/23 43.06N/86.26W South Haven 55 MPH 0900 AM 12/23 42.40N/86.29W St. Joseph Pier 45 MPH 0635 AM 12/23 42.12N/86.49W Observations are collected from a variety of sources with varying equipment and exposures. We thank all volunteer weather observers for their dedication. Not all data listed are considered official.
Photos & Video
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Various Traffic CAMs Friday 12/23/22 around 10 AM
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Pile-Up on EB-I94 near Watervilet, MI Friday 12/23/22
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MiDrive Incident Map at Noon Friday, 12/23/22 |
12/26 Hamilton MI After the Storm
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Radar
Storm Reports
Public Information Statement National Weather Service Grand Rapids MI 1236 PM EST Sun Dec 25 2022 ...72 HOUR SNOWFALL REPORTS... Location Amount Time/Date Lat/Lon ...Michigan... ...Allegan County... Plainwell 0.5 WSW 14.8 in 0700 AM 12/25 42.44N/85.65W Holland 5.3 WSW 14.6 in 0800 AM 12/25 42.75N/86.20W Otsego 0.9 WNW 11.0 in 1201 AM 12/25 42.46N/85.71W ...Barry County... Hastings 7.6 in 0700 AM 12/25 42.65N/85.30W Plainwell 5.4 E 7.3 in 0800 AM 12/25 42.45N/85.54W ...Calhoun County... Springfield 0.6 WNW 7.0 in 0800 AM 12/25 42.33N/85.25W ...Clinton County... Laingsburg 2.1 NW 9.0 in 0800 AM 12/25 42.91N/84.38W Laingsburg 2.1 NNW 5.0 in 0900 AM 12/25 42.92N/84.37W Saint Johns 3.5 in 0900 AM 12/25 43.02N/84.55W ...Eaton County... Lansing 4.7 NW 11.5 in 0700 AM 12/25 42.75N/84.62W 1.3 NW Grand Ledge 5.0 in 0700 AM 12/25 42.77N/84.77W ...Gratiot County... Alma 0.3 NW 4.0 in 0700 AM 12/25 43.38N/84.66W ...Ingham County... Okemos 0.6 ESE 14.1 in 0700 AM 12/25 42.71N/84.40W Williamston 4.0 ESE 9.3 in 0800 AM 12/25 42.66N/84.22W Lansing 1.0 ENE 8.0 in 0800 AM 12/25 42.71N/84.53W ...Ionia County... Saranac 2.6 NE 8.9 in 0630 AM 12/25 42.96N/85.17W Ionia 3 W 4.3 in 0700 AM 12/25 42.98N/85.12W ...Isabella County... Mount Pleasant 1.4 S 4.2 in 0700 AM 12/25 43.58N/84.77W 4 SSE Shepherd 3.5 in 0700 AM 12/25 43.47N/84.67W ...Jackson County... Jackson 3.2 W 4.0 in 0700 AM 12/25 42.24N/84.47W Hanover 3.8 W 1.6 in 0737 AM 12/25 42.11N/84.63W ...Kalamazoo County... Portage 5.6 E 6.0 in 0800 AM 12/25 42.21N/85.48W ...Kent County... Grand Rapids 2.9 NW 25.5 in 0700 AM 12/25 42.99N/85.69W Grandville 1.3 WSW 22.7 in 0800 AM 12/25 42.90N/85.78W NWS Grand Rapids 22.7 in 0700 AM 12/25 42.89N/85.54W Grandville 22.5 in 0700 AM 12/25 42.90N/85.76W East Grand Rapids 19.3 in 0700 AM 12/25 42.94N/85.61W Caledonia 4.4 WNW 13.5 in 0720 AM 12/25 42.83N/85.59W Grand Rapids 2.5 ENE 10.0 in 0700 AM 12/25 42.97N/85.61W Ada 1.8 W 10.0 in 0845 AM 12/25 42.95N/85.53W Ada 0.7 SE 9.8 in 0700 AM 12/25 42.95N/85.48W Belmont 1.0 WNW 9.6 in 0700 AM 12/25 43.08N/85.63W ...Mecosta County... Big Rapids Water Works 9.0 in 0700 AM 12/25 43.70N/85.48W Big Rapids 3.1 SE 4.1 in 0700 AM 12/25 43.68N/85.44W ...Newaygo County... 1.2 N Brunswick 10.5 in 0730 AM 12/25 43.45N/86.03W White Cloud 7.5 ENE 6.1 in 0700 AM 12/25 43.61N/85.64W ...Ottawa County... Walker 5.1 W 15.4 in 0700 AM 12/25 42.99N/85.85W Holland 3.9 NNE 15.0 in 0600 AM 12/25 42.82N/86.07W Holland 4.2 NW 15.0 in 0700 AM 12/25 42.82N/86.15W Holland 4.3 NNW 9.5 in 0700 AM 12/25 42.82N/86.15W Holland Water Treatment 5.0 in 0600 AM 12/25 42.80N/86.12W ...Van Buren County... Gobles 1.0 ESE 15.0 in 0834 AM 12/25 42.36N/85.86W Paw Paw 2.0 NE 13.5 in 0700 AM 12/25 42.24N/85.86W Paw Paw 3.6 NNE 13.0 in 0715 AM 12/25 42.27N/85.86W Observations are collected from a variety of sources with varying equipment and exposures. We thank all volunteer weather observers for their dedication. Not all data listed are considered official. Significant drifting snow up to 4 feet occurred and measurements should not be considered precise.
Storm Environment
Slow moving surface low pressure deepened rapidly Thursday night and Friday just east and northeast of Michigan, with bitter cold Arctic air flowing into the region from the west around the south side of the low. The Arctic air mass crossing the warmer waters of Lake Michigan created heavy lake effect snow and the strong winds carried the accumulating snow well inland. The snow was easily lofted by the gusty winds causing frequent whiteouts and drifting snow.
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Figure 1: Surface Pressure Analysis Friday 12/23, 4 PM EST
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Figure 2: Surface Observations Friday 12/23, 4PM EST
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Figure 3: Observed Wind Gusts (Knots) Friday 12/23, 4PM EST
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