Additional rounds of thunderstorms are expected Thursday and Thursday night across Oklahoma and north Texas, with risks for both large hail and flash flooding. Strong winds may accompany any storms from east Texas northeast through the lower Great Lakes. Read More >
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA 547 AM EST MON DEC 20 2004 ...MAJOR LAKE EFFECT SNOWSTORM BLANKETS NORTHWEST INDIANA... THE LARGEST LAKE EFFECT SNOWSTORM IN SEVERAL YEARS HIT NORTHWEST INDIANA AND PORTIONS OF EXTREME SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. A STRONG COLD FRONT CROSSED THE REGION SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THE COLDEST AIR OF THE SEASON SO FAR MOVED INTO THE REGION FOLLOWING THE COLD FRONT. THE COLD AIR MOVING ACROSS THE RELATIVELY WARM WATERS OF THE GREAT LAKES RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT LAKE EFFECT SNOW. OFF LAKE MICHIGAN NORTHWEST WINDS SATURDAY NIGHT QUICKLY SHIFTED TO THE NORTH ON SUNDAY. THIS RESULTED IN AN INTENSE SINGLE BAND OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW EXTENDING THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF LAKE MICHIGAN. THE BAND OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW CAME ONSHORE NEAR BENTON HARBOR MICHIGAN THEN SHIFTED SOUTHWEST TO WESTERN LAPORTE COUNTY AND EASTERN PORTER COUNTY. THE BAND THEN REMAINED NEARLY STATIONARY FROM LATE SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. SNOWFALL RATES WITHIN THE CENTER OF THIS INTENSE BAND OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW WERE 2 TO 3 INCHES PER HOUR. THE HEAVIEST SNOW WAS CONFINED TO A SMALL AREA OF WESTERN LAPORTE COUNTY AND EASTERN PORTER COUNTY WHERE 15 TO 25 INCHES OF SNOW FELL. THE HIGHEST ACCUMULATION WAS AT MICHIGAN CITY WITH 26 INCHES OF SNOW. ...SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN... CITY.................COUNTY.......SNOWFALL BERRIEN SPRINGS......BERRIEN.......8.0 BENTON HARBOR........BERRIEN.......7.8 EAU CLAIRE...........BERRIEN.......5.3 BUCHANAN.............BERRIEN.......4.0 NILES (EAST SIDE)....BERRIEN.......2.4 ...NORTHWEST INDIANA... MICHIGAN CITY........LAPORTE......26.0 WESTVILLE............LAPORTE......20.0 WANATAH..............LAPORTE......12.0 WANATAH 5S...........LAPORTE.......8.0 SOUTH BEND AIRPORT...ST. JOSEPH....8.0 NORTH JUDSON.........STARKE........6.0 ROLLING PRAIRIE......LAPORTE.......4.8 SOUTH BEND CITY......ST. JOSEPH....4.5 NEW CARLISLE.........ST. JOSEPH....3.0 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORTHERN INDIANA THANKS OUR VOLUNTEER SNOW SPOTTERS FOR THEIR REPORTS. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO REPORT YOUR SNOWFALL THROUGHOUT THE WINTER SEASON. $$ HITCHCOCK