Clothing optional does not apply today and would be downright dangerous unless one is a polar bear. We have -3 in Grand Rapids and -8 in Kalamazoo at 6am – this range seems to be fairly consistent across the state. Wind chills are expected to be down to -40° or more with ambient temps around 0°.
In Wisconsin the temps are in the negative double digits with many 20 to 30 below readings. Freezing temps have made it as far south as Dallas, Baton Rouge and Tallahassee.
Our winter storm warning continues through tomorrow at 1pm with another 2 to 5 inches of snow and windchill’s down to 40 below. Even wearing my Arctic wear yesterday I could feel the cold permeate through them – not a time to stand around admiring the scenery for sure.
Temps will do a reversal by the weekend as we will see them rise into the 30s and 40s for a few days which will seem like a heat wave….
Weather History
January 27
1967: Chicago’s greatest snowstorm on record also extends into Lower Michigan, where Battle Creek records 28.6 inches of snow. The storm total at Lansing is 23 inches and 18 inches at Grand Rapids.
1994: A snow and ice storm brings travel to a halt across Lower Michigan. Freezing rain causes widespread power outages and results in 5 million dollars damage.
January 28
1977: Buffalo, New York is hit with the worst blizzard in its history. Meanwhile, lake effect snow squalls also pummel areas in western Lower Michigan with more than a foot of fresh snow being piled into huge drifts by strong winds.
January 29
1909: A snowstorm dumps from 6 to 10 inches of snow across southern Lower Michigan.
1966: A week long cold snap reaches its lowest point as temperatures fall to record lows of 16 below zero at Grand Rapids and 12 below at Muskegon.
January 30
1951: A huge arctic high pressure center moves south from Canada all the way to the Gulf of Mexico and brings snow to Florida. Temperatures fall to record lows in Lower Michigan. Grand Rapids sets their all-time record January low of 22 degrees below zero. Baldwin, Michigan plunges to 37 below zero.
2008: Rain changes to snow as an arctic cold front brings a flash freeze to lower Michigan during the night of the 29th, leaving a sheet of ice on the roads. Temperatures fall from the upper 40s to the single numbers, with occasional blinding white-out conditions in falling and blowing snow. There were numerous traffic accidents and some roads were closed for a time. School and event cancellations were widespread, and there were also sporadic power outages.
January 31
1914: A snowstorm drops from 6 to 14 inches of snow across southern Lower Michigan.
1977: One of the coldest months on record comes to a close with yet more arctic air and lake effect snow. High temperatures are only in the teens during the last week of the month with 2 to 4 feet of snow piled up along the Lake Michigan snow belts.
February 1
1918: February opens on a frigid note during one of the most severe winters in history across the central and eastern United States. Muskegon tumbles to a record cold 22 degrees below zero and Lansing also sets a record with 16 below.
February 2
1868: It is a chilly Groundhog Day as Lansing sets their all-time record low with a reading of 37 below zero.
Incredible stretch of winter weather!
It’s still snowing out at the YARDofBRICKS I have lost count on how many hours straight.. Crazzy INDY!
You are getting close to 70 straight hours! Incredible!
It has snowed all week so far and it is only Wed. Kids don’t have school here tomorrow. The snow is one thing but what I don’t care for are these brutal temps. Too cold.
Grand Forks, ND all time record windchill -75°F.
Oh well…wzzm just called February “a write-off”. Month after month of collapsing, no where near “average” temps…as usual.
No doubt February will have below normal temps and above normal snow! Bring it!
Well the positive thing is the ridiculously horrible cold stays out west per the CPC outlooks. The other positive is that the temps look a lot better upcoming!! Nothing outrageously cold and the little cold bursts are not long lasting!
https://m.accuweather.com/en/us/grand-rapids-mi/49503/extended-weather-forecast/329374
Spring is just around the corner !
Yep, getting close now!
https://days.to/until/spring
The new cpc gives West mi below normal temps and above normal precip well into February!
We had a high of 2.5 at midnight then fell to -4.9 at daybreak. We ‘warmed’ to 1 degree around noon before falling back to -7.5 currently at 3:30. I haven’t had the courage to go outside yet to measure the snow – the dogs did that for me and they said it was deep. 🙂
I’ve got to fill the finch feeder and I’m dreading it and it’s right behind the house! The bottom of the feeder is now only a foot from the drift underneath.
Winter storm warning extended to 7pm now Thursday wow what a winter storm.. INDY!
MI has never been anything more than “the Southern Arctic”…this is what it does…year after year, decade after decade, generation after generation.
Rock on mr. negative! Now you are getting the hang of winter!
I see some models now have 50’s for Lower Michigan on Monday!
Nice !
It’s really pretty out. Not a cloud in the sky, but it’s white along the horizon from the blowing snowm
Probably for me worst 4 day winter storm I can remember in GR with everything going on I was to little to remember the blizzard of 78 so I’m thinking so ..stay safe MV’S best ..INDY!!
Last time GR public was closed for a week was the Blizzard of 78 crazzy week …INDY!
I know, right? Same here. Our office was closed today and we just received notice that we’re closed again tomorrow. Fortunately, I can do most of my work from home. All State offices will be closed again tomorrow. And no mail delivery until Friday.
My best friend is the streets and parks manger at the city of GR he called and told me he will be putting about 85 hours in this week and now they are getting worried about a major flood coming this weekend crazzy..His crazzyest week working he can remember In a long time ..Reminds him of 2014 when we had none stop snow..INDY..
It keeps snowing and snowing and snowing ..INDY!
It is looking like maybe the ground hog may not see shadow. The way it looks now February will turn warm and may stay warm until at least mid month if so then this winter will have been 1. cold snowy November 2. warm and almost no snow December to mid January a very cold and snowy 15 day period in January. Hey we shall see.
Slim
A two week winter! I’ll take it.
Me too!!
Wow what a difference Lake Michigan makes. To the south and to the west temperatures are well below zero and even here in Michigan on the east side there are clear skies and temperatures are well below zero. Here in Grand Rapids the official reading is now at zero with light snow falling and here at my house I have a temperature of +4 with heavy snow falling . I am now just under 17″ of snow on the ground (16.7)
Slim
Saw Chicago hit -27 I think it was. Nothing here compared to that!
Was that windchill? Jenison this morning had -26 I believe.
No school again tomorrow.
Wood TV8 mentioned Plainwell has received 15.4 inches since Monday.
From NWS GR: .UPDATE… Issued at 1103 AM EST Wed Jan 30 2019 No real changes to the going forecast this morning. The lake effect snow showers and wind chills have locked in, with little change expected today. Temperatures will rise ever so slightly at best, and winds will remain up through the day. This will keep the wind chills down around the -25 to -45 values. We are getting an inch or two of accumulation generally every 12 hours, with some locally higher amounts where the better bands set up. Winds will start to come down tonight slowly, as… Read more »
Month to date snowfall:
GR 27.3″
Lansing 5.6″ (a little more on this side of town)
Enjoy it westside snow lovers!
That “official” snow fall amount at GRR is on the low side for the metro GR area. I along with several other CoCoRaash observers are more in line with 16 to 17″ on the ground GRR was reporting only 10″ I will add up my totals tomorrow and post what they are for January.
Slim
You know it Slim. The official snowfall report at GR for the Monday storm was horrible and totally inaccurate! One of the worst jobs ever! GR had at least 6 to 8 inches for the main storm and then another 5 to 7 inches since! Just a pathetic job!
Just came in from clearing the snow. Yep, it’s cold. I retrieved my heavy duty winter gear from the basement. It wasn’t enough. My eyelashes iced up. LOL
It’s been snowing since 230am Monday morning a week to remember 20+ inches of snow with 4 foot drifts! The naked eye way to cold messsure and really who is a official measure when we have 30mph winds lol..stay warm today YARDOFBRICKS INDY!
Well, it looks like GR was +2 degrees around midnight. So much for the forecasted high temps in the negatives today.
Here comes the thaw! WOOD now has 42, 46 and 5 straight days 32 or above.
Whether it’s positive 2 or negative 2, it’s extremely cold.
One more item this AM it sure looks like we are in for a major thaw for the start of February. We will melt a lot of this snow but not all of it. In fact I think the parking lot snow piles will be with us well into March
Slim
Added information from the Grand Rapids area today’s CoCoRahs readings from Metro Grand Rapids for total snow on the ground at this time are MI-KN-33 15″ MI-KN-32 16.5″ MI-KN-14 17.0″ MI-KN-7 16.0″ MI-KN-93 16.0″ and then we have GRR coming in at a reported 10.0″ any one ever wonder if at a NWS office they send some one out to take a reading or do they have a machine do it?? my guess is they have a machine do the readings.
Slim
Here at my house I now have a temperature of -3.4° and light snow is still falling at this time. I have 6″ of new snow fall and here at my house. I have to say it looks like a winter wonder land out there this morning with snow everywhere. and the way it is on the trees, all over the cars and the window sills. I have a total of 16″ of snow on the ground at this time.
Slim
It definitely looks beautiful outside!
Weather gauge temps at my house this morning: Temp -5, Windchill -26. All I can say is brrrrrr!
It finally made it to 0 degrees (but the windchill is -18)!
At this rate by the end of this month GR will be above normal for seasonal snowfall! We are already welll above for the current month! Who would have thought?
The official readings from GRR as of 7 AM January 26.0″ since Dec 1 29.2″ for the winter season 43.1″ that is now just -5.1″ for the winter season. The latest mean temperature at GRR for January is 23.5° and that is good for -0.9° so for the month Grand Rapids is now colder than average.
Slim
Here is the updated nws snowfall map for your viewing pleasure!
The snow just keeps coming! What a week of winter weather!
http://wxcaster.com/gis-gfs-snow-overlays2.php?STATIONID=GRR