We have some light snow falling this morning, adding an inch or so to the snowpack. We had a quick 6-inch snowfall yesterday morning between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. I have had my lawn tractor out plowing the past three days. Yesterday morning, I spent 2.5 hours plowing out 3 driveways in the neighborhood.
As of yesterday we have 20.2 inches of snow for the month and 43.6 inches since November 21. We had 24.9 inches last season during the same period. We have already surpassed last year’s 33 inches.
A typical January day in Southwest Michigan is expected today with mostly cloudy skies, a few flurries, cold temperatures in the 20s for highs, and a brisk westerly wind to make it feel a bit colder. Wind chill values will dip into the single digits. Another round of light snow is expected tonight into Thursday morning.
Weather History
1972: Muskegon falls to 12 below zero to set a record low. The temperature only rises to 4 below zero on this day, the coldest high temperature on record for the month of January at Muskegon. It is also the coldest high temperature for January at Grand Rapids, where the maximum is three below zero.
1984: Lansing plunges to 25 below zero and Grand Rapids falls to 14 below during a stretch of arctic cold. Temperatures are below zero for eight straight days at Lansing between the 14th and the 21st.
On January 15, 1972, the daytime temperature rose to only -3 degrees in Flint. This is the second coldest maximum temperature recorded in the city of Flint!
Also on January 15, 2007, an ice storm hit the greater Flint and Metro Detroit areas. Over 150,000 customers were without power due to the ice accumulations. The storm caused an estimated $2 million in damages. The same storm also left the Tri-Cities and Thumb regions with 4 to 6 inches of snow.
Forecast Discussion
- Snow showers diminishing today Light westerly flow lake effect snow showers will continue in progress this morning with h8 temps of -14 to -16 C yielding delta t/s in the upper teens. However they will gradually diminish through the day as upper flow becomes anticyclonic as upper ridging builds in. - Light snow tonight into Thursday then milder through Friday The combination of sw flow waa/moisture advection and upper shortwave moving in from the nw will combine to bring light lake enhanced synoptic snow tonight into Thursday morning. Light accumulations of mostly around an inch or less are expeted near to east of US-131. Amounts closer to two inches are expected west of US-131 due to some lake enhancement and isolated totals to near three inches are possible. A brief period of dz/fzdz may occur Thursday aftn as the dgz becomes unsaturated as deeper moisture moves out. Overall though any impacts from this system should be minor and we do not anticipate needing any headlines for this relatively weak system. High temps by Thursday and Friday will reach the low to mid 30s before a cold front moves through Friday night with colder air to follow beginning Saturday. - Arctic air and light snow showers first half of next week A medium range guidance consensus and ensembles continue to indicate an arctic airmass will move in Sunday through the middle of next week. H8 temps will get down to -24 to -26 C by Monday into Tuesday. As such high temps both days will be in the single digits to near 10 degrees above zero. Any snow accumulations early next week will be light given the dry and very cold arctic airmass in place. Snow microphysics at temps this cold will favor very small snow crystal structures in the form of mostly plates and columns rather than larger dendrites.
The snow just keeps coming and coming and coming! Incredible!
Coldest air in 5 or 6 years coming next week definitely will fire lake Michigan up for what ?? More snow I bet …Get a safe plan going now…INDY
The lake effect machine looks to get going again that would result in very slick travel with salt not being very effective!
Yes good point Kyle…. I’m getting concerned for Monday through Wednesday for lots of lake effect snows we could be seeing WSW for west Michigan… it’s time to get prepared …INDY
Agree and who said mild and dry January? Incredible winter so far! Rock n Roll will never die!!!!!!
In looking at the CPC long range guess it looks to stay cold and dry. So bottom like the cold will stick around and there are no snowstorms on the long range.
Slim
What a winter! Wow!!!!
Still looking cold and dry for the next 14 days or more.
Slim
I disagree! We will be seeing plenty of snow the rest of this month! In fact our above normal snowfall will keep going up! Wow!
The last time I checked lake effect snow counts! 12 to 24 inches for GR is on the way! Get prepared now!
THE GRAND RAPIDS CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 14 2025 The H/L low was 19/10 there was 1.8” of snowfall and there was 6” on the ground. The highest wind gust was 25 MPH out of the NW the sun was out 30% of the possible time. For today the average H/L is 31/19 the record high of 57 was in 1949 the coldest high of -3 was in 1972 the record low of -15 was in 1972 the warmest low of 41 was in 1894. The wettest was 0.54” in 1960 the most snowfall of 5.8” was in 1997 the… Read more »