We are now at the halfway point of January 2025 according to The Accumulated Winter Season Severity Index all the locations in southern Lower Michigan are having a moderate winter so far. Here in Grand Rapids, we are near the border line of moderate/average. All major locations according to the index in southern lower Michigan are in the moderate level with Alpena and Cheboygan in the mild range. To the west of us all locations in Wisconsin are in the mild range. Here is a link to the site. as
https://mrcc.purdue.edu/research/awssi
So far January 2025 at Grand Rapids has a mean of 22.4 that is a departure from average of -3.1 the highest so far this month is 40 on the 17th the lowest so far is 8 on the 9th There has been a total of 0.75” of precipitation that is a departure of -0.70” there has been a total of 139” of snowfall that is a departure of +1.5”
If it indeed gets as cold as advertised on Monday into Tuesday we will have to keep a eye on underground water pipes freezing that could happen with the little snow cover we have and with the streets being bare.
THE GRAND RAPIDS CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 17, 2025
The H/L was 40/19 there was no rain/snowfall the day started with 5” of snow on the ground. There was 62% of possible sunshine. For today the average H/L is 31/18 the record high of 60 was in 1996 the coldest high of 0 was in 1994. The record low of -15 was in 1994 the warmest low of 46 was in 1973. The wettest was 1.20” in 1949 the most snowfall was 8.0” in 1960 the most on the ground was 23” in 1976.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
357 AM EST SAT JAN 18 2025
KEY MESSAGES
– LAKE EFFECT SNOW BEGINS SATURDAY
– VERY COLD TEMPERATURES EARLY NEXT WEEK
– MODERATING TEMPS AND ADDITIONAL SNOW CHANCES LATE NEXT WEEK
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 256 AM EST SAT JAN 18 2025
– LAKE EFFECT SNOW BEGINS SATURDAY
LIGHT RAIN ACROSS OUR SOUTHEASTERN CWA WILL CHANGE OVER TO SNOW OVER
THE NEXT FEW HOURS BEFORE DIMINISHING MID-MORNING. THIS
PRECIPITATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH A COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY THAT MARKS
THE START OF OUR ARCTIC AIR INTRUSION.
BEHIND THE FRONT 850MB TEMPS TO FALL INTO THE NEGATIVE MID TEENS
TODAY WHICH GENERATING SUFFICIENT OVER-LAKE INSTABILITY FOR LAKE
EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS. HOWEVER, 700MB RIDGING KEEPS INVERSION HEIGHTS
AOB 5KFT THROUGH THE DAY KEEPING THE SHOWERS WEAK. ACCUMULATIONS
WILL BE LIGHT, UNDER 1 INCH, THROUGH THE EVENING AND MAINLY CONFINED
TO THE LAKESHORE GIVEN A NNW FLOW PATTERN.
THE ARRIVAL OF A MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE LEADS TO MORE ROBUST LAKE
EFFECT SNOW BEGINNING SATURDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL BE A LONG DURATION
SNOW EVENT WITH TWO PHASES.
THE FIRST PHASE BEGINS TONIGHT WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE MID-LEVEL
WAVE INCREASING INVERSION HEIGHTS TO 10-15 KFT. HOWEVER, THIS ALSO
COINCIDES WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE COLDEST AIR (850MB TEMPS IN THE
MINUS 20 TO 30 RANGE) CAUSING THE DGZ TO FALL TO THE GROUND BELOW
THE CLOUD LAYER. NNW FLOW BECOMES NORTHWEST BY SUNDAY EVENING
KEEPING THE MOST SIGNIFICANT LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY TO
THE LAKESHORE COUNTIES. ACCUMULATIONS THROUGH THIS TIME WILL BE ON
THE ORDER OF 4-6 INCHES WHERE THE HEAVIER BANDS SET UP WITH LOCALLY
HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. HAVE ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR
ALL OF OUR LAKESHORE COUNTIES BEGINNING THIS EVENING FOR THIS
PORTION OF THE EVENT.
SUNDAY EVENING THE EASTWARD PROGRESSION OF A PLAINS HIGH CAUSES
WINDS TO BECOME MORE WESTERLY AND MARKING THE TRANSITION TO THE
SECOND PHASE. COMBINED WITH SUFFICIENT LOW-LEVEL INSTABILITY LAKE
EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS WILL EXPAND FURTHER INLAND THROUGH LATER
TUESDAY. GIVEN THIS IS 36-48 HOURS FROM NOW IT IS A BIT SOON TO
CONSIDER ANY HEADLINES FOR THIS SECOND PHASE OF THE EVENT.
THROUGHOUT THE EVENT SMALL FLAKES WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES, AND WHEN
THE DRY SNOW COMBINES WITH 20-25 MPH WIND GUSTS BLOWING AND DRIFTING
SNOW WILL ONLY MAKE THIS WORSE. TRAVEL IMPACTS ARE LIKELY BETWEEN
THE SNOW, BLOWING SNOW, AND BITTIER COLD LIMITING ROAD SALT’S
EFFICACY. BY THE TIME ALL IS SAID AND DONE WEDNESDAY IT IS POSSIBLE
SOME AREAS NEAR THE LAKESHORE SEE DOUBLE DIGIT SNOWFALL. HOWEVER
GIVEN THIS IS SPREAD OUT OVER SEVERAL DAYS, ACCUMULATIONS OVER ANY
GIVEN 24 HOUR WINDOW LOOK TO BE LIMITED TO HIGH-END ADVISORY LEVELS.
– VERY COLD TEMPERATURES EARLY NEXT WEEK
AS ALLUDED TO IN THE SNOW SECTION, COLD WILL ALSO CREATE IMPACTS FOR
THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK. BEHIND THE AFOREMENTIONED COLD FRONT
TEMPS FALL INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS THIS AFTERNOON AND LIKELY REMAIN
THERE THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. OVERNIGHT LOWS FALL NEAR TO BELOW
ZERO TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY MORNINGS, ESPECIALLY WHERE ANY BREAKS IN
LAKE EFFECT CLOUD COVER DEVELOP.
AREAS AWAY FROM LAKE INFLUENCE WILL LIKELY SEE WIND CHILLS OF -15F
TO -25F SO COLD WEATHER ADVISORY POTENTIAL WILL NEED TO BE EVALUATED
FOR SUBSEQUENT SHIFTS. WHILE STILL BITTER, WIND CHILLS WILL BE
SLIGHTLY “WARMER” NEAR THE IMMEDIATE LAKESHORE WHERE LAKE INFLUENCE
AND CLOUD COVER WILL BE HIGHEST. THERE IS A 20-30% CHANCE THAT WIND
CHILLS IN AREAS NEAR THE US127 CORRIDOR DIP BELOW OUR -25F EXTREME
COLD WARNING CRITERIA IF SUFFICIENT CLEARING OCCURS. GIVEN CLOUD
COVER UNCERTAINTY, THE COLDEST WIND CHILLS BEING 72+ HOURS OUT,
AND LOW PROBABILITY OF OCCURRENCE, WILL NOT BE ISSUING AN EXTREME
COLD WATCH. HOWEVER THIS POTENTIAL WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED OVER
THE COMING DAYS.
– MODERATING TEMPS AND ADDITIONAL SNOW CHANCES LATE NEXT WEEK
THE MAIN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH MOVES EAST WEDNESDAY ALLOWING HIGHS TO
CLIMB BACK INTO THE 20S FOR THE BACK HALF OF THE WEEK. ADDITIONAL
SNOW CHANCES ARE POSSIBLE AS SEVERAL SHORTWAVES CROSS THE AREA, WITH
850MB TEMPS NEAR -10 PROVIDING ENOUGH INSTABILITY FOR LAKE
EFFECT/ENHANCED SNOWFALL. GIVEN 1000-850MB FLOW WILL BE
PREDOMINANTLY FROM THE SOUTHWEST, THE NORTHWEST PORTION OF THE CWA
WILL HAVE THE GREATEST SNOW CHANCES.
Detailed Forecast For Grand Rapids
Today
A slight chance of snow showers before 7am, then a slight chance of snow showers after 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a temperature falling to around 23 by 5pm. North northwest wind 11 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Tonight
A 30 percent chance of snow showers, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 12. North northwest wind 6 to 9 mph.
Sunday
Snow showers likely, mainly after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 15. Wind chill values as low as zero. North wind 7 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Sunday Night
Snow showers likely, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 3. Wind chill values as low as -9. West northwest wind 8 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
M.L.King Day
Snow showers likely. Mostly cloudy and cold, with a high near 7. West wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of around an inch possible.
Monday Night
Snow showers likely, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around -2. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of around 2 inches.
Tuesday
Snow showers likely, mainly before 1pm. Mostly cloudy and cold, with a high near 5. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Tuesday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around -4.
Wednesday
A chance of snow showers after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 18.
Wednesday Night
A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 12.
Thursday
A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 26.
Thursday Night
A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 16.
Friday
A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 26.
Great winter so far! Above normal snowfall and now colder! January thaw lasted only 2 days! Multiple WWA’s, great skiing, ice fishing is getting reeved up now the Polar Vortex! This could go down as the hardest winter so far this decade! Snow cover for weeks on end and snow almost every day this month! The short, mid and
long range continue to hammer us with cold and snow! Keep this cold and snow coming and coming and coming! Wow, just wow, WOW!!!!!!
Thank God for Lake Michigan

Yikes….
Thanks for the info Slim. Nice January thaw and sunshine the past couple days, grass is showing again in spots around the yard. Pretty easy first half of Winter we’ve had, get some snow then watch it melt a few days later.
I agree with Rocky a 100% … don’t forget the blowing the snow with white out conditions wind chill….Go Lions Go Winter INDY
That’s the spirit! Cold, snow and the Lions rock!
Moderate winter – what a joke! Above normal snowfall and now the polar vortex! What a winter!
>>>>>Breaking Weather Alert>>>>>>the preliminary RDB model gives GR 4 to 8 inches of snow by Wednesday! Kent county will be added to the WWA tomorrow! Get ready for cold, wind, snow, low visibilities, school closings and horrendous roads! Don’t t say you were not warned! Rock n roll will live forever!