More Light Snow Today

In Grand Rapids the most snowfall on any February 14^th is 7.8” in 1946 and on the 15^th, it is just 5.5” that fell in 2024. At Lansing the record snowfall on the 14^th is 4.2” in 2009 and on the 15^th it is 5.5” in 2021.

While Michigan for the most part doesn’t get many big time snowstorms in Mid-February, that is not the case in some locations. Here are some weather events in mid February’s past. All the events happened on February 14 or 15.

February 14
1895
One of the Deep South’s greatest snowstorms took place with the following reported snow totals: Rayne, LA: 24 inches, Glaveston, TX: 15 inches and 8.2 inches at New Orleans, LA.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1899
A great blizzard ended along the eastern United States giving Washington DC 20.5 inches of snow to bring their total snow depth to nearly three feet and ended here late in the evening of the 14th. The storm produced 36 inches of snow at Cape May NJ.
(Ref. Virginia Weather History)

1940
Famous Valley Storm barometer was 29.04 NW wind at 34 mph and rain changing to snow and the temperature fell to 10 °F. Valentine’s Day Blizzard hit the northeastern United States Up to a foot and a half of snow blanketed southern New England, and whole gales accompanied the heavy snow stranding many in downtown Boston.

1988
Strong northerly winds ushered arctic air into the north central United States Snow and high winds created blizzard conditions in Minnesota and the Dakotas. Winds gusted to 56 mph at Rapid City SD, and reached 65 mph at Cody WY.
(The National Weather Summary)

1989
While Valentine’s Day was a soggy one in the Ohio Valley and the Tennessee Valley, unseasonably warm weather prevailed in the southeastern United States Seventeen cities reported record high temperatures for the date as readings warmed into the 70s and 80s.
(The National Weather Summary)

1990
Valentine’s Day was a snowy one for many parts of the western and central United States five to ten inches of snow fell across Iowa. Six to 12 inches of snow blanketed northern Illinois, and strong northeasterly winds accompanied the heavy snow. Air traffic came to a halt during the evening at O’Hare Airport in Chicago, where 9.7 inches of snow was reported. More than 250 traffic accidents were reported around Des Moines IA during the evening rush hour. An ice storm glazed east central sections of Illinois, causing twelve million dollars damage in Champaign County alone. But it was warm in the Eastern United States

February 15

1958
The fifth greatest snow for Washington, DC was 14.5 inches. Baltimore, Maryland had 22 inches of snow and 5,000 people were stranded at Bowie Race Track

The storm center developed over Texas on Valentine’s Day. The storm tracked rapidly southeast into a position near Mobile out all about, on February 15, and then it recurved to the Northeast and began to intensify. The storm center past over Columbia, South Carolina and deepened quickly as it moved northeast across North Carolina and off the Virginia Capes. By midnight, of the 16th, the low was just east of the Delmarva Peninsula, with a central pressure of 28.80 inches. Between 14 to 18 inches of snow fell across the Washington area. Winds were sustained at 30 to 40 mph for several days after the storm, causing terrible drifting, in many instances to at least 6 feet. Snowfall rates during the storm were among the heaviest ever record at National Airport 11 inches of snow fell and just a 5 hour period and over 3 inches of snow fell during a one hour period. Generally, a snowfall of 10 to 20 inches occurred from Alabama to a Massachusetts. Up to 30 inches was reported in North East Pennsylvania. The heaviest snow than was about 50 mi. wide and passed directly through the Washington-Baltimore area. Within this band, 15 to 20 inches of snow fell, with 22 inches of snow reported it in the northern suburbs of Baltimore.
Ref. (NWS Ranking for Storms between 1956 and 2011) This is the 11th Worst Snowstorm

1982
A “meteorological bomb” exploded in the Atlantic southeast of Newfoundland. The term is used to describe a storm that rapidly intensifies over the ocean. An intense cyclone off the Atlantic coast capsized a drilling rig killing 84 persons, and sank a Soviet freighter resulting in 33 more deaths. The cyclone produced 80 mph winds that whipped the water into waves fifty feet high.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

1987
A storm crossing the central United States produced severe thunderstorms that spawned tornadoes in Louisiana and Mississippi. Tornadoes injured four persons at Pierre Pass LA; three persons at Tangipahoa LA, two persons at Lexie, MS and two persons at Nicholson MS. Thunderstorm winds gusting to 100 mph killed one person south of Sulphur LA. Jackson MS was drenched with 1.5 inches of rain in ten minutes.
(The National Weather Summary)

1989
Thirty-seven cities in the southeastern United States reported record high temperatures for the date. The afternoon high of 80 degrees at Atlanta GA was a February record. Highs of 79 degrees at Chattanooga TN, 84 degrees at Columbia SC and 85 degrees at New Orleans LA equaled February records.
(The National Weather Summary)

1990
Snow, sleet and freezing rain along an arctic cold front prevailed from the north central United States to the Northern Atlantic Coast Region. High winds created near blizzard conditions in southern Wyoming, closing Interstate 80, while up to eleven inches of snow fell across central Minnesota.
Heavy snow also blanketed the Northern Atlantic Coast States, with ten inches reported at Buffalo, NY and Mount Washington, NH. Freezing rain over southern New England knocked out electricity to more than 10,000 homes in the western suburbs of Boston, MA.
(The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)

1993
Heavy snow fell along the Missouri-Arkansas border. 10 to 20 inches was quite common, with Mountain Home, AR recording 24 inches of snow. Cape Girardeau, MO received 6 inches of snow in just one hour and 20 minutes.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

2000
Amarillo, TX, set unusual temperature records today. The high of 82 degrees smashed the old daily high of 76 degrees set in 1921, and the morning low of 41 degrees broke the old high low record for the date of 40 degrees (also set in 1921).
(Ref. Weather Guide Calendar with Phenomenal Weather Events 2011 Accord Pub. 2010, USA)

2003
On this date through the 17th, the President’s Day Storm buried the U.S. East Coast. Many all-time snowfall records were broken, including those in Baltimore, MD and Boston, MA. The storm system brought accumulations of 1 to 2 feet with snowfall amounts exceeding 35 inches across parts of northeastern West Virginia, the heaviest snow accumulations to the East Coast since the Blizzard of 1996.
(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)
Map of the Snowfall Amounts

2004
Tennessee:
Up to 11 inches of snow fall in areas south of Nashville, causing power outages and producing hazardous driving conditions.

(Ref. Wilson Wx. History)

THE GRAND RAPIDS CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY 14, 2025

The H/L yesterday was 21/11 there was 0.4” of snowfall the day started with 2” of snow on the ground. The highest wind gust was 26 MPH out of the W. There was 19% of possible sunshine. For today the average H/L is now up to 34/19 the record high of 61 was in 1954 the coldest high of 8 was in 2015 the record low of -8 was in 2015 the warmest low of 39 was in 1954. The most snowfall of 5.5” was in 2024. The most on the ground was 21” in 1985 and 1936.

I recorded just 1” of new snowfall yesterday and overnight. At the current time the temperature is 23 with cloudy skies. There is now a total of 3” of snow cover here in MBY.

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
359 AM EST SAT FEB 15 2025

KEY MESSAGES

– SNOW CONTINUES WITH MIXED PRECIPITATION THIS AFTERNOON

– HEAVIER PERIODS OF SNOW SUNDAY

– COLD WITH LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE NEXT WEEK

DISCUSSION

ISSUED AT 317 AM EST SAT FEB 15 2025

– SNOW CONTINUES WITH MIXED PRECIPITATION THIS AFTERNOON

DRY AIR OVER SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN ONCE AGAIN STIFLED THE ONSET OF
THE SNOW SHOWERS. HOWEVER, SNOW SHOWERS CONTINUE ACROSS SOUTHERN
LOWER MICHIGAN WITH VISIBILITY’S DOWN TO A MILE AT TIMES. THE
SNOW TRANSITIONED FROM GRANULAR TO LARGER DENDRITES THIS EVENING.
THE LATEST BURST IS FADING DUE TO BIFURCATED MOISTURE. THAT
BIFURCATION IS IN PART DUE TO WARM AIR ADVECTION FROM THE SOUTH
BUILDING A TEMPERATURE RIDGE WHICH WILL BRING 850MB TEMPS ALONG
THE I 94 CORRIDOR ABOVE FREEZING THIS AFTERNOON. A MID LEVEL LOW
COUPLED WITH THE ABOVE CONDITIONS COULD BRING A PERIOD OF FREEZING
RAIN ALONG THE I 94 CORRIDOR WITH THE WARMEST AIR AND BEST CHANCE
FOR ICE IN AND AROUND JACKSON THIS AFTERNOON. THAT WARM NOSE
COULD MOVE NORTH ENOUGH TO BRING MIXED PRECIPITATION TO THE I-96
CORRIDOR THOUGH THAT IS LESS LIKELY. WHILE SURFACE TEMPERATURES
WILL WARM INTO THE UPPER 20S TO LOW 30S THIS AFTERNOON THEY WILL
REMAIN AT TO BELOW FREEZING. PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CONTINUE
THROUGHOUT THE DAY WITH COLDER AIR ONCE AGAIN MOVING INTO THE
REGION THIS EVENING.

– HEAVIER PERIODS OF SNOW SUNDAY

THE ABOVE MENTIONED COLDER AIR WILL BE COUPLED WITH INCREASED
MOISTURE, THOUGH THE BEST MOISTURE WILL BE SOUTH OF MICHIGAN. THE
SURFACE LOW WILL INTENSIFY WITH THE BEST CHANCE FOR HEAVIER SNOW
SUNDAY MORNING. SNOW RATES OF A HALF AN INCH AN HOUR OR MORE ARE
POSSIBLE. THE NORTHEASTERLY FLOW OFF THE BACKSIDE OF THE LOW WILL
HAVE LARGER SIDED FLAKES WHICH WILL AID IN ACCUMULATION. THE BEST
AREAS FOR HEAVY SNOW WILL BE ALONG THE US 127 CORRIDOR WITH MODELS
BEING FAIRLY CONSISTENT. 3 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH
SUNDAY MORNING IS EXPECTED WITH LIGHTER AMOUNTS ALONG US 131, AND
HEAVIER AMOUNTS ALONG AND EAST OF US 127. LOCALLY HEAVIER AMOUNTS
WILL BE POSSIBLE. NORTHWEST FLOW BEHIND THE LOW WILL INCREASE
WINDS SUNDAY AFTERNOON UPWARDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH, ESPECIALLY ALONG
THE LAKESHORE. THIS COULD CAUSE SOME BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW
SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

– COLD WITH LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE NEXT WEEK

AS STATED IN PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS, ARCTIC AIR MOVES IN SUNDAY
NIGHT WITH A LAKE EFFECT REGIME SETTING UP THROUGH MONDAY. 850MB
TEMPS SUNDAY NIGHT WILL BE AS LOW AS -20C. WITH AIR THAT COLD, THE
LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE MORE SMALLER ICE CRYSTALS THAN
DENDRITES WHICH CAN MAKE ROADS PARTICULARLY SLIPPERY.
COLD AIR WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE OVER THE AREA WITH MAX TEMPS IN
THE TEENS TO LOW 20S THROUGHOUT THE WEEK. LOWS TUESDAY AND
WEDNESDAY MORNING WILL HAVE DROPPED INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS.

In the Grand Rapids metro area while it should snow there don’t look like we will see a whole lot of new snow just enough to let you know it is still winter.