Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena - CIG

MICHIGAN, WestMIZ074MIZ037-043-056-064-071-077>078MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-072>073Storm Data and Unusual Weather PhenomenaTimePath PathNumber ofEstimatedLocal/ Length WidthPersonsDamageLocation DateStandard (Miles) (Yards) Killed Injured Property Crops Character of Stormof which occurred in the counties bordering Lake Michigan. Power outages were reported in Mason (600), Lake, Clare, Oceana,Muskegon (1,900), Montcalm (1,630), Allegan (7,000), and Berrien (12,000) counties. Schools and businesses were closed by thiswinter storm, the most intense of the 1997-98 winter season. Saturated ground in Jackson from heavy rainfall Sunday night andearly Monday morning weakened an old oak tree, which was blown over by winds gusting to 30 mph just before daybreak. This treecrashed through a home in the city of Jackson and caused an estimated $100,000 in damage. No injuries were reported fromresidents inside the home.Beach erosion and coastal flooding affected the Lake Michigan shoreline in Van Buren and Berrien Counties. One home along thelake shore in New Buffalo was undermined and destroyed as high waves on Lake Michigan washed away the dunes. Several otherhomes were flooded in New Buffalo because of the partial collapse of a sea wall. Storm surge in the St. Joseph River floodedseveral roads in Benton Harbor. Winds gusted to 50 knots along the lake shore and wave heights reached 10-15 feet at the height ofthe storm. Numerous power lines were downed near the lake shore in Berrien County. Several shelters were opened Monday nightin Berrien County for residents without power and those affected by storm surge flooding.Jackson09 0800EST1000EST0Minor flooding occurred along the Grand River in Jackson during the morning of March 9th. During the previous 24 hours, heav yrains of around an inch and a half occurred in the Jackson area, which resulted in significant runoff from the urban area and rapi drises in river levels. Jackson is located near the headwaters of the Grand River and the heavy rains caused the river to respondquickly and crest just above flood stage at 13.3 feet. The river was only at or above flood stage for 2 hours. Minor flooding occurred,but no property damage was reported.Mason - Oceana - Ottawa - Allegan - Van Buren - Berrien - Cass10 0100EST0 0Lake Effect Snow11 0700ESTNorthwest winds blowing across Lake Michigan behind an arctic cold front brought lake effect snow showers and squalls inlandacross portions of the counties bordering the lake in western Lower Michigan and as far inland as Cass County in extreme southwestLower Michigan. Lake effect snow began around 1:00 am EST Tuesday, March 10th and continued until 7:00 am Wednesday,March 11th. In the counties listed, lake effect snowfall accumulations ranged from 2 to 9 inches. Snowfall was heaviest acrossnorthwest Mason, extreme western Allegan, western Van Buren, northern Berrien, and northwest Cass counties. Snowfallaccumulations reached 9 inches near Glenn and Ganges (Allegan County) and South Haven (Van Buren County); 6 inches nearSaugatuck (Allegan), Coloma and Watervliet (Berrien), and Dowagiac (Cass); and 4 inches in Niles and Benton Harbor (Berrien).Mason - Lake - Osceola - Clare - Oceana - Newaygo - Mecosta - Isabella - Muskegon - Montcalm - Gratiot -Ottawa - Kent - Ionia - Clinton - Allegan - Barry - Eaton - Ingham - Kalamazoo - Calhoun13 1500EST0 0Heavy Snow14 0400ESTA fast-moving Alberta Clipper low pressure system and associated cold front tracked southeast across Michigan's Lower Peninsuladuring the overnight hours of Friday, March 13th and early Saturday, March 14th. Snow first spread across west central LowerMichigan during mid afternoon Friday, then spread east-southeast across southwest, central, and south central during the earlyevening hours. Southwest winds blowing across Lake Michigan ahead of the system resulted in lake enhancement across much ofwest central Lower Michigan, including Ottawa, Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, Lake, Newaygo, Kent, and Osceola Counties. Gustywinds associated with the system, first southwest ahead of the front, then northwest behind it, resulted in blowing and drifting. Windspeeds were sustained at 15 to 25 mph, with gusts to 35 mph. Snowfall rates approached 1 inch per hour with this system and totalaccumulations ranged from 2.5 to 10 inches in the listed counties. Snow accumulations south of Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, andLansing were 2 inches or less.The timing of the onset of heavy snow across the Muskegon - Grand Rapids - Holland metropolitan area coincided with the Fridayafternoon rush hour. Numerous weather-related accidents were reported, many of which involved minor injuries. Scattered poweroutages were reported in Muskegon County, where wind gusts to nearly 40 mph downed some tree limbs and branches on powerlines. Up to 650 people were without power for a short time.0FloodMarch 1998MIZ067-071>074-077>081Snowfall reports included 10 inches in central Newaygo County; 8 inches in New Era (Oceana County), Fremont (Newaygo), andCedar Springs (Kent); 6 inches in Irons (Lake), Kent City (Kent), and across much of Osceola, Lake and Muskegon Counties; 5.5inches in Muskegon; 4.8 inches in Grand Haven; 4.0 inches in Holland and Saugatuck; 3.8 inches in downtown Grand Rapids; and3.5 inches at the National Weather Service Office in Grand Rapids.Ingham - Van Buren - Kalamazoo - Calhoun - Jackson - Berrien - Cass - St. Joseph - Branch - Hillsdale20211600EST0100EST00Winter Storm85 79