Blizzard — Ottawa, Michigan

2008-02-10 · Ottawa, Michigan

Event narrative

A fifty car pileup occurred in the afternoon on I-196 in Ottawa county due to whiteout conditions in snow and blowing snow. Twenty people were transferred to area hospitals with minor injuries, but there were no major injuries or fatalities.

Wider weather episode

A powerful arctic cold front blasted through lower Michigan and produced severe winter conditions. Temperatures at the Grand Rapids airport plummeted from 28 degrees at midnight on the ninth to 7 degrees at 6 am

on the tenth. Temperatures dropped to zero degrees by 11 am.

Frequent wind gusts over 40 mph were common, especially near the Lake Michigan shoreline. This resulted in dangerous wind chills around twenty below zero.

Snowfall totals were greatest over Allegan and Van Buren counties. Snow drifts of three to five feet deep were common in rural and outlying areas. By the early morning hours of the tenth, snow bands became better developed and extended well inland.

Whiteout conditions were occurring under these bands, with visibilities near zero in blowing and falling snow. A fifty car pileup occurred on I-196 in Ottawa county in the afternoon as a result of whiteout conditions. Twenty people were treated for minor injuries, but there were no major injuries or fatalities.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 81825. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.