WEST MICHIGAN -- It seems like winter is running late this year across the FOX 17 viewing area. Although the season hasn't officially started (Astronomical Winter starts on December 21), Meteorological Winter began on December 1 and we usually get some appreciable snow in November as well. That hasn't been the case this year. Fall snowfall was virtually absent in Grand Rapids.
As the above graphic shows, snowfall was almost 7" below average this fall in Grand Rapids. In Muskegon, 1.2 inches of snow fell this fall which is 5" below average. Although temperatures this fall were close to average, we had a cold October followed by a mild November. The mild November temperatures certainly played a role in our lack of snowfall this fall.
The first few days of December haven't done much to add to our snowfall totals in Grand Rapids as the tally has now grown to nearly 9" below average:
This especially pales in comparison to the more than 10" of snow we had to-date last year at this time.
We've been talking about a disturbance coming through late tonight into Friday morning that could bring some snow showers to the north of I-96. But at this point, it's now just looking like flurries at best. In fact, the European model only drops a dusting in far northern portions of the viewing area, with no accumulation elsewhere:
We could also see some flurries across parts of the area on Sunday as a cold front slides through the area from north to south. Otherwise, the 7 day forecast looks seasonal temperature-wise with a continued lack of snowfall. Of course, we'll continue to monitor the forecast models in the coming days -- some of which suggest we could enter a snowier pattern around or after December 15. Stay tuned to FOX 17 for updates!
