County Hazards

States › Michigan › Kent County › Winter

Winter in Kent County, Michigan

114 winter storms and snow events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Winter Storm, Winter Weather, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Ice Storm, Lake-Effect Snow, Sleet.

114 events · 0 deaths recorded · peak month December · county share of state 1.1%

Winter event locations in and around Kent County. Boundaries: US Census Bureau.

NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.

NCEI records 114 winter events in Kent County, Michigan, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 28 years.

December is the busiest month, with 35 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 53 events against 61 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.

The county holds 1.1% of the 10,836 winter events recorded in Michigan; its 13.4 per 100 square miles compares with 19.1 statewide.

Some winter weather and high wind events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county; zone-recorded events whose zone is named for the county are included and marked "Forecast zone" in the table.

Compared with Michigan

MeasureKent CountyMichiganUS
Winter events since 195011410,836287,339
Per 100 square miles13.419.18.1
Per 10,000 residents1.710.88.7
Deaths recorded0522,509
Busiest monthDecemberJanuaryJanuary

By year

195019882026
Winter events recorded in Kent County per year, 1950 to 2026 (2026 is partial).

Seasonality

Jan
32
Feb
21
Mar
15
Apr
3
May
0
Jun
0
Jul
0
Aug
0
Sep
0
Oct
1
Nov
7
Dec
35
Winter events in Kent County by month of occurrence, all years.

Recorded events

All 114 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.

DateEvent typeMagnitudeProperty damageCrop damageDeathsInjuriesGeography
18 Jan 2026Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
29 Nov 2025Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
12 Jan 2024Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
22 Feb 2023Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
22 Dec 2022Blizzard—————Forecast zone
17 Nov 2022Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
5 Jan 2022Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
5 Feb 2019Ice Storm—$5.0M———Forecast zone
29 Jan 2019Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
28 Jan 2019Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
14 Apr 2018Winter Storm—$100K———Forecast zone
11 Dec 2016Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
8 Dec 2016Lake-Effect Snow—————Forecast zone
1 Mar 2016Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
24 Feb 2016Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
29 Dec 2015Sleet—————Forecast zone
13 Feb 2015Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
1 Feb 2015Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
8 Jan 2015Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
17 Nov 2014Lake-Effect Snow—————Forecast zone
24 Jan 2014Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
4 Jan 2014Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
21 Dec 2013Winter Weather—————Forecast zone
7 Feb 2013Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
1 Feb 2013Lake-Effect Snow—————Forecast zone
23 Feb 2012Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
22 Mar 2011Winter Weather—————Forecast zone
20 Feb 2011Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
1 Feb 2011Blizzard—————Forecast zone
22 Jan 2011Winter Weather—————Forecast zone
6 Jan 2011Winter Weather—————Forecast zone
3 Jan 2011Winter Weather—————Forecast zone
9 Feb 2010Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
24 Dec 2009Winter Weather—————Forecast zone
9 Dec 2009Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
3 Dec 2009Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
23 Dec 2008Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
20 Dec 2008Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
19 Dec 2008Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
5 Dec 2008Lake-Effect Snow—————Forecast zone
1 Dec 2008Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
30 Nov 2008Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
21 Mar 2008Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
6 Feb 2008Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
1 Feb 2008Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
29 Jan 2008Blizzard—————Forecast zone
23 Dec 2007Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
15 Dec 2007Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
1 Dec 2007Winter Storm————1Forecast zone
2 Mar 2007Lake-Effect Snow—————Forecast zone
1 Mar 2007Winter Storm—$50K———Forecast zone
2 Feb 2007Blizzard—————Forecast zone
1 Feb 2007Lake-Effect Snow—————Forecast zone
4 Dec 2006Lake-Effect Snow—————Forecast zone
1 Dec 2006Ice Storm—————Forecast zone
16 Feb 2006Ice Storm—————Forecast zone
20 Jan 2006Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
8 Dec 2005Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
5 Dec 2005Lake-Effect Snow—————Forecast zone
1 Dec 2005Lake-Effect Snow—————Forecast zone
11 Mar 2005Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
20 Feb 2005Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
21 Jan 2005Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
4 Jan 2005Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
24 Nov 2004Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
27 Jan 2004Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
6 Jan 2004Blizzard—————Forecast zone
3 Apr 2003Ice Storm—$1.0M———Forecast zone
4 Mar 2003Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
11 Feb 2003Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
2 Mar 2002Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
30 Jan 2002Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
28 Dec 2001Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
25 Dec 2001Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
23 Dec 2001Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
13 Dec 2000Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
11 Dec 2000Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
5 Dec 2000Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
19 Nov 2000Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
7 Apr 2000Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
18 Feb 2000Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
28 Dec 1999Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
21 Dec 1999Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
8 Mar 1999Winter Weather—————Forecast zone
4 Mar 1999Winter Weather—————Forecast zone
12 Feb 1999Lake-Effect Snow—————Forecast zone
5 Feb 1999Winter Weather—————Forecast zone
11 Jan 1999Winter Weather—————Forecast zone
10 Jan 1999Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
5 Jan 1999Lake-Effect Snow—————Forecast zone
4 Jan 1999Winter Weather—————Forecast zone
3 Jan 1999Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
2 Jan 1999Blizzard—————Forecast zone
31 Dec 1998Lake-Effect Snow—————Forecast zone
21 Dec 1998Lake-Effect Snow—————Forecast zone
13 Mar 1998Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
9 Mar 1998Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
22 Jan 1998Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
21 Jan 1998Winter Weather—————Forecast zone
14 Jan 1998Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
7 Jan 1998Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
4 Jan 1998Winter Weather—————Forecast zone
24 Dec 1997Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
10 Dec 1997Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
4 Dec 1997Lake-Effect Snow—————Forecast zone
11 Nov 1997Lake-Effect Snow—————Forecast zone
26 Oct 1997Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
14 Mar 1997Ice Storm—————Forecast zone
15 Jan 1997Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
10 Jan 1997Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
18 Dec 1996Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
25 Mar 1996Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
1 Mar 1996Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
27 Jan 1996Winter Storm—————Forecast zone

Questions and answers

How many winter events has Kent County had?

114 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of winter storms and snow became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.

When was the last recorded winter event in Kent County?

18 Jan 2026 (Winter Storm). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.

What was the most damaging winter event recorded in Kent County?

The ice storm of 5 Feb 2019, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $5.0M.

How does Kent County compare with Michigan for winter?

13.4 events per 100 square miles against 19.1 statewide; the county holds 114 of the state's 10,836 recorded events.

Provenance

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Winter hub and the county page.