While West Michigan's annual snowfall is barely comparable to that of cities like Houghton and Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula, Lake Effect snow can dump large amounts of snow in a short time on cities along the lakeshore.

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One of those cities is Holland, which is known for its beaches and Tulip Time festival every year. However, it is also known for the amount of snow it can get. In most places, it can be tough to keep the roads clear when snow is falling in mass, but Holland has a secret: it has the largest publicly owned snowmelt system in North America.

👇ANNUAL SNOWFALL TOTALS FOR GRAND RAPIDS SINCE 2000👇

City of Holland via YouTube
City of Holland via YouTube
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Bye Bye Snow

Typically, the roads rely on plows, shovels, or salt to get cleared. But in Downtown Holland, which averages around 64 inches of snow a year, the main street and many of the sidewalks have been kept clear since 1988 by a robust system of heated tubing underneath the concrete.

Department of Geography at Hunter College, CUNY
Department of Geography at Hunter College, CUNY
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In an interview with the Weather Channel, Mayor Nathan Bocks detailed how the genius system works. The City of Holland generates all its power from the nearby Holland BPW power plant. In keeping with its eco-friendly mindset, 7,000 gallons of wastewater heated from the power plant are sent through these tubes at ~95°F. The beauty of this system is that it is a closed system, meaning the water is reused.

City of Holland via YouTube
City of Holland via YouTube
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The system is capable of melting 1 inch of snow per hour when the outside temp is 20 degrees Fahrenheit. The system started in just one area of downtown but has since expanded to cover over 8 miles. This snowmelt system has received national coverage as recently as January 2025 on FOX Weather.

City of Holland
City of Holland
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Below are two videos from the City of Holland detailing the system if you'd like to learn more.

Annual Snowfall Totals In Grand Rapids, MI Since 2000

Gallery Credit: Tommy McNeill

Winter Weather Tips From the National Weather Service

Gallery Credit: National Weather Service

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