WEST MICHIGAN – The coldest air we’ve seen in six years here in West Michigan arrives Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Single digit highs, wind chills below zero, and heavy lake effect snow all expected from Sunday through Wednesday.
Some folks are probably saying “it’s just a Michigan winter”! But its not. The last time we had high temperatures in the single digits, you’d have to go back to January 2019. But that’s only part of this story. We expect heavy lake effect snow from Sunday through Wednesday with a foot more possible along/west of U.S. 131. Additionally, wind chills will likely be running between -10 and -20 (perhaps -25 at times) Monday and Tuesday.
The map below shows WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES have been posted for all of our lakeshore counties from 7 P.M. Saturday evening through 1 A.M. Monday. We think 2″ to 8″ of snow will fall in these areas during that time. This will be a light weight, low moisture content, powdery, dry snow with blowing and drifting creating reduced visibilities. It’s likely the advisory gets extended and counties like Kent, Barry, Kalamazoo, Cass, and St. Joseph get added at some point as winds turn from the northwest to the west. But right now, this is step or stage one.
Without giving specific totals over five days, take a look at where the heaviest snow is likely through Wednesday on our forecast model. It’s possible more than a foot falls up and down the Lake Michigan shoreline. See image below.
Let’s talk Arctic air. The Plains, Midwest, Great Lakes, and deep south will all share in this brutally cold air mass. Temperatures gradually fall Saturday evening into the teens, and fall even more Sunday to the single digits…