WEST MICHIGAN- After an incredibly mild and rather springlike day yesterday, we’ll flip the switch and return to winter weather during the day today.
We’re under a Winter Storm Warning in our northern counties shaded in the pink. This means the impacts are going to be slightly higher and more widespread than areas shaded in purple under the Winter Weather Advisory.
The rain/snow/mix line still remains to the north even around early afternoon. This will likely become the time where impacts are being felt just a bit more, especially in those areas that have received snow or a mix for several hours as temperatures begin to fall.
By this evening, more areas around Grand Rapids will remain free of frozen precipitation. Impacts remain to the north, so areas north of Rockford have the potential to be very slick at this time.
Heading out this morning? Impacts will be low as temperatures are above freezing. This evening….travel impacts are limited unless you’re on U.S. 131 north of Grand Rapids.
That change to freezing rain and sleet moves further south throughout the night. This will likely cause slick spots on the untreated roads very quickly.
As a refresher, everything begins as snow until it reaches different layers of warmer air near the surface. When it refreezes differentiates the precipitation we receive at ground level.
While frozen precipitation is still possible in the early morning hours in Grand Rapids and further northward, areas to the south in Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, and Coldwater may be dealing with thunderstorms!
Light snow may impact the colder side of this storm as it exits off to the northeast.
What to expect from the end of the storm? Most areas south of Wayland will see mainly rain. Around the immediate Grand Rapids area, sleet/snow will mix for up to an inch, and a light coating of ice is possible as well. The further north you go, the better chance for show you’ll see. This is a very sensitive line depending on how much freezing rain/sleet falls. We’ll keep you up to date as these numbers change throughout the day.
