WEST MICHIGAN — The next significant system to affect us with wintry weather arrives Friday night. This will not be a classic winter storm for West Michigan in the sense of it's track, but it will bring accumulating snow back to the region.
Clouds are to increase through the day on Friday but conditions will remain snow-free as temperatures top out in the upper 20s. Based on the latest information, snow will likely develop by late evening.
Snow looks to be widespread and heavy at times during the early morning hours of Saturday.
Milder air will begin to surge northward through the mid-morning time frame shifting snow over to a brief wintry mix...
...before shifting to light rain and drizzle for the midday & afternoon period.
Before this shift occurs to a wintry mix and potentially a plain rain, snow will fall heavily enough to deposit a few inches, even several inches across West Michigan. The greatest amounts will be the further north you reside in the viewing area.
The afternoon hours of Saturday will see precipitation diminish / lighten up as the back edge of appreciable moisture works into West Michigan. However, as colder air returns on the backside of the system during the late afternoon and evening, new lake-effect / lake-enhanced snow showers will develop offering up new light ( localized heavier ) additional accumulations into Sunday morning. Lake-effect snow showers will be around through the day Sunday but will taper off considerably by midday Monday.
Another factor with this weekend's system will be strong winds coming about as low pressure works off to the east. Models are projecting gusts to reach 50+ mph or so along the lakeshore with gusts to 40+ mph for inland locations. The strongest of the winds will be felt Saturday mid-late afternoon and evening into the early hours of Sunday.
