Michigan Travel Will Be ‘Impossible’ in These Areas Due to Storm
Why couldn’t the snowstorm have waited until after the holidays? This weekend is one of the busiest for travel the entire year, and now, it will be hampered with a major snowstorm across much of the Midwest and across the U.S.
According to AccuWeather.com, there’s even a 16% chance of Mid-Michigan (the Lansing, Flint and Jackson areas) of getting up to 18 inches of snow. Those kind of totals are usually reserved for the Upper Peninsula. The latest forecast from the National Weather Service is in, and the NWS along with the Michigan State Police are urging people to get their errands done on Thursday.
Specifically, in Reed City, Clare, Big Rapids, Mount Pleasant, Greenville, Alma, Ionia, St. Johns, Charlotte, Lansing, Battle Creek and Jackson, the NWS says that from 4 p.m. Thursday to 1 a.m. Saturday, “Travel will be very difficult to impossible. Widespread blowing snow will significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions will mainly impact Friday and Saturday travel. Power outages are possible.” They add, “While the snow will start by mid afternoon on Thursday, the strong winds will not start until Friday morning. It is then that conditions will become dangerous due to low wind chills, blowing snow, and very low visibilities. Power outages are possible.”
In Ann Arbor, Detroit, Adrian, and Monroe, the NWS says that from 7 p.m. Thursday to 4 a.m. Saturday, “Plan on slippery road conditions. Widespread blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening commute. Gusty winds could bring down tree branches and produce sporadic power outages. Wind chills of 15 below zero will also produce dangerously cold conditions.”
On the west side of the state, in Ludington, Baldwin, Hart, Fremont, Muskegon, Grand Haven, Jenison, Grand Rapids, Holland, Hastings, South Haven and Kalamazoo, expect total snow accumulations of 10 to 20 inches. Is it spring yet?