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Tuesday Snow Likely to Slow Afternoon Commute

Posted at 10:45 AM, Dec 17, 2013
and last updated 2013-12-17 10:58:46-05

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Another wave of snow arriving during the day Tuesday may not leave major accumulations through the afternoon, but the timing of the snow will be likely to snarl traffic heading home from work or school in many parts of West Michigan.

A band of snow will slide through the region quickly from late morning through midday, dropping around an inch on average in most locations.  As it moves out, some lake-effect snow bands will set up behind it and continue through the afternoon and evening.  Those bands will be responsible for another couple of inches in the typical lake-effect snowbelt areas.

As the map above indicates, most areas west of U.S. 131 will see as much as two to four inches by Wednesday morning.  There may be some isolated higher amounts near the lakeshore.  With temperatures in the 20s to near 30° much of the time, conditions will tend to be slushy on main roads rather than icy.

Wednesday and most of Thursday will bring a period of more tranquil weather, and temperatures will finally climb back above freezing heading into Friday.  However, we are keeping a close eye on forecasts for the weekend, as computer models suggest that much of the Midwest could see accumulating snow once again.

You can check out the latest 7 Day Forecast on the Weather page.