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West Michigan under snow ‘bulls-eye’

Posted at 12:06 PM, Feb 24, 2016
and last updated 2016-02-24 12:31:35-05

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center says that snow could accumulate in Michigan at the rate of an inch to an inch and a half per hour Wednesday afternoon.

The new map from the NWS shows the “bulls-eye” over Kent County and much of West Michigan, including Kalamazoo and Battle Creek. See image below.

Storm Prediction Center map - 2/24/16

Storm Prediction Center map – 2/24/16

This is the same system that generated 32 reports of tornadoes across the Gulf Coast region on Tuesday with Pensacola, Florida taking a direct hit! This system is tapping abundant moisture from the Gulf of Mexico…so there’s plenty of moisture and cold air in place over the Great Lakes to generate thick, heavy, wet snow and a solid 6″ to 10″ in many locations. There’s also strong lifting associated with this storm system, which will help squeeze out the one inch to 1.5 inches per hour of accumulation at times Wednesday afternoon and early evening. See accumulation map below.

Hand Drawn DMA Snow Totals

Expect sustained northeast to north winds at 20 to 30 mph with gusts of 40 to 50 mph possible. Visibilities will be reduced to less than one mile. The thick, heavy, wet, high-moisture content snow will be difficult to lift and shovel…so help out the elderly over the next couple of days. Don’t forget, we’ll also likely have some scattered power outages as well. Remember not to run generators in an enclosed environment. Not in the garage, basement, or house. Place them outside in a well ventilated area. For the latest, check out theFOX 17 Weather Page.