GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A mix of rain and snow will move through West Michigan Thursday, but being out and about on Valentine’s Day should not prove too problematic thanks to mild temperatures during the day.
A band of wet weather was poised to arrive in the region early Thursday morning, and as of 6:00 A.M., both light rain and light snow were reported in various locations along the lakeshore. Some snow showers will be possible, especially north of I-96, but accumulations should remain very minor during the day.
Colder air will start to move in Thursday evening, with scattered light snow showers developing once again. Lake-effect snow will then gradually develop Thursday night into Friday.
It will likely take much of the day Friday for the lake-effect snow to organize and pick up, so only a couple of inches of accumulation are likely through Friday afternoon in any given location.
However, additional cold air, along with some upper-level disturbances, will move in Friday night and Saturday. This will increase the lake-effect snow activity heading into the weekend.
One of the lingering questions in the forecast is the wind direction for Friday night and Saturday that will steer the bands of snow over the Great Lakes. It will take some time to refine those details, and as a result the snowfall forecast will still be in flux a bit until Friday. Regardless, expect that areas from U.S. 131 to the lakeshore will pick up a few inches of snow through Saturday night before it tapers off quickly Sunday.
You can check out interactive radar and the updated 7 Day Forecast on the Weather page.
