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Saturday marks first snowfall of the season

Posted at 6:37 AM, Nov 19, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-19 08:59:40-05

WEST MICHIGAN — The coldest air of the season along with the first snowfall of the season will be ours to deal with today.

A strong cold front has now cleared the entire state of Michigan, and a mix of rain and snow is spiraling in around the attendant area of low pressure in the eastern Upper Peninsula. Some enhancement of the rain and snow is taking place as colder air crosses the relatively warm waters of Lake Michigan. Here is a look at what is happening at the surface on a wide, Midwest view as of this early morning writing:

mw_fronts

As the cold air mass continues to flow into West Michigan today, we expect steady to slowly falling temperatures through the middle 30s. This drop in temperature will cause rain to mix with and eventually change to snow. In fact, a Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for our lakeshore counties, plus Kalamazoo and Newaygo counties:

advisory

The difference in temperature between the cold air and the warmer waters of Lake Michigan will be enough for some lake enhanced and lake effect snow through the day. Here’s a look at Future Track HD at noon, which picks up on the banded, lake effect structure to the snowfall:

future_track_hd

By this evening, the snow will tend to taper off to flurries:

future_track_hd_2

Before the snow tapers off, however, 1 to 2 inches of accumulation is possible on grassy surfaces, with some slick and slushy spots developing on roadways:

future_track_snowfall

Tomorrow will be breezy and cold with some flurries. Next week looks a little milder, with temperatures close to average for late November. Rain showers are likely on the day before Thanksgiving, but the holiday itself looks decent with only a slight chance of showers.