WEST MICHIGAN — We’ve been stuck in the Arctic chill the last several days with temperatures no better than the teens and wind chills running below zero. That will change this week, but it will come at the expense of some accumulating snow and rain. There may even be a brief period of some mixed precipitation from Grand Rapids to the south.
A cold front will approach the state overnight in to Monday morning. That will produce southerly winds and draw additional moisture from Lake Michigan. As a result, a WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY has been posted Muskegon and Oceana Counties northward through 8 AM Monday. We’ll likely see 1″ to 3″ in those areas overnight with lighter snow showers and flurries elsewhere. That means U.S. 31 along the lakeshore will be impacted for the Monday morning commute.
By Monday night a round of brief, heavy, high moisture content wet snow will likely develop across the area as a result of warmer air pushing in to the region. We call this warm air advection snow and there is the possibility of about 2″ to 5″…mainly along/north of I-96. I would expect about an inch or two south of Grand Rapids. See image below valid at 6 AM Tuesday.
By the time we arrive at Tuesday morning, we may start to see the snow mix with or change over to mixed precipitation (freezing rain/sleet) from Grand Rapids southward before enough warm air wraps in to the system and changes everything to rain by late morning/early afternoon. See image below valid at noon on Tuesday.
Tuesday will be windy day with high temperatures reaching 40 degrees or better. By 6 PM Tuesday most of the moisture will be lifting out of West Michigan as a cold front slides through the state. See image below valid for 6 PM Tuesday.
We should remain out of the deep freeze this week, but look for more chances of rain and snow Wednesday night and Thursday. Get the complete West Michigan forecast at www.fox17online.com/weather.
