WEST MICHIGAN - We just came through our coldest blast of Arctic air in about six years and some places seeing more than 20 inches of snow. It's time to turn off the cold and heavy snow accumulations the last week of January. While we may see some chilly temperatures from time to time along with a few Canadian clipper systems generating some light snow, it will not equal the brutality of what just occurred.
Three Canadian clipper systems are on the horizon for us over the next week. This evening and overnight a cold front may generate some light snow showers, but we expect an inch or less. Another system coming in Monday night into Tuesday may (again) generate some light snow showers. And on Wednesday, a third clipper system from Canada will slide through the region and perhaps generate more light snow. In all of this, temperatures will fluctuate from the mid 20s to the mid 30s, so that will also keep a lid on wild lake effect accumulations over the next week. Take a look below at the clipper system on Tuesday into Wednesday.
Below is a map of snow totals from the European forecast model through next Friday. The heaviest will not be in West Michigan, but over northern lower Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. We may only see about 1" to 3" or 2" to 4" over the next week.
Indications from our forecast models show that we should end up around normal or average for temperatures as we head into the first week of February. See image below.
Normal/average highs have us around 30 degrees. Normal/average lows are in the upper teens. Thus far this season, snowfall has totaled 51.5". Last year at this same time, we has already tallied 34.4 ". If this had been a normal/average year, we would be sitting at 45.8" of snow. That said, we are running a 5.7" surplus. Season totals are usually around 77".
Get the complete West Michigan forecast at www.fox17online.com/weather.
