WEST MICHIGAN — Even though spring has officially sprung in West Michigan, snow showers are not completely out of the forecast. The FOX 17 Weather Team has been tracking a larger system bringing a mix of rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow, and strong wind gusts.
Rain, snow and a little mix of the two have moved through this morning. Snow is north of the I-96 corridor, and rain is off to the south. There have been spots of light freezing rain and sleet, which has caused slick travel conditions this morning. We'll see precipitation begin to fizzle out through the mid-morning hours.
By noon Saturday, a quick lull in precipitation will take hold.
Cooler air starts wrapping into the region switching all precipitation over to snow. Winds will turn northwesterly Saturday afternoon, bringing temperatures below freezing. Overnight low temperatures between Saturday night and Sunday morning will tumble to the 20s. This could create another round of slick travel conditions.
Snow is expected to depart by early Sunday morning. Thankfully, warmer temperatures and sunshine are in the forecast for Sunday. This will allow for any snow accumulation to melt and travel conditions to improve.
Our forecast models are trending towards the highest snow accumulation amounts north of I-96.
A Winter Storm Warning has been posted for Mason, Lake, and Oceana counties from 4 a.m. until 8 p.m. Saturday. Total snow accumulations between 5" to 8" will be possible with ice accumulations of a light glaze.
A Winter Weather Advisory has been posted for Newaygo, Mecosta, Isabella, Muskegon, and Montcalm counties from 2 a.m. until 8 p.m. Saturday. Total snow accumulations of 1" to 5" will be possible with ice accumulations up to one tenth of an inch.
We believe that the heaviest snow accumulation in West Michigan will be within the "darker blue" zone in Oceana and northern Newaygo County, as seen in the map below. Muskegon and Fremont could receive 2" to 4" of snow accumulation. Communities closer Ludington and Cadillac could receive over 6" of snow. Snow accumulation will be significantly less in the "grey" zone. Grand Rapids, Holland, and Ionia could receive 1" to 2" of snow accumulation. A rain/snow mix with snow accumulation under 1" is likely from Kalamazoo, to Battle Creek, to Lansing. Isolated higher amounts are possible for all locations.
As mentioned, winds will be another factor with this system. Winds will initially come from the east Saturday morning with wind gusts up to 40 mph.
Winds will shift, coming from the northwest, by Saturday evening. This will bring in cooler air, shifting precipitation over to snow. Wind gusts up to 45 mph will be possible.
Factoring in the strong wind gusts and ice accumulation, power outages will be possible. The freezing rain could lead to ice accumulation on trees and power lines. The greatest ice accumulation will be possible along and north of I-96.
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