WEST MICHIGAN — Get ready for a windy Monday, West Michigan!
A Wind Advisory has been issued for tomorrow, ahead of the first of a few clipper systems approaching West Michigan this week. The advisory runs from 10 a.m. through 8 p.m. Winds could gust upwards of 40 mph at times, and sustained winds will be anywhere from 15 to 25 mph.
The increased wind comes as a cold front and strengthening upper low dip down from Canada. The energy in this strengthening system draws in wind at the surface at a fast clip, and just above the surface gusty winds with the upper low add to their strength.
Winds will already be sustained at 15 to 25 mph by sunrise, with higher gusts. But wind will really start cranking by mid-morning, when the advisory begins. By noon, most spots will have winds sustained at 20-25 mph with gusts upward of 35 mph.
Wind continues to stay strong through the afternoon and early evening. Sustained winds, plus the higher gusts, could blow away lightweight objects. Secure lightweight lawn furniture, decorations, and anything else outside that could be picked up by the wind and blown away. Hopefully it's not trash day in your neighborhood!
While the winds will be decreasing slightly through the early evening, the cold front will be moving through at this same time with light snow. Light snow ordinarily wouldn't be a problem, but the gusty winds happening while snow is falling will easily reduce visibility and could cause danger on the roads.
Snow will initially fill in to areas north of Grand Rapids during the evening commute, moving south during the mid evening. Driving during this time could be very dangerous due to quickly changing visibility and light snow accumulating on the roads.
The most widespread the snow will be is between 7-10 PM, with it quickly moving south and exiting by midnight.
Accumulations with this system will be minor, around 1-2" at best, but the nature of the gusty winds and resulting low visibility is what will be most impactful.
Additional clippers will brush West Michigan through mid-week, continuing the stretch of light snow and breezy winds. The coldest air with these systems stays to our north though, so temperatures through the week will be in the low to mid-30s. We'll end up closing out the month of January with above average temperatures and a few sunny days.
For the latest details on the weather in West Michigan, head to the FOX 17 Weather page.
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