Winter Weather Advisory expands in Michigan, ‘full-blown snow squall setup’ may make journey hazardous

A Winter Weather Advisory that started with a number of counties within the jap Upper Peninsula has now expanded right this moment to incorporate a number of counties within the northern Lower Peninsula.

The advisories – which final into Monday – spell out worsening journey situations all through right this moment that might embrace a full-blown snow squall set-up with blowing snow, gusty winds and worsening visibility on the roads, based on the National Weather Service.

Gale Warnings have additionally been issued for Lake Superior and Lake Huron.

Here’s what the NWS meteorologists are saying in right this moment’s forecast:

Upper Peninsula: The counties of Luce, Chippewa and Mackinac, within the jap portion of the Upper Peninsula, are underneath this advisory. Anywhere from 2 to 7 inches of snow are forecast for this space. The incoming gusty winds will make it troublesome to know precisely the place the heaviest snow bands will arrange, the NWS workforce in Marquette mentioned.

Lower Peninsula: The counties of Antrim, Roscommon, Crawford, Kalkaska, Alpena and Presque Isle are all underneath a Winter Weather Advisory, too. It lasts by way of 7 a.m. Monday. Up to 2 to 4 inches of snow are attainable, however some localized spots may see as much as 6 inches. Highest snow areas are anticipated to be Rogers City, Alpena, Grayling and Gaylord.

The window for the worst situations – the very best snowfall charges and the very best wind gusts – is forecast as right this moment by way of 7 a.m. Monday.

Winds gusting to 35 mph are anticipated throughout the advisory areas. When excessive wind gusts occur throughout a gradual snowfall, that may created snow squall situations that lower visibility on roadways and make journey hazardous, the NWS mentioned.

These situations may develop right this moment alongside the northern stretches of U.S. 131 and I-75. And the excessive wind gusts are blowing the lake impact snow farther inland than regular.

“Regardless of accumulations … the rapid onset nature of the snowfall, gusty winds, and warm roads with falling temps could lead to a nearly full-blown snow squall setup through the day today where travel conditions drastically deteriorate over the course of a mile or two on area thoroughfares impacted by lake snows,” the NWS meteorologists mentioned.

Here are this morning’s forecast notes from the NWS in Northern Michigan:

• Main areas of concern are nonetheless components of the jap U.P. with 24 hour accumulations of three to six inches as bands of heavier snow will probably persist for a lot of the interval
• Other areas of concern will stay native in scale, and will land over Kalkaska, Presque Isle, and/or Alpena counties ( 24 hour accumulations of two to 4″ attainable). These areas of concern stay native as a consequence of bands or clusters of snow being extra transient, and spreading the snow out over a bigger space.
• Gusty winds and transient heavy snow will result in speedy drops in visibility for components of northern MI right this moment and tonight
• Temperatures within the 30s will linger by way of the night hours right this moment. Overnight temperatures will drop beneath freezing, and will result in slick spots on moist roadways early Monday morning.