West Michigan The coldest air we’ve seen in West Michigan in six years arrives on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Single-digit highs, wind chills below zero, and heavy lake effect snow are all expected from Sunday to Wednesday.
Some people are probably saying “it’s just a Michigan winter”! But it’s not. The last time we had high temperatures in the single digits was January 2019. But that is only part of the story.
We expect heavy lake effect snow from Sunday to Wednesday, with up to a foot possible along and west of U.S. 131. Wind chills will also be between -10 and -20 (perhaps even -25 at times) on Monday and Tuesday.
The map below shows that WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES have been issued for all of our lakeshore counties from 7 p.m. Saturday evening to 1 a.m. Monday. We anticipate that 2″ to 8″ of snow will fall in these areas during that time.
This will be light weight, low moisture content, powdery, dry snow with blowing and drifting, resulting in reduced visibility.
The advisory is likely to be extended, with counties such as Kent, Barry, Kalamazoo, Cass, and St. Joseph joining at some point as winds shift from northwest to west. However, this is only the first step, or stage.
Without providing specific totals over five days, our forecast model shows where the heaviest snow is likely to fall through Wednesday. It is possible that more than a foot will fall along the Lake Michigan shoreline. See the image below.
Let’s discuss Arctic air. This brutally cold air mass will spread across the Plains, Midwest, Great Lakes, and deep south. Temperatures gradually fell into the teens on Saturday evening and even lower on Sunday, dropping to the single digits.
The image below is valid for 6 p.m. on Sunday. Notice how the Arctic air has spread far south across the Midwest. West Michigan only sees single-digit and teen highs.
Wind chill is another factor to consider during this Arctic outbreak. Wind chills are expected to range from -10 to -25 degrees below zero! Frostbite can set in quickly.
Make sure to take this seriously and don’t forget about your pets outside. The map below displays wind chills or feels like temperatures for 6 p.m. Sunday.
Look at the map below for Monday’s wind chills at 6 p.m. Temperatures range from -10 to -20 degrees.