The weather rollercoaster known as March will undoubtedly live up to its name this week. After a few days of gradually warming temperatures, a storm system will bring most of us rain, which will turn to snow. Some accumulation may occur in northern Lower Michigan, with heavy snowfall in the Upper Peninsula.
The first three days of this week will range from normally cool today to quite warm on Wednesday. It will be less warm than Saturday, but also less windy.
Here are the expected high temperatures for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Tuesday and Wednesday will be very spring-like, while Thursday will be wintry.
Rain will begin in Lower Michigan Wednesday afternoon and evening. Initially, it appears to be a warm spring showery rain, rather than a steady soaker. Rain will turn to snow from northwest to southeast on Wednesday night. By mid-morning Thursday, snow and rain should be mixed as far south as Ann Arbor, Detroit, Kalamazoo, and Grand Rapids.
Temperatures in the high 30s to 40s will make it difficult for snow to accumulate over southern Michigan. It is a different story in Cadillac, Traverse City, Charlevoix, Petoskey, and the rest of Lower Michigan. With a few inches of snow, the northwest Lower Michigan region will experience more robust snowfall.
Here’s the radar forecast for Wednesday morning through Thursday evening.
Snowfall will be heavy throughout the Upper Peninsula. There is a good chance of heavy snowfall (6-10 inches). Blizzard conditions are possible in the western Upper Peninsula due to strong winds.
Consider the swath of several inches of snow from Muskegon to Clare to Alpena. This is just an early forecast that may change. There should be one to three inches of snow over the northwest third of Lower Michigan.
It’s mid-March, so when the sun comes out on Friday, the snow will melt.
