Regional

Michigan gearing up for New Year’s weekend snowstorm

Here's when and where to expect the most snow in Michigan this weekend

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard that a major snowstorm is coming through Michigan and the greater Midwest on New Year’s Day. As the date grows closer, it’s getting more apparent exactly when and where the snow will hit.

According to the National Weather Service, if you’re traveling through Michigan on New Year’s Day, expect to be met with some snow accumulation and hazardous travel conditions. Gale-force winds are also expected along the Great Lakes. However, more recent projections show the storm trending southern, so as the storm gets closer, the heaviest snowfall appears to have a greater likelihood of heading south of Michigan.

For Motor City residents, the National Weather Service in Detroit’s Facebook page states, “A winter system is likely to impact southeast Michigan during New Year’s weekend with likely accumulating snowfall starting New Year’s Day.” They add that most of the snowfall will come “overnight Saturday into Sunday with potential for a swath of 4 inches or more across a portion of southeast Michigan by Sunday morning.”

For those on the west side of the state, the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids states, “A storm system will bring accumulating snow to parts of Lower Michigan this holiday weekend. Details are still in flux, including location-specific accumulation amounts. However, travel impacts are likely, mainly from Saturday afternoon into Sunday morning.”

Larger snow accumulations are projected to fall along the southern areas of Michigan. Snowfall along the I-94 corridor is projected to total 5 to 7 inches. For other parts of Michigan, 3 to 5 inches is more likely. The more north you travel, the less snow you’ll likely see.

Even if the snow isn’t as significant as what meteorologists predicted a few days ago, whatever snowfall arrives will mark Michigan’s first major snow of the season. For projections tailored to your exact location, visit the National Weather Service’s website.

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