First Alert Weather Day: Quick accumulating snow tonight, travel impacts expected for some.

SAGINAW, Mich. (WNEM) - Winter Weather Advisories are in place for all of Mid-Michigan (other than Roscommon County) starting this afternoon going into tonight through tomorrow morning ahead of a quick hitting storm system aimed at Mid-Michigan tonight. We have also declared today (8PM tonight through 8AM tomorrow morning) to be a First Alert Weather Day due to the risk for heavy accumulating snow overnight leading to travel impacts Sunday morning.

Accumulations in general of 2-6″, depending on your location, are expected. A few areas may even pick up a little more. I am still working to nail down the exact track of this system this morning, which will determine exactly where the heaviest snow falls. Travel impacts are likely tonight and Sunday morning for much of Mid-Michigan due to the quick hitting and ‘heavier’ nature of this snow. Plan on extra travel time tonight and tomorrow morning, or just try to stay in, if possible, until road crews can take care of the roads later Sunday. Below are the details of the First Alert Weather Day:

Here is a look at the numbers as of 7am this morning. I made no major changes to Chris’ forecast last other than increased confidence in data from this morning has lead me to think that totals closer to 6″ or locally higher are not impossible. Exactly where this corridor of higher snow totals line up is still a little more uncertain, though in general accumulations of 2-6″, depending on your location, are a good bet.

We have essentially everything we need for a ‘lower-end’ heavy snowfall. We should be in consistent snowfall for 12ish hours, being heavy at times. Air temperatures and ground temperatures will be favorable for accumulation as well. This is a ‘lower-end’ heavy snow because we are just barely into the ‘long duration’ time frame of 12ish hrs or more, and snow won’t fall too-heavy for the entire event. Here are those numbers:

Temperatures remain in the mid-20s for much of the day today and tonight. Winds calm some this afternoon, so wind chills will gradually improve today but still remaining in the lower 20s.

Below is a look at your hour-by-hour forecast for this afternoon, this evening, tonight, early tomorrow morning, and late tomorrow morning:

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