Lake-effect snow continues to hammer parts of Michigan as Arctic air remains locked over the Great Lakes, keeping snow bands active and wind chills dangerously low.
The heaviest snow is focused in the Upper Peninsula, where additional accumulations over the Keweenaw Peninsula are likely through midweek. Even areas that see lighter snow will remain in a prolonged stretch of bitter cold, with some of the coldest air of the season arriving late this week.
“Thursday (Jan. 22) will also be the last day before the next arctic outbreak,” the National Weather Service office in Detroit wrote. “Highs will reach into the 20s, but an Arctic front dropping through overnight will usher in the coldest airmass of the season.”
Heavy snowfall targets the Keweenaw Peninsula
Cold west to northwest winds flowing across a mostly ice-free Lake Superior are fueling persistent lake-effect snow, with the Keweenaw Peninsula seeing the most intense and organized bands, according to the National Weather Service.
Snowfall rates may increase at times, especially from Houghton north toward Copper Harbor, where an additional 4 to 6 inches is possible through Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service in Marquette. Locally higher totals remain possible where bands linger.
Fine, powdery snow combined with gusty winds has also led to blowing snow and sharply reduced visibility, particularly in open areas and along north–south roads. Winter Weather Advisories remain in effect across much of the western and northern Upper Peninsula as lake-effect snow continues to shift and redevelop.
How much snow will Michigan get this week?
Lake-effect snow will persist through the week. According to the National Weather Service, these are the expected snowfall totals in Michigan through early Friday.
- Western Upper Peninsula (Lake Superior snow belt): 18-36 inches with isolated areas of 40+ inches
- Eastern Upper Peninsula: 8-16 inches
- Northwest Lower Michigan (Lake Michigan snow belt): 12-24 inches, locally higher
- Southwest Lower Michigan: 6-12 inches
- Northern Lower Michigan: 6-10 inches
- Central Lower Michigan (Lansing-Flint region): 3-6 inches
- Southeast Michigan (Detroit-Ann Arbor): 1-4 inches
Season’s coldest air settles in
The same Arctic air mass driving lake-effect snow is also delivering some of the coldest temperatures of the season. Early Tuesday morning, Jan. 20, temperatures dropped below zero across much of Upper Michigan, with some interior locations falling below minus 10 degrees. Daytime highs struggle to climb out of the single digits, even with some sunshine.
Another surge of even colder air is expected late Thursday, Jan. 22, into the weekend. Forecast models show temperatures at about 5,000 feet dropping to levels typical of midwinter Arctic outbreaks, setting the stage for overnight lows between minus 10 and minus 25 degrees across much of the Upper Peninsula, according to the National Weather Service.
Daytime highs Friday may not rise above zero in some interior areas.
Dangerous wind chills linger and worsen late week
Wind chills have already fallen into the minus 20 to minus 35 degree range in parts of Upper Michigan, prompting cold weather advisories. While winds may ease slightly during the day, wind chills are expected to remain below minus 10 degrees through much of Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 20.
As stronger winds return late Wednesday night and Thursday, Jan. 21-22, wind chills will once again plunge. By late week, there is a moderate to high chance that wind chills approach or exceed minus 35 degrees, particularly overnight and during the early morning hours. Additional cold weather advisories — and possibly extreme cold warnings — are increasingly likely as the coldest air arrives.
When conditions begin to improve
Lake-effect snow may slowly ease later Saturday, Jan. 24, as high pressure builds into the region, though northwest flow could allow snow showers to redevelop again into early next week.
Temperatures are expected to moderate gradually after the weekend but remain below normal as Arctic blast from a disrupted polar vortex begins to impact the U.S. Michigan temperatures are set to remain below normal through at least mid-February, according to the Climate Prediction Center, which notes conditions may “promote an Arctic air outbreak during early February.”
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Heavy lake-effect snow continues in Michigan. How much more this week?
Reporting by Brandi D. Addison, USA TODAY NETWORK / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
