MARQUETTE, Mich. — Michigan is getting its first widespread snow of the season, with lake-effect bands set to keep falling through Saturday morning and the heaviest totals stacking up in the hills of the Upper Peninsula.
A winter weather advisory for Marquette and Baraga counties runs until noon Friday. The National Weather Service office in Marquette called for another 3 to 8 inches on higher ground, with backcountry spots between U.S. 41 and County Road 510 northwest of Marquette possibly reaching 10 inches. Near the Lake Superior shore, including the city of Marquette, less than an inch is expected.
Drivers face the worst of it inland, especially on U.S. 41 between Marquette and Negaunee, where the advisory warned of a rough Friday morning commute. Gusts could hit 25 mph, and 35 mph along Lake Superior. Because snow bands are narrow, one stretch of road can be buried while the next mile stays dry, so forecasters urged slower speeds and caution for sudden drops in visibility.
An unusual northeast wind is steering the bands this time, which shifts where the heaviest snow lands. Cold air high overhead is cold enough for snow, but the ground is still warm; soil in Leelanau County measured 47 degrees Thursday morning. That means much of what falls will melt from below once a band moves on, and most roads should stay wet rather than icy, though an hour of heavy snow could leave slush.
In northern Lower Michigan, Leelanau and Benzie counties, plus parts of Grand Traverse and Wexford counties to the west, could see 1 to 3 inches on grassy surfaces, while spots within a few miles of Lake Michigan stay too mild for it to stick. The eastern Thumb and part of northeast Lower Michigan could pick up an inch. Most of the Upper Peninsula should get at least an inch.
The wind turns northwest on Saturday morning, pushing the weakening bands inland before the snow ends. Flakes are possible almost anywhere in the state before then, even outside the usual snowbelts.
From the HERE City State Desk.
Filed under: Lansing MI Weather News
