SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN (WKZO AM/FM) — The first big round of snow this month is expected to effect most of the region as a storm system moves into the region.
The National Weather Service is issuing a winter storm warning from Friday evening through Sunday morning for Allegan, Barry, Eaton, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, and Van Buren Counties in the southwest part of the state. The blanket advisory covers 23 counties total across most of southern and central Michigan.
Heavy precipitation is expected, with initial rain becoming sleet and snow across of much of the southern counties. The NWS’s Grand Rapids Office is warning that road travel might become extremely difficult because of the freezing rain.
Before the weekend concludes, area residents can expect to see substantial accumulation of snow and ice, and wind gusts reaching speeds of up to 45 MPH. Regional utilities like Consumers Energy are ramping up efforts to prepare for power outages due to the hazardous conditions.
The system is coming at Michigan just one year after the 2019 Polar Vortex caused much of West and Southwest Michigan to come to a standstill, with hundreds of thousands losing power. NWS says that while dangerous, this round of winter weather isn’t expected to be as severe.
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