GRAND RAPIDS (WKZO AM/FM) — It sounds worse than it really is, but forecasters at the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids are predicting a “bomb Cyclone” to rush through southern Michigan tomorrow.
A Winter Storm Watch will be in effect from Saturday at 7 am to Monday at 1 am.
National Weather Service Meteorologist Sarah Pamprine says that could generate sustained winds in the 30 to 40 mile range with gusts up to 60mph. Combined with one or two inches of snow, it could cause whiteouts and other problems.
Charge up your cell phones and laptops, buy some food that doesn’t require cooking, make sure you have a portable radio and fresh batteries with a flashlight, and hope the power stays on and you don’t have to use them.
Forecasters say a warm low pressure system is rushing at us from the southwest and it will be pulling a cold high pressure system down from the north and the resulting differences in pressure will cause the windy conditions.
The technical term is explosive cyclogenesis, shortened to “bomb cyclone”, and could mean whiteouts and power outages.
Consumers Energy spokesman Roger Morgenstern says they have distributed spare parts to strategic locations and have line crews from out of state on speed dial, just in case they are needed.
You may want to move parked vehicles from under trees, and make sure you are ready to cope if you lose power for a while.
Michigan has seen all kinds of different weather phenomena this Winter Season and the bomb cyclone is another to add to the list.
