Michigan's weather

We begin the day with temperatures starting off in the lower 20s across Michigan, gradually climbing into the upper 20s throughout the afternoon for most of the Lower Peninsula. A few brief breaks of sunshine are possible early on, particularly for areas east of US 127, before increasing cloud cover moves in ahead of our approaching winter storm. While those pockets of sunshine may slightly delay the very first flakes in a few locations, they will not slow down the much more significant snowfall that arrives later tonight. Our highs today: Our lows: The core of the storm is still on track to deliver its heaviest snowfall to southwest Michigan, where totals are expected to reach between 7 and 13 inches by the end of the day Sunday. A few isolated communities within the main deformation band may approach or slightly exceed a foot of accumulation. Winds will be variable through the day and into tonight. Gusts may reach up to 30 mph closer to the Michigan, Indiana, ...

We’re tracking another significant winter storm set to move into Michigan from Saturday evening through early Sunday morning, and this one has the potential to bring heavy snowfall, hazardous travel, and over a foot of snow in a few localized areas. While winds with this system won’t be quite as intense as the last storm, conditions will still be impactful, especially for anyone traveling after the Thanksgiving holiday.  Storm Overview A broad shield of snow will develop Saturday afternoon before intensifying into the evening and overnight hours. Much of the Lower Peninsula south of US-10 is expected to sit under 18+ hours of steady light-to-moderate snowfall, which will allow totals to pile up, generally around 6 inches, with more in the warned areas. By Saturday evening, widespread travel difficulties are likely. Roads will deteriorate quickly and remain hazardous through early Sunday morning. This will especially affect major travel corridors including I-96, I-94, I-196, and US-...

...Snow. Again! That’s right, another winter storm is gearing up and setting its sights on Michigan. So what’s going on, and what can we expect? Let’s break it down. Our piece of upper-level energy for this system made landfall along the Pacific Coast early this morning. From there, forecast models carry it due east across the Central Plains before it lifts into the Great Lakes, with impacts beginning as early as 3 PM EST Saturday, though that timing may still shift. By late Saturday night, a deep, well-defined dendritic growth zone sets up overhead, paired with a fully saturated troposphere from the surface up through nearly 10 km. Translation? Plenty of moisture and an ideal temperature profile for efficient snowfall production. Add in surface wind gusts that could top 30 mph, and we’re looking at reduced visibility, drifting on back roads, and some travel challenges, especially in open areas. Given the current setup, snowfall rates near 1 inch per hour look entirely possible at time...

SPC issues Mesoscale Discussion #2236 for heavy snow: A dominant and well-organized lake-effect snow band remains firmly in place early this afternoon across northern Lower Michigan, supported by a notable upstream connection to Lake Superior. Dual-pol imagery from KAPX continues to sample elevated KDP values within the core of this band, indicating highly efficient snowfall production. As a result, snowfall rates on the order of 1 to 2 inches per hour remain likely in the most persistent portions of the band. Given the lack of significant change in the synoptic environment through the next several hours—particularly the steady low-level wind field and continued cold air advection over the lakes—there is strong confidence that this band will hold its current structure and intensity well into the afternoon. High-resolution ensemble guidance supports this scenario, showing a sustained and narrowly focused plume of enhanced reflectivity lingering over roughly the s...

Happy Thanksgiving, Michigan! Here’s your full holiday forecast: As we kick off this Thanksgiving morning, lake-effect snow is continuing to organize into a couple of strong, persistent bands across both peninsulas. This setup means snowfall totals will vary a lot depending on where those bands settle. Some areas may scrape by with an inch or less, while others could get hammered with a half-foot or more. The true jackpot zones may see over 12 inches of fresh snow by late tonight or early Friday. Temperatures today will hover right around freezing across much of the Lower Peninsula, with a few spots in the east briefly pushing into the upper 30s, but 40s aren’t likely. Meanwhile, the Upper Peninsula stays locked into the mid-20s, reinforcing that classic early-winter chill. Lows tonight will dip into the 20s statewide, with some colder pockets slipping even lower. Along the immediate lakeshore, the microclimate may allow pockets of light freezing drizzle to mix in, just eno...

Today is shaping up to be a fascinating, if chaotic weather day across Michigan. A powerful system is splitting the state in two: the Upper Peninsula is dealing with full-blown blizzard conditions, while the Lower Peninsula wakes up to cold temperatures and a round of morning rain. It’s one of those days where the atmosphere can’t quite make up its mind. We’ll start with the Lower Peninsula, where rain arrives early and lingers through the morning hours. Meanwhile, the UP is already buried under multiple inches of snow, with the Porcupine Mountains seeing some of the heaviest accumulations so far. High temperatures actually occur early today, with some spots briefly hitting the 40s, but once the cold front sweeps through, expect a rapid drop into the 30s and even 20s by the afternoon. Rain will hold on the longest across the eastern UP and far eastern LP, but areas in the central UP and west Michigan will begin transitioning to snow around or shortly after 12 PM EST. Once that transiti...

The National Weather Service has issued a BLIZZARD WARNING for the following counties: Keweenaw, Houghton, Ontonagon, Gogebic, Baraga, and Marquette. This marks our first blizzard warning of the season, and conditions are expected to deteriorate rapidly as this storm moves in. WHAT... Expect full blizzard conditions, including periods of intense snowfall and extremely low visibility. Snow totals are forecast to reach 17 to 30 inches, with the highest amounts in areas of elevated terrain and locations closer to Lake Superior. Winds will be a major factor as well, with gusts up to 55 mph—especially across the Keweenaw Peninsula and shoreline communities. WHERE... Baraga, Gogebic, Keweenaw, Northern Houghton, and Ontonagon Counties. WHEN... From 7 PM EST (6 PM CST) this evening through 7 AM EST (6 AM CST) Thursday. The heaviest snowfall and strongest winds are likely to occur overnight and into Wednesday. IMPACTS... Travel may become very difficult to impossible, with white-ou...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR ALGER, KEWEENAW, GOGEBIC, ONTONAGON, AND MARQUETTE COUNTIES. ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM EST /6 PM CST/ THIS EVENING THROUGH 7 PM EST /6 PM CST/ WEDNESDAY... WHAT... Heavy snow is expected, with storm totals ranging from 14 to 25 inches. Strong winds, with gusts up to 50 mph, may create periods of near-blizzard or full blizzard conditions, especially in open areas. WHERE... Gogebic, Keweenaw, Northern Houghton, and Ontonagon Counties. WHEN... From 7 PM EST /6 PM CST this evening through 7 PM EST /6 PM CST Wednesday. IMPACTS... Travel will become very difficult to impossible, particularly tonight through Wednesday morning. Widespread blowing and drifting snow will reduce visibility—at times to a quarter mile or less for several consecutive hours. Road conditions will deteriorate quickly, and both the Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning commutes are expected to be severely impacted. Strong wi...

Almost everyone can agree on one point: the Upper Peninsula is poised for a significant snowfall event. Our first system of the week is approaching with considerable force, and confidence continues to increase that it will deliver high-impact winter weather across the western UP. Winter Storm Watches are set to go into effect tomorrow, with a widespread foot of snow possible across at least five counties in the western part of the peninsula. Several high resolution guidance suites now support isolated totals approaching 18 inches by Thursday morning, particularly in the higher terrain. As colder air deepens behind the initial system, an extended period of lake-effect snow is expected to develop Thursday into Friday. Given this setup, there is a strong potential for select locations to exceed two feet of snow by the end of the day Friday. Winds will play a major role as well. Gusts will likely reach 40–50 mph across much of the state, and when combined with heavy snowfall, will create p...

The CPC has issued a new outlook:  Now, you might be wondering: "Where did the moderate risk go?" Well, the moderate risk was for the 28th - 30th time period, this outlook is past that, meaning theres no longer a moderate risk. If you live in the areas that previously had a moderate  Then, its recommended you treat it like your still in one. Here's what we know so far: Model ensembles from the GEFS, ECENS, and CMCE have converged considerably for the week-2 period, showing strong agreement on the large-scale pattern. Ensemble guidance depicts deep troughing over both the Bering Sea and the western CONUS, with pronounced ridging stretching from the North Pacific into the Arctic. This configuration supports a southward push of cold air across the central U.S., likely bringing the first freeze of the season to portions of the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley. While these developments are noteworthy, the most significant local i...

The CPC has kept its moderate risk of heavy snowfall.  Ensemble guidance from the GEFS, ECENS, and CMCE has come into stronger agreement for the week-2 period, highlighting a pattern highly favorable for impactful winter weather across Michigan. Forecast 500-hPa height anomalies show a deep trough over the western CONUS and the Bering Sea, with pronounced ridging across the North Pacific into the Arctic. This setup supports a sustained push of cold air into the Northern Tier, including the Great Lakes region. For Michigan, model solutions consistently indicate an extended period of lake-enhanced and synoptic snow as cold air flows across the relatively warm Great Lakes. A slight risk of heavy snow is posted statewide across northern Michigan and the U.P. from Nov 29–Dec 2, with a moderate risk focused on the southern and eastern shores of Lakes Erie and Ontario, the Upper Peninsula, and northwestern Lower Michigan valid Nov 29–30. These areas are climatologi...

Good morning, everyone! Let’s take a look at today’s weather across Michigan. For much of the Lower Peninsula, temperatures will settle into the mid-40s, with some locations creeping a bit higher during the warmest part of the afternoon. Meanwhile, the Upper Peninsula will stay chillier, holding steady in the 30s. With a little moisture lingering in the atmosphere and a steady northwest wind, we’re looking at the possibility of a light rain-snow mix, especially downwind of the lakes. A few heavier lake-effect bands may briefly develop along and north of M-28, mainly across the eastern UP, which could lead to occasional reductions in visibility for drivers. Snowfall totals will remain light overall generally under an inch, so no major travel impacts are expected, but it’s still something to keep in mind if you’re out and about. Winds today will come out of the west and northwest at 5–10 mph, with occasional gusts up to 25 mph, especially in areas north of I-96 and into the UP. Despite t...

The Climate Prediction Center has issued a moderate risk for Heavy snowfall. Now, lets talk about this. Over the past several days, ensemble guidance from the ECENS, GEFS, and CMCE has shown a range of possible large-scale patterns across North America. Despite the variability, confidence in the week-2 forecast for the Great Lakes region, including Michigan, is higher than normal because the major models continue to highlight the same overall theme: a significant push of colder air into the central and eastern United States as we approach the end of November. For Michigan, this pattern strongly favors a sustained stretch of below-normal temperatures. A deepening trough over the central U.S. and periods of high-latitude blocking are expected to help deliver repeated surges of cold, dry Canadian air into the Great Lakes. While our region has already seen its first freeze, the upcoming cold looks capable of reinforcing early-winter conditions across both peninsulas...

Hello everyone! Here’s your detailed forecast for today: Temperatures this afternoon will rise into the mid-40s across most of the Lower Peninsula, while many spots in the Upper Peninsula will struggle to reach 40°F. A few areas, especially east of Gaylord and the higher terrain west of Marquette, may not make it to 40°F at all. A handful of locations may just break out of the 40°F “cage,” but most will stay locked into a cool, late-November pattern. Overnight lows will range widely from the lower 40s to the 20s across the state.  A quick-moving disturbance will pass through today, bringing the chance for light rain or mist, especially north of Ludington and Mount Pleasant. In the Upper Peninsula, colder air aloft may allow some of this precipitation to briefly mix with melting ice pellets or snow. Wind gusts will be strongest across the Great Lakes, where southwest winds could reach up to 25 mph. Inland areas will see gusts closer to 15 mph, with the calmes...