Slick travel conditions expected for Friday morning commute across Michigan

Snow from the incoming Alberta Clipper system is filtering into Michigan already and is expected to intensify as we move into the evening hours and overnight.

With the peak times for snowfall forecast to be between 7 p.m. tonight and 7 a.m. Friday, the National Weather Service (NWS) teams are cautioning motorists that Friday morning’s commute could be a little tricky. If you’re headed out on the roads, you’ll want to leave yourself some extra time.

“Snow arrives this afternoon and continues into Friday morning,” NWS meteorologists at the Grand Rapids office said. “Widespread totals of 1-4 inches are expected with locally higher amounts possible. Slick travel conditions are likely for the Friday morning commute so plan for extra time for travel.”

Here are the late Thursday, early Friday forecast highlights from the NWS in Grand Rapids:

• Snow begins late this afternoon north of I-96
• Light snow (0.1-0.2″/hr) falls areawide tonight into Friday, greatest intensity between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.
• Widespread 1-4 inches of snow expected, highest north of I-96, with locally higher amounts possible
• Slick roads likely for Friday morning commute

The NWS office in Detroit is forecasting 1 to 3 inches through Friday night, with 4 inches or more possible across portions of The Thumb.

In Northern Michigan, the NWS is Gaylord is forecasting a general 1-3 inches for most areas. Some spots closer to the Lake Huron shoreline could see up to 8 inches of snow by Friday.

In the Upper Peninsula, one spot could see up to 8 inches of snow: “Widespread snowfall begins this afternoon, prompting Winter Weather Advisories for much of the U.P. and a Winter Storm Warning for Menominee County, where locally 6-8 inches of Lake Michigan-enhanced snow could fall today,” NWS staff in Marquette said. “Lake effect snow over the Keweenaw and the eastern U.P. will then follow for Friday and Saturday.”