Snow could make travel treacherous in Southwest Michigan, along I-94 corridor

BENTON HARBOR, MI – Treacherous travel conditions are expected to continue tonight and into Tuesday for some areas of Southwest Michigan, including the I-94 corridor, the National Weather Service said.

Lake-effect snow that could be heavy at times is forecast to continue overnight tonight into early Tuesday. A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect for Cass and Berrien counties through 10 a.m. Tuesday, and for Van Buren, Allegan and Ottawa counties until 7 a.m. Tuesday.

“Additional snow accumulations (from 2 p.m. today to 2 p.m. Tuesday) of 4 to 10+ inches are expected,” National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists at the Northern Indiana office said. “The highest snow totals are expected to be in Berrien and Cass County in Michigan, extending into far northern Indiana along I-80/I-90.”

“Significant travel impacts are likely this evening and Tuesday morning. Currently, our thinking is that the Tuesday morning commute will be treacherous, especially on US 20, I-80/I-90, and I-94. Roads will be snow covered and visibilities will be sharply reduced where snow is falling.”

Low visibility was already an issue today on westbound I-94, which authorities had to shut down after a “whiteout” crash involving three semitrailers and 14 other vehicles. One person was critically injured in the collisions, which occurred just before 1 p.m. near the Hartford exit in Van Buren County.