Snow squalls, gusty winds lead to white-out conditions, hazardous travel in parts of Michigan

Our long-duration lake-effect snow event is in full swing as we head into our Thanksgiving Weekend, and gusty winds are making travel dicey in some areas across Michigan as snow continues to fall.

Snow squalls have been reported in Southeast Michigan today, and blowing and drifting snow have made some roads hazardous from the Upper Peninsula to northern Lower Michigan and West Michigan.

National Weather Service offices across the state are using cautionary language about driving while these conditions persist. Wind gusts are forecast in the 25 mph to 35 mph range today.

“Lake effect snow bands continue across the region in these bands visibility can be reduced to a quarter mile of visibility or less. If traveling please use caution, slow down and allow extra time for driving,” NWS meteorologists in the Grand Rapids office said.

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Want to check the roads before you head out? Use the Michigan Department of Transportations MiDrive map and you can filter your route by traffic speeds, any accidents blocking the way, and more.

In West Michigan, another 2 to 5 inches of snow are possible today, with another inch or two added to those totals by late Saturday. Wind speeds will drop a bit on Saturday.

In Detroit and other Southeast Michigan areas, scattered snow showers are expected to continue into Saturday. Wind chills will also drop into the teens, so make sure to have hats and gloves when you head out.

“Brief intervals of white out or near white-out conditions are possible with snow showers today,” NWS meteorologists at the Detroit office said.

Lake-effect snow had really been piling up in some areas of northern Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula. There have been reports of 23 inches of snow measured on Sugar Island near the Soo.

“Impressive lake effect snow will continue across parts of Northern Michigan through this afternoon and tonight. Most notable of these locations are northeastern Chippewa county/Sault Ste. Marie area, eastern Charlevoix/northern Otsego counties, and eastern Antrim/southern Otsego/far northwest Crawford counties,” NWS meteorologists at the Gaylord office said in this morning’s forecast notes.

“Snowfall totals exceeding 10″ have already been reported across these areas, with the highest number of 23″ over the past 24 hrs reported on the north end of Sugar Island east of Sault Ste. Marie. Based on latest radar/observations and guidance trends, current dominant banding is expected to remain over these areas for the foreseeable future … . An additional 1 to 2 feet of snow will be possible across the above mentioned areas by 7 AM Saturday, and localized higher amounts cannot be ruled out — especially near Sault Ste. Marie.”