On Monday, West Michigan can expect another round of wintry weather northward of I-96 – complete with ice. Southward, heavy rainfall will be prevalent.
On Monday morning, precipitation is expected to increase from southwest to northeast (I-94 first, then US-10 last). I-96 appears to be in the middle of all this chaos weather – locations northward have the greatest chance for a wintry mix while those southward will mostly experience rain.
By Monday evening, most widespread precipitation should have ended; however, scattered snow showers and some wintry mix may persist overnight Monday into early Tuesday.
Though it appears the freezing rain won’t be as intense as Wednesday’s ice storm, any amount of ice can be hazardous. Those living near I-94, which experienced the brunt of the ice, should not experience any major impacts from it.
North of I-96
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A wintry mix is expected to arrive after the morning commute Monday. Forecasters anticipate several hours of precipitation in the form of sleet or freezing rain. If this prolonged wintry mix materializes, it could create messy travel conditions as well as power outages.
At present, the greatest likelihood of freezing rain will be found between M-46 and US-10. This includes locations like Fremont, Big Rapids, Howard City, Reed City and surrounding communities. In this zone there is a potential accumulation of 0.2″ or greater of snowfall.
Sleet remains a potential precipitation type, which would help ease power outage worries; however, travel will still be disrupted.
Near I-96, the initial wintry mix will likely give way to rain as temperatures begin to climb above freezing. It remains uncertain how quickly this transition will take place, which could affect how quickly ice forms.
At present, forecasts call for up to 0.2″ of freezing rain, depending on when rain will begin. If sleet becomes the predominant precipitation type before switching over to rain, that could reduce impacts significantly.
Travel disruptions are expected on Monday morning, and much of the 13 On Your Side viewing area will be under a Winter Weather Advisory.
SOUTH OF I-96
Impacts will be much less severe southward of I-96, as precipitation will mainly consist of rain throughout the duration of the event. Thankfully, those hardest hit by Wednesday’s ice storm will avoid its wintry effects.
After an initial wintry mix, temperatures will quickly rise above freezing in the morning, allowing rain to take hold. Rainfall amounts are expected to be impressive by late February standards – up to 1″ of precipitation!
Stay Ahead of the Forecast: Stay informed with our weather forecast!
Ice, especially freezing rain, is one of the most difficult variables to forecast. Even a slight shift in temperature from ground level up a few thousand feet can cause drastic shifts in precipitation type and its associated impacts.
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