Storm reaches midday lull, but get ready for 'another batch' of freezing rain this evening

LANSING — As of mid-afternoon Saturday, floods were the worst symptom of the much-anticipated winter storm that had area residents preparing for power outages and limited travel.

But don't think it's over, National Weather Service Meteorologist Nathan Jeruzal warned.

He said "another batch" of precipitation, likely freezing rain, will hit the region Saturday evening.

"By no means is the area out of the woods yet, as far as power outages and tricky driving are concerned," he said.

Freezing rain is expected to reach mid-Michigan between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday, potentially accumulating on power lines and tree branches and weighing them down. That makes power outages more likely, especially as gusting wind blows on laden lines and branches, Jeruzal said.

Roadways were slushy but largely passable Saturday afternoon, which Jeruzal credits to recent warm weather that allowed pavement to store heat.

That will change, he warned, as the sun sets and temperatures drop.

"It doesn't take a lot of ice to make roads slippery, especially as temperatures slowly drop," he said.

Sleet and freezing rain are expected through Saturday evening. The precipitation will turn to snow by Sunday morning, according to the latest NWS outlook.

Officials are warning residents stay off the roads and prepare for power outages as a winter storm rages. The Lansing region remains under a flood advisory and storm warning.

"Expect power outages and tree damage due to the ice," the warning states. "Travel may become impossible, and clearing efforts will be difficult due to the amount of sleet expected."

Rivers in the region could flood over the next several days, the advisory states.

Power outages

The Lansing Board of Water & Light restored service to nearly 2,000 customers in northwest Lansing who were without power midday Saturday. See BWL's outage map here.

Consumers Energy restored power to customers in portions of Bath and Victor Townships on Saturday afternoon. See Consumers Energy's outage map here.

Road, facility closures

In Lansing, South Edgewood Boulevard is flooded and closed between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Georgetown Boulevard, according to a county-wide emergency alert sent Saturday morning.

Several roads are closed in Eaton County, according to a map updated by the county's emergency management department.

Several facilities are closed, including East Lansing's Hannah Community Center and the East Lansing Public Library. School and community activities have been canceled. 

Read more about closures here:Potter Park Zoo, community centers to close as winter storm bears down on Lansing

Contact Carol Thompson at (517) 377-1018 or ckthompson@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @thompsoncarolk.