Southern Lower Michigan is in a lull in the weather system this morning. That will change this afternoon as another area of widespread precipitation moves into southern Lower Michigan. The next round of precipitation will likely fall in the liquid form. Some areas will still be below freezing late this afternoon, and freezing rain could result.
Here’s a look at the radar forecast for this afternoon and evening. Notice the expansion of precipitation this afternoon.
Radar forecast for this afternoon and evening shows another area of precipitation developing.
The pink area is freezing rain. The area of freezing rain will mostly move across north of Grand Rapids, Lansing, Alma, Mount Pleasant, Saginaw, Bay City, Midland and the Thumb.
But there could also be some freezing rain in the northern Detroit suburbs in Oakland County.
Freezing rain accumulations won’t be heavy, staying less than one-tenth of an inch of ice, and likely only a few hundredths of ice accumulation. It won’t be a power outage situation, but roads could get slick again at the evening drive.
It will depend strictly on temperatures at the time. Below is the temperature forecast for 5 p.m. this evening.
Temperature forecast for 5 p.m. this evening.
Temperatures will be below freezing from the north side of Detroit and northward. If you are driving late this afternoon or evening in the mentioned areas, I’d be on the lookout for freezing rain putting a light glaze on the roads. With temperatures near freezing, salt on roads should do a great job at melting ice on roads.
If you are going north into far northern Lower Michigan or the Upper Peninsula, expect a snowstorm drive.
The forecast for additional snowfall today and tonight shows the Upper Peninsula and far northern Lower will get another three to six inches of snow today.
Southern Lower won’t have much snow this afternoon and evening. There may be an inch of snow at tops for southern Lower. The Upper Peninsula will have a lot of snow, with three to six additional inches. Northern Lower will have one to three inches of snow.
Temperatures will continue to rise above freezing late this evening, and precipitation will end by midnight. Tomorrow morning should have much better road conditions.