Snow, frigid conditions in Michigan for Thanksgiving weekend. Here's what to expect.
(CBS DETROIT) — Thanksgiving is here, and for many around Michigan, it's time to hit the road or take to the skies. Those who do stay in-state are looking at the possibility of snow and frigid temperatures for the holiday weekend.
This time around, snow showers will be an issue for the Michigan lake-effect snow belts. On Wednesday night, cooler air rushes in, leaving lows below freezing throughout Metro Detroit.
Winds will slowly shift to coming out of the northwest, which kickstarts our lake-effect snow activity off of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior.
The National Weather Service in Marquette shows that the heaviest areas of snowfall are those in the eastern Upper Peninsula and along the Lake Michigan shoreline and farther inland toward Cadillac.
By the weekend, the lake-effect snow showers will be able to spread across the state, so plan on a few flakes in the air and even some potential for a light amount on grassy or raised surfaces.
Temperatures will drop by Thanksgiving night into the 20s for Black Friday.
Highs into the weekend will focus on the low 30s, below freezing, and are widespread around the state, but the bigger issue will be the wind chill. Anyone planning outdoor events should bundle up, as wind chills during the day will be in the 20s starting on Thanksgiving morning and drop into the teens at night by Friday.
Air travel over the next 24 hours will mainly focus on dryer conditions in the central U.S. while mixed precipitation holds in the northeast.
If you are headed west, plan for rain along the West Coast and a mix in the Pacific Northwest. The Rockies will continue to see snowfall as well.
It's an active pattern overall for this holiday week, so stick with the NEXT Weather Team and we'll keep you updated as you head out for all that turkey.