The next Alberta Clipper style of snowstorm is heading our way for tonight and Wednesday morning. Over half of Lower Michigan is expected to get a meaningful snow accumulation.
The outlined area of the winter weather advisory gives you a quick idea of where the heaviest snow will fall.
Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for the purple shaded counties from 10 p.m. today to 4 p.m. Wednesday, December 10NOAA
From Traverse City to Oscoda southward through central Lower Michigan to Big Rapids, Saginaw and the Thumb is where four inches to seven inches of snow are likely by noon Wednesday. This amount of snow fits into the winter weather advisory criteria.
South of the winter weather advisory area we will have a four hour burst of heavy snow from midnight to 4 a.m. tonight. The snow should turn to rain toward morning over southern Michigan, which will lower the total snow amount left on the ground by midday Wednesday.
Here’s the radar forecast from the start of the snow over southwest Michigan to the end of the widespread snow around midday Wednesday.
Radar forecast from 10 p.m. tonight to 6 p.m. Wednesday, December 10.NOAA
By Wednesday afternoon, the widespread snow will switch to spotty lake-effect. If you are looking to have no snow for a drive, Wednesday afternoon is your safest bet, or before late this evening.
The snow will be heavy at times during the middle of the night, even for southern Michigan including Ann Arbor, Detroit, Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids.
The precipitation should stay in the form of all snow from Bay City to Midland to Big Rapids. The Saginaw area should mostly be snow. Flint and Grand Rapids will have an occasional mix of snow, rain and freezing rain between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. Wednesday.
The heaviest snow will pile up in the winter weather advisory area. This is not a huge, memorable snowstorm, but it’s a solid snow.
Total snowfall for this evening through 5 p.m. Wednesday, December 10.NOAA
Let’s call it a five to seven inch snow from Traverse City and Cadillac to Houghton Lake and Clare to Midland, Bay City and Tawas City. Just south of the all snow area, let’s use three to five inches of snow from Ludington and Big Rapids to the Saginaw area and the Thumb.
From Flint southward the snowfall forecast is a little more complex. There will be a burst of heavy snow overnight, with three to four inches of snow in a short time. Then the mixture of rain comes in toward daylight, and mashes down the snow. Finally, there may be another inch of snow in the second half of Wednesday morning.
For the southern area that turns to rain, temperatures should warm to around 35 degrees at daybreak, possibly giving a few hours of just wet roads on the interstates and state highways. We also have to watch for an hour or two of freezing rain before the temperatures warm up above freezing.
Watch for updates at Mlive.com/weather. There still is enough uncertainty that the band of heaviest snow may have to be shifted south or north by 25 miles.
