Just when spring temperatures arrive, a slow moving storm system will drag colder air right back into Michigan. This strong storm will take its time moving through the Great Lakes region and could be hanging around for nearly four days, starting Friday.
The long lasting system will bring a variety of conditions across Michigan with rain, snow, freezing rain and strong wind through early next week. This does not mean every location through Lower Michigan will get pounded with wintry precipitation for four straight days. It is much too early to pinpoint exactly where the freezing rain or icing will occur. However, the forecast trend demonstrates the strongest potential mainly north of M-46 with mostly rain over Metro Detroit. Of course, we will continue to update our forecast in the coming days as models tweak the timing and location for this wintry mess heading our way.
The maps below show what is trending from Friday morning through Monday night.
Remember, the exact locations for rain to freezing rain to snow will change between now and Friday. Bouts of heavy rain will be much more likely across Metro Detroit with snow in the Upper Peninsula and a swath of freezing rain through northern or central Michigan. The general idea is to watch for a storm that will likely pack a punch bringing a variety of conditions to Michigan making long distance traveling very difficult at times through the weekend.
Once the storm moves to the east, it will pull colder air into the region allowing rain or the wintry mix to change over to snow. That means, we are not done with Old Man Winter into mid-April!
