First Look: How Much Snow Can Mid-Michigan Expect This Weekend?

The biggest snowstorm Michigan has seen so far this winter is predicted to blanket the state this weekend.

Confidence among forecasters is growing that much of Lower Michigan could see eight to twelve inches of snow between Friday and early Saturday, with isolated areas potentially approaching two feet.

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Comparing Forecasts

Forecasters at AccuWeather believe a couple inches of snow are likely to fall across Mid-Michigan during the day on Friday, with snowfall rates ramping up overnight heading into Saturday morning. Meteorologists at AccuWeather think the ingredients are there for up to a foot of snow to fall overnight Friday into Saturday in some areas, particularly west of Lansing.

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The National Weather Service tends to hold its cards closer to the vest when forecasting snowfall, preferring not to issue predictions until closer to the event. However, the NWS office in Grand Rapids is already projecting at least half a foot of snow to fall throughout Mid-Michigan, with some areas well above that.

The Weather Prediction Center projects at least a 70% chance that places like Lansing, Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo will see at least 8" of snow with this system. A swath of the Lower Peninsula from between Lansing and Grand Rapids northeastward toward Midland and Alpena have a greater than 80% chance of seeing that much.

SEE ALSO: Bundle Up! Michigan Set to Plunge Into a Deep Freeze

WILX News 10 First Alert Meteorologist Colton Cichoracki says "the exact amount of snow will depend on the track but many of our models are showing a significant amount of snow for most of Mid-Michigan. There is a high likelihood of 6+ inches of snow from this system."

Compare and contrast the current predictions from AccuWeather and the National Weather Service below.

TOWN-BY-TOWN SNOWFALL PROJECTIONS FOR JANUARY 12-13, 2024

* updated at 11:15am on 1/10/24