MICHIGAN, USA — Hundreds of schools and churches are closed across West Michigan as the ice and snow storm hits the state Wednesday into Thursday.
Michigan is seeing power outages and other safety hazards due to the storm.
Areas of West Michigan could see snowfall of 6+ inches, wind gusts over 40 mph and over 1.5 inches of ice on the ground throughout the storm. See the full forecast here.
This is the first time an Ice Storm Warning has been issued in the area since December of 2013, over 3,000 days ago.
Schools in Allegan, Ottawa, Muskegon, Kent and Kalamazoo Counties are closing as the storm continues. You can find the full list on the 13 ON YOUR SIDE closings page here.
Grand Rapids Public Schools is closed for a second day on Thursday, school officials announced. Superintendent Leadriane Roby said it's out of an abundance of caution for students and staff.
“The weather has deteriorated driving conditions significantly,” Roby said. “While we want our learners in the classroom as much as possible, we have to make sure it’s safe to do so. With the way this storm has developed, it is obvious that keeping our scholars home is the safest course.”
Consumers Energy crews are staying in areas that are expecting the greatest damage to help with power restoration efforts.
As the storm rages on, Consumers Energy recommends you do the following:
- Limit travel time as much as possible.
- Be alert to crews working on the roadside.
- Charge all electronic devices. It’s advised to have an emergency battery or charging station available for use during an outage.
- Have an emergency kit that includes flashlights and extra batteries, water, canned food and blankets both at home and in the car if travel is necessary. Be prepared with enough medication, baby supplies and pet food if applicable. A battery-operated radio is also a good idea.
- Unplug sensitive electronics like TVs, computers and printers. Turn power strips off.
You can view the Consumers Energy outage map here. To see the latest updates on outages in your area, you can download the Consumers Energy app, as well.
As always, you can stay up-to-date with the latest weather information on the 13 ON YOUR SIDE weather page here.
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