GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — Blizzard-like conditions are expected this afternoon as dense snow falls, winds gust at 45 to 50 mph, and visibility is reduced. This has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a Winter Storm Warning that goes into effect at 10 a.m. Friday lasting through 7 p.m. Saturday. This comes at 8"+ inches of snow is expected to fall in a 12-hour timeframe.
Conditions will worsen this afternoon as heavy snow takes over; rates will likely exceed 1” per hour for several hours. Coupled with strong wind gusts and wet/dense snow, this will result in whiteout-like visibility and blizzard-like conditions.
By 5 p.m., we anticipate 1 to 3 inches of snow, with 3 to 5 inches by 7 pm. Additional overnight snowfall will bring our storm totals to a widespread 8 to 10 inches by 8 am Saturday. There will be locally higher amounts, with some locations pushing a foot of snow by daybreak Saturday.
Strong wind gusts will ramp up at the same time the heavy snow arrives this afternoon into the early evening hours. Gusts, out of the east, will approach 50 mph as the storm system strengthens. This will potentially cause power outages and periods of even further reduced visibility.
Even as the system snow exits early Saturday, lake effect takes over by early afternoon. This will result in additional accumulation in our usual W-NW snow belts through Saturday night. These areas will likely have another 4 to 6 inches of snow on top of what they receive from today's system snow. This snow will no longer be heavy wet snow, it will switch out to fluffy lighter snowfall.
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