LANSING, Mich. — A powerful winter storm is expected to slam Michigan’s Upper Peninsula beginning Tuesday, bringing plunging temperatures, heavy snow and strong winds that could make travel nearly impossible through Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
Rain is forecast to spread across the region Tuesday before rapidly changing to snow in the western U.P. by Tuesday night. The rest of the peninsula will see rain turn to snow on Wednesday as colder air sweeps in behind the storm system.
Forecasters say this storm could produce extreme snowfall totals, with some locations in the western and central U.P. potentially seeing 23 to 37 inches of snow by late Thursday.
Winter Storm Watches now cover much of the western and central U.P., which is expected to bear the brunt of the Thanksgiving week system. Forecast totals include:
• Ironwood: 23 to 37 inches
• Houghton: 16 to 26 inches
• Copper Harbor: 14 to 24 inches
• Munising: 11 to 17 inches
Snowfall rates could reach 1 to 2 inches per hour at times, especially Tuesday night and Wednesday along the spine of the Keweenaw Peninsula. The storm will shift to lake-effect snow on Wednesday, pushing heavy bands inland across the northwestern snowbelt regions.
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Winds in excess of 40 mph are expected, especially in higher terrain and along Lake Superior. The National Weather Service warns that the combination of heavy snow and strong winds will create significant visibility reductions, blowing and drifting snow, and dangerous road conditions.
The agency said tree limbs could come down under the weight of the snow, and power outages are possible throughout the western U.P.
“Those with travel plans Wednesday or Thursday should adjust their plans in order to avoid traveling these days,” the Weather Service said.
While the Upper Peninsula will see the most severe impacts, forecasters say the rest of Michigan will not escape the storm completely. Northern Lower Michigan could see several inches of snow, with lighter amounts expected across central and southern parts of the state.
Snow showers and gusty winds are expected to continue into Thursday for much of northern Michigan, keeping travel slow and conditions hazardous for holiday travelers.
