Its Officially Spring but the Weather Isn't Showing It

Officially Its Spring...but the weather isn't showing a hint that its spring.. We are forecasting 5-10 Inches of snow with possibly a .10" hundreds of ice.. Now of coarse my hero Jim Lehocky has been all over this and is explaining what this storm is doing in detail..

**Numerous Winter Weather Alerts**

The storm continues to be on track for tonight and Sunday.

*Winter Storm Warnings and Advisories have been posted for parts of the viewing area*

The computer models continue to be in general agreement on path of storm with the heaviest snow in W/NW Michigan to the Tip of the Mitt to the Eastern U.P. Check out the regional radar loop here to see where the heaviest snow is falling with this system..and the movement.

The storm will move on through Jackson Michigan around daybreak Sunday.This puts all of the viewing area in the cold part of this storm. However, just a few thousand feet above the surface, we will see some warmer air move in from the SE and station itself south of a line from Rogers City to Howard City.

This will complicate the forecast even more because we have a chance for see some mix of snow, freezing rain, sleet and very cold rain which will hamper snow amounts, but will make travel very difficult nonetheless. Areas near Big Rapids, Mt. Pleasant, Gladwin and Midland could see mostly a cold rain tonight.

Remember, a temp drop of a degree or two could mean a freezing rain/mix event.So, again, later tonight and early Sunday, south of a Rogers City-Howard City line, we have that chance for sloppy and slick mix. North of that line, including into the U.P., it should be mainly a snow event.And that leads us to snow totals.

We have to take into account A LOT of factors here for snow totals. This storm is coming through late tonight and early Sunday. Temperatures will be cold enough to support heavy snow in NW/W Lower Michigan and the E. U.P. But we have seen the ground warm up during the daytime hours the past few weeks and that could and will limit some higher amounts.

Also, *any change of path of this storm and any change in the upper level temperature profiles will change where the heavy snow falls compared to the slick and sloppy mix.Ok. In terms of total snowfall for late tonight through Sunday.....

I believe the heaviest snow (5"-10"+) will fall from Oceana/Newaygo Counties NE to Cheboygan County also into Chippewa and Mackinac Counties in the E.U.P. This includes all of NW Lower Michigan in this particular area. Now, with that forecasted mix south of that Rogers City-Howard City line, amounts should be less.

The winds will be brisk tonight and Sunday adding to the misery of the storm. Winds will be NE overnight 12-22mph and gusty. On Sunday, the winds will shift more to the N/NW 15-25mph and gusty.

The bulk of the storm will exit the region (from SW to NE) late in the day Sunday, but the wrap around moisture will give us more snow (and rain/snow mix) through the afternoon hours with some additional, sloppy accumulations in the U.P. and NE Lower Michigan.

-Jim Lehocky, Meteorologist