Heavy snow showers expected for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Snow showers are expected to occur for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

According to the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids, snowy conditions are expected to affect the following counties: Mason, Lake, Osceola, Clare, Oceana, Newaygo, Mecosta, Isabella, Muskegon, Montcalm, Gratiot, Ottawa, Kent, Ionia, Clinton, Allegan, Barry, Eaton, Ingham, Van Buren, Kalamazoo, Calhoun, and Jackson.

On Wednesday, wind gusts reached 45 mph in the afternoon and evening.

Temperatures were expected to drop rapidly and show showers likely occurred at 4 a.m. which could lead to some hazardous travel conditions on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Christmas Eve expects abrupt changes in visibility to a half mile or less at times. Travel may be impacted all day due to rapidly changing visibilities, rapidly accumulating snow near the lakeshore, and slip

pery roads.

During the day, snow accumulations could generally be 1 inch or less east of US 131 and 1 to 3 inches west. Higher snowfall rates are expected after 6 p.m. with locally 1 inch per hour for western half of lakeshore counties.

Travel conditions are expected to be the worst after 6 p.m. with snow covered and slick roads.

On Christmas Day, temperatures are expected to fall in the teen by morning and highly variable conditions with occasional heavy snow showers are expected, mainly west of US 131.

Several inches of additional accumulation will be expected especially on the western half of lakeshore counties.

The expected 2-day total accumulations are expected to be a few tenths of an inch up to 2 inches east of US 131. On the west of US 131 2 to 6 inches are expected with the exception of locally 6 to 10 inches across western lakeshore counties.

For more information, visit weather.gov.