Snowy Now - Bone Chiller On The Way...

Good Morning!

I hope you're enjoying this first morning of 2014.  Plenty of clouds and snow to go around.  Enjoy it now because after the weekend, Old Man Winter kicks us in the rear end with some truly nasty cold.  One deeper dive coming up:

SNOW - THE EXTENDED EDITION:  The snow event that we are in the middle of right now continues through tomorrow afternoon and possibly into evening drive.  You may be experiencing just some flurries, very light snow, or even have a lull in the action right now - don't be fooled.  The snow redevelops after lunch, and intensifies over the next few hours.  We'll see fairly consistent moderate snow - with periods of lighter or more intense snowfall for variety.  Accumulations still look fairly good from what I posted last night, but the border counties along the Michigan/Indiana and Michigan/Ohio line, especially in the southern half of those counties, could come close or get into double digit snowfall totals when all is said and done tomorrow evening!

Here's a look at the current radar from Grand Rapids.

You can see where the heavier snow is setting up right along the south state line counties and into Indiana and Ohio.

VERY COLD UNTIL THE WEEKEND, THEN IN COMES THE PAIN:  The temperatures we have in the area now, even with the single digit and sub-zero wind chills we're recording will feel downright balmy compared to when the ice chest door gets opened early next week.  We get a good infusion of just plain nasty, bone chilling Arctic air from way up north spreading into the US.  Just looking at forecast model data, I have seen lows as cold as -10 for the overnight air temperature in the area, though the average works out to about -6.  That's for next Monday and Tuesday.  Don't even ask about the wind chills.  Suffice it to say that frostbite and exposure will become a real concern starting Sunday night.  Have a look:

I caution you, this is ONE model, ONE snapshot.  But if this is a good solution, you can see where the black means the temperatures are off scale cold, in other words, more than -10 for the air temperature at 7 AM Tuesday morning.  Now that's cold!

ANY RELIEF IN SIGHT NEXT WEEK?:  I hate to say it, but not really.  The only relief comes in the form of temperatures trying to claw their way back into the upper teens and 20's for the latter part of next week and into the weekend.  Snow chances appear to hold steady with about a 3 to 4 in 10 shot at light snow depending on your location, of course near the lake, that becomes pretty much an even money proposition thanks to the lake effect.

Here's the forecast for Jackson and vicinity:

I hope that you have a wonderful New Year's Day!  Blessings.