GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The combination of heavy snow and brutal cold will lead to one of the harshest four days of winter weather that we have experienced in years.
The slow start to winter has ended. You have probably already noticed with the recent arctic air and considerable uptick in snow. This past week Grand Rapids received more snow than the 69 day preiod between Nov. 11 through Jan. 18. Much more is on the way.
Storm Team 8 is forecasting most areas will receive a solid 6 to 10 inches of snow with the possiblity of more than 12 inches near M-20 to US-10.
Monday's snowstorm will likely be a recording-breaking event. The previous record in Grand Rapids was set in 1977 with 7 inches of snow.
Most will receive 6-10 of snow from the storm by early evening across West Michigan.
Hundreds of schools, including Grand Rapids Public Schools and Holland Public Schools, called off Monday classes because of the storm. Ionia County government offices are shut down, as are the offices and courts in Mecosta County. Spectrum Health closed all doctor's offices and outpatient rehabilitation until noon. Patients were asked to call ahead or go to SpectrumHealth.org for details.
The National Weather Service has put out a Winter Storm Warning for Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Kent, Ionia, and Ottawa counties until 7 p.m. Monday for 6 to 12 inches of new snow. The Winter Storm Warning has an extended end time for Allegan, Van Buren, Kalamazoo, Berrien and Cass counties until 7 a.m. Tuesday morning due to lake effect snow expected on the backside of the departing storm.
A Winter Weather Advisory has also been issued for Calhoun and Eaton counties until 7 p.m. and St. Joseph and Branch counties until 1 a.m. Tuesday.
The storm will take a path between Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids. The heaviest snow typically falls just north of the path of a storm and that's where the heaviest rates and snowfall will be.