GRAND RAPIDS, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – It could still warm up over the next couple of weeks, but the hopes of those who want a White Christmas along the Lakeshore should be confirmed over the next 36 to 48 hours.
A Winter Storm Warning for Allegan & Ottawa Counties, as well as those counties along the Lake Michigan Shoreline, was initially issued by the National Weather Service office in Grand Rapids overnight to begin at 10 PM. However, late on Monday morning, the warning was pushed ahead to begin immediately, and from now until 7 AM on Wednesday, between 10 and 14 inches of heavy, lake effect snow are predicted, with localized amounts perhaps up to 18 inches. Compounding that will be winds gusting as high as 40 miles per hour that will cause what forecasters say are “areas of extreme blowing and drifting snow, with visibilities near zero at times, and some drifts may block some roads.”
Snow showers are predicted through the rest of this week for the Holland/Zeeland area, but warmer temperatures over the weekend and into next week could put a crimp on any White Christmas dreaming.
