UNDATED (WHTC-AM/FM, Dec. 29, 2025) – West Michigan is being blasted by a winter storm to start the week.
Areas along the Lake Michigan shoreline, from South Haven up to the Mackinac Bridge, are expected to get four to eight inches of snow, while inland counties including Kent, Calhoun, and Ionia, may get between two and five inches of snow. Wind gusts up to 55 miles an hour will also impact travel and will be blowing snow.
Brian Wheeler with Consumers Energy says crews are ready to go to get power turned back on as a result of the winter storm hitting west Michigan today.
The Jackson-based utility is reminding people to stay at least 25-feet away from downed power lines and report them to 9-1-1 and to Consumers Energy at 800-447-5050. Consumers Energy also says crews will be working alongside the roads to restore power in areas where it has been lost.
Winter storms such as this make areas such as Lincoln Road (M-40) between Holland and Hamilton especially dangerous to drive, even for experienced motorists such as Allegan County Sheriff Frank Baker.
Safety experts say that, under such adverse weather conditions, motorists should keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in their vehicle in case of an emergency, and to be prepared for rapid changes in weather, visibility and road conditions.
As the Lakeshore is in the grip of a Winter Storm Warning on Monday, non-profits that help those in need are mobilizing to provide assistance.
Holland’s Gateway Mission will open up its men’s and women’s shelters for warming centers, from 8 AM to 6 PM. Some standards for admittance will be waived at this time, according to Mission Executive Director Jay Riemersma.
Gateway staffers will be working with its HOPE Team, along with those from Community Action House, Holland Public Safety, and local/county crisis intervention teams to identify those who need emergency shelter. Call 616-396-2200 for more information.
-Michael Arney of WKZO-AM/FM Kalamazoo contributed to this story
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