textproduct: Grand Rapids

KEY MESSAGES

- Snow and wind will continue into this evening.

- Bouts of snow through Friday

- Another round of Bitterly cold temperatures ahead

DISCUSSION

Issued at 345 PM EST Tue Jan 27 2026

- Snow and wind will continue until this evening.

While the earlier strong synoptic bands of snow that were fueled by a short wave trough have moves eastward; snow and blowing snow due to northwesterly lake effect flow will continue into this evening. While snow amounts will be lighter, the strong winds along with the snow and blowing snow will continue to cause reductions to visibility and travel impacts through the afternoon and evening hours. This will affect the evening commute. While not as intense as earlier, visibilities will get as low as a quarter mile at times. Expect potential impacts along and west of the US 131 corridor. Expect the Northwest flow and gusty winds to persist through sunset and then slowly subsiding. There will be two regions that should have the higher accumulations tonight. The first will be through the NW corner, near the points, including Hart and Ludington. The second will be Allegan, Van Buren and Kalamazoo counties. However, all in told, only around 1 to 3 inches of snow of additional snow is expected tonight into tomorrow. Have decided as of right now not to extend the advisory. While Lake effect snow will continue, with light accumulations, the stronger forcing will end, and the winds will slacken. So while there will be light snow, the impacts will lessen.

- Bouts of snow through Friday

The flow will shift to the west overnight into tomorrow with a slight uptick of snowfall tomorrow morning due to colder air, and instability. This will primarily affect the lakeshore and US 131 south of Grand Rapids. Another short wave will move through the region tomorrow afternoon and evening. Colder air, around -21C at 850mb, will accompany it and should bring further lake effect bands to the I 94 corridor. That could affect Wednesday's evening commute. Winds should shift to the north which will limit snowfall to the lakeshore Thursday and Friday.

- Another round of Bitterly cold temperatures ahead

As previously mentioned, A strong blast of cold air is expected to move over the region again through the latter half of the week. While not as cold as this past Friday and Saturday, Wind chills Friday morning could still get back down into the -10 to -20 range. Surface temps Friday morning could range in the -5 to -10 range currently. That arctic air mass will linger through Saturday and move further south into the weekend. The upper level trough that is driving that cold air will continue southward before moving to the east coast and potentially becoming a more intense low this weekend.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY/

Issued at 1232 PM EST Tue Jan 27 2026

Lake effect snow showers will diminish over the next six hours with LAN first to improve, MKG and AZO last. Expect IFR and lower visbys under snow showers with MVFR cigs. Cigs likely climb to VFR for LAN/JXN/BTL tonight while remaining MVFR for the other terminals. Isolated snow showers may impact AZO/GRR/MKG but with isolate coverage have gone PROB30. After 06z, lake effect snow redevelops across AZO/BTL, expanding to GRR after 12z. Low chance of showers reaching MKG/LAN/JXN directly but in the vicinity is likely. Those snow showers will be primarily MVFR visbys, and widespread MVFR cigs expected areawide regardless of showers. Gusts to 30 knots are expected through early evening before diminishing.

GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

MI...Winter Weather Advisory until 7 PM EST this evening for MIZ037- 038-043-044-050-056-057-064-065-071-072. MARINE...None.