textproduct: Grand Rapids

KEY MESSAGES

- Some Snow in Mason and Oceana Counties along the Lakeshore

- Next Round of Widespread Snow Thursday into Friday

- Cold this Weekend the Moderating Temperatures Next Week

DISCUSSION

Issued at 144 PM EST Tue Feb 3 2026

- Some Snow in Mason and Oceana Counties along the Lakeshore

Overall other than some light flurries most of the area will be dry through Wednesday. Within the north to northeast flow this evening an area of convergence will develop over Lake Michigan creating a narrow band of snow. This band of snow may clip portions of Mason and Oceana counties tonight into Wednesday providing a dusting to an inch of snow through Wednesday afternoon.

- Next Round of Widespread Snow Thursday into Friday

Warm air advection moves in for Thursday bringing another round of snow during the day along with some additional support from positive vorticity advection with a quick moving shortwave trough. As this lift exits moisture becomes more shallow and we'll need to monitor for freezing drizzle Thursday night into early Friday morning.

Another shortwave trough and associated positive vorticity advection move through Friday morning bringing back the deeper moisture for snowfall through the rest of Friday morning before dry conditions return. Total snowfall amounts will largely be 2 inches or less with areas northwest of Grand Rapids having the better chances (20 to 40 percent) of seeing 2-3 inches. Temperatures Friday are expected to warm into the mid 30s for much of the area before the colder air advects into the region.

- Cold this Weekend the Moderating Temperatures Next Week

Behind the cold front 850mb temperatures fall to around -18 C with limited moisture behind the front. Low inversion heights and drier air will not bring a favorable environment for lake effect snow. Therefore only expecting cold temperatures with highs in the teens to low 20s and lows around zero away from Lake Michigan. This dip in temperatures will be short lived as we gradually warm up Sunday into next week where we could see temperatures rise above freezing again.

AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY/

Issued at 1208 AM EST Wed Feb 4 2026

Satellite images show much of Lower Michigan under MVFR clouds but for some patchy clearing. These clouds are persisting under weak north flow and moisture added by the Great Lakes. Very light snow flurries are occurring especially and GRR and MKG all the way north to Lake Superior. There is not much indication that the broader weather pattern will suppress these clouds on Wednesday. In general, models were underdoing the cloud cover this evening. Latest short-term models, including the HREF, maintain mostly cloudy conditions with MVFR ceilings through Wednesday. The ECMWF is broadly painting a trace of precip all day too, to support the idea of just very light snow flurries persisting. This is certainly the pattern and the time of year to be pessimistic with the cloud forecast.

GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

MI...None. MARINE...None.