718
FXUS63 KGRR 272326
AFDGRR
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Grand Rapids MI
626 PM EST Tue Jan 27 2026
.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 /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z THURSDAY/...
Issued at 626 PM EST Tue Jan 27 2026
Lake effect snow showers are diminishing based on
radar/satellite/observation trends with MKG/AZO likely to see at
least MVFR restrictions (possibly IFR at MKG for the next hour or
two) through 06z. After 06z, redevelopment of lake effect is
likely across southwest Michigan, mainly impacting AZO and BTL.
Other sites may see intermittent dips to MVFR in snow showers
however lower confidence warrants mainly VCSH/PROB30 at this time.
Snow showers linger at AZO/BTL through the whole TAF period. MVFR
cigs begin to expand east areawide after 06z as this lake effect
flareup occurs. Lake effect then flares up along the rest of the
lake Michigan shoreline after 21z causing increasing coverage and
intensity of snow showers through the end of the TAF period.
&&
.GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MI...Winter Weather Advisory until 10 AM EST Wednesday for MIZ056-064-
071-072.
MARINE...None.
&&
$$
DISCUSSION...Ceru
AVIATION...Thomas
NWS GRR Office Area Forecast Discussion
