Travel conditions are expected to be poor throughout Michigan on Friday and Saturday as a major winter storm makes its way to the state Thursday night.
The lakeshore regions along with the Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower Peninsula are expected to bear the brunt of the storm with several areas under a blizzard warning until Saturday evening.
These areas, according to the National Weather Service, have the highest odds of seeing eight or more inches of snow with some areas likely to get more than a foot of snow.
Meanwhile, central Lower Michigan and eastern parts of the state could see between 3-8 inches of blowing snow.
The Capital Region is likely to see between 6-8 inches of blowing snow and is under a winter storm warning until 1:00 p.m. Saturday.
With strong wind speeds expected to range between 40-50 miles-per-hour for much of the state, forecasters say travel will be poor, regardless of the region. The strongest winds are likely to occur on Friday.
The NWS recommended completing travel by Thursday evening. Forecasters warn that some trips may be dangerous and even impossible during the storm.
The service has identified several roads where snow drifts will have heavy impacts including:
- US 41
- M-28
- US 31
- US 131
- I-196 from Grand Rapids westward
- I-94 near/west of Kalamazoo
The NWS also warned that some power outages are likely to occur.
Weather is expected to improve on Sunday, but below freezing temperatures are expected to persist until at least Wednesday.