Winter Weather Advisory

Several inches of snow is likely in western Van Buren, Berrien and perhaps western Cass Counties

A Winter Weather Advisory will be in effect today (Thu.) for (western) Van Buren, Berrien and Cass Counties in Michigan and La Porte, St. Joseph and Cass Counties in Michigan.

Here’s the details for Berrien County: ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST FRIDAY...WHAT...Snow expected. Total snow accumulations up to 5 inches. * WHERE...Van Buren County. * WHEN...Until 1 AM EST Friday. * IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the Thursday commutes.

And the details for Berrien and Cass County Michign and for the counties in Indiana: ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST /MIDNIGHTCST/ FRIDAY... * WHAT...Lake effect snow. Additional snow accumulations between 2 to 6 inches, with the highest amounts in Berrien County. * WHERE...Portions of northern Indiana and southwest Michigan. * WHEN...Until 1 AM EST /midnight CST/ Friday. * IMPACTS...Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will be slick and hazardous. Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions will impact the Thursday commutes. Areas of driftning snow are expected later today as wind gusts to 25 mph are possible.

Also, ice cover on Lake Michigan (see the black line on the map above) is now above the average ice extent for the date, February 20th,

Ice cover for Lake Michigan is now at 30.7% and Great Lakes ice cover is at 40.5%.

The greatest ice extent on Lake Michigan in the satellite era was 93.1% in 2014 and the least maximum ice extent for Lake Michigan was 12.4% in 2002.

Here’s a graph showing maximum ice extent each year since 1973, the start of the satellite era.