First Alert Weather Day Wednesday for snowfall

SAGINAW, Mich. (WNEM) - Average January weather takes us through this Tuesday before the next round of snowfall on Wednesday. We are now issuing a First Alert Weather Day for Wednesday, January 25th because of the timing of the snow. It will hold roadway impacts for the PM drive, bus stops, and any after-school activities. Additionally, we want to highlight this Alert Day for the southern half of our viewing area as this is where we’ll see a higher magnitude of impacts take place during the afternoon.

Related: Stay up-to-date with the latest weather with the First Alert weather app!

Afternoon

Clouds will move back in, otherwise there isn’t much notable weather for the rest of this Tuesday. Highs today will reach up to around 35 degrees, nearly identical to Monday. Our northern counties will be a few degrees warmer than Monday though, closer to 32 or 33 degrees. The wind today will be from the west at 5 to 15 mph, keeping wind chills in the 20s.

Tonight

We’ll continue with cloudy skies overnight with a low of 29 degrees. The wind will become light & variable so it won’t be brisk Wednesday morning, but it’ll generally just be chilly!

Wednesday: First Alert Weather Day

Snowfall will begin to enter the TV5 viewing area from the south around 8 to 9 AM, with any accumulations not starting until after. This will move in directly from the south, so our northern tier will likely stay dry until noon. Expect snow to start closer to 9 to 10 AM in the Tri-Cities.

By midday as more snow moves in, this is when we could start to see accumulations on roadways, especially any that are untreated. Any of these accumulations will still be lighter at this time as the majority of snow will fall during the afternoon hours.

By dinnertime, snowfall will continue to encompass the entire TV5 viewing area. At this point, accumulations will be higher. The afternoon bus stops and commute will likely see impacts as a result, compared to the morning drives and bus stops that will be unaffected. Additionally, during this time wind gusts will be picking up around 25+ mph. This could create some blowing snow across roadways and reduce visibilities if you’re traveling. This is what is prompting the First Alert Weather Day for Wednesday.

Snowfall turns scattered into the night and early Thursday morning, mostly wrapping up during those morning hours. Snowfall totals through then will follow the pattern outlined below. It is worth noting with these totals that there could still be some fine-tuning over the next 24 hours, but we don’t expect major changes, if any, to the outgoing forecast. Anyone in Houghton Lake, Clare, West Branch, and Glennie, can expect around 1-2″. Locations like Alma, Mount Pleasant, the Tri-Cities, and all locations surrounding the Saginaw Bay can expect 2-4″ (with the highest totals being closer to the water). Flint, Fenton, Grand Blanc, Lapeer, and the eastern half of the Thumb could see 3-5″+ (there could be some room for over-achievement in those locations depending on if any snow banding sets up).

There are more snow chances going forward after Wednesday, the best chances being Friday and Sunday as of now. Take a peek in your full TV5 First Alert 7-Day Forecast!

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