Gaylord, Michigan – Drivers across northern Michigan have just hours to prepare as mixed precipitation flips to snow by 10 a.m. Friday, bringing slushy highways and icy stretches along I-75 through Friday night.
According to the National Weather Service in Gaylord, freezing drizzle is expected tonight across eastern Upper Michigan, with rain possibly mixing with sleet or freezing rain before changing to all snow during the day Friday. Snowfall is projected from 10 a.m. Friday through 1 a.m. Saturday, with the heaviest totals focused in the eastern Upper Peninsula.
Sault Ste. Marie and Whitefish Point could see 2 to 4 inches of wet, heavy snow, especially along I-75 north of St. Ignace. That snow, combined with temperatures hovering between 28 and 32 degrees overnight, may create slick bridges and untreated secondary roads before daybreak Friday.
Across northern Lower Michigan, totals generally range from 1 to 2 inches from Gaylord to Petoskey, with less than 1 inch expected near Traverse City, Alpena and Cadillac. While amounts are lower south of the Straits, dropping temperatures Friday evening may refreeze moisture on US-31, M-32 and M-72.
Winds may gust between 25 and 35 mph at times Friday afternoon, producing patchy blowing snow in open areas and briefly reduced visibility along north-south roadways.
Motorists should allow extra travel time, slow down on slushy roads and monitor MDOT updates before heading out. Wet pavement could turn icy after sunset Friday as temperatures fall into the 20s. Additional advisories are possible if snowfall bands shift or freezing drizzle lingers longer than expected.
