Marquette, MI – Roads across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula will turn icy within hours Thursday morning, with a prolonged mix of sleet and freezing rain threatening to disrupt both commutes and power service into Friday.
According to the National Weather Service in Marquette, a Winter Storm Warning begins as early as 5 a.m. Thursday in western counties and expands east through 10 a.m., lasting into early Friday morning. Ice accumulations up to 0.20 inches are expected in many areas, with localized totals nearing a quarter inch south of Houghton, along with wind gusts up to 40 mph.
Cities including Ironwood, Iron Mountain, Houghton, Marquette, and Escanaba will see varying mixes of snow, sleet, and freezing rain. Roads may quickly become coated in ice, especially on bridges, overpasses, and untreated secondary routes. In central and eastern areas like Munising and Manistique, lighter snow and sleet will still create slick travel conditions through Thursday evening.
The combination of ice and gusty winds could bring down tree limbs and power lines, increasing outage risks across the region.
Drivers are urged to delay travel and prepare for rapidly changing conditions throughout the day. Additional winter storm watches remain in place for Friday evening into Saturday, signaling another round of ice that could prolong impacts.
