Grand Rapids, MI – The National Weather Service is urging drivers across the Great Lakes region — including Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio — to prepare for snow squalls, brief but intense bursts of snow and wind capable of producing whiteout conditions and icy roads within minutes.
Common during early and mid-winter, snow squalls often occur as Arctic fronts move across the Great Lakes, drawing in cold, unstable air that produces quick, heavy snow showers. Though they usually drop less than two inches of snow, these squalls are notorious for causing sudden visibility drops and flash freezes that can lead to multi-car pileups on major routes such as I-75, I-94, and I-90.
What Drivers Should Know:
- Visibility can fall to near zero almost instantly.
- Roads may become icy within seconds of a squall’s arrival.
- If a Snow Squall Warning is issued, delay travel or safely pull off the road until it passes.
- Slow down immediately, turn on headlights, and avoid braking hard or making abrupt lane changes.
According to the NWS, Snow Squall Warnings are short-term alerts—usually lasting 30 to 60 minutes—that pinpoint small but high-impact areas where dangerous whiteout conditions are developing. They serve as a “blizzard-level alert for short duration events,” helping to reduce deadly highway pileups across the Great Lakes corridor.
Forecasters emphasize that these bursts are not just flurries, but fast-moving hazards capable of reducing visibility to near zero and coating roads in ice within minutes. Drivers should stay alert for rapidly changing weather, especially near the lakeshores, where lake-effect snow squalls are most common.
For real-time updates and alerts, visit weather.gov/grr, weather.gov/mkx, or weather.gov/cleveland for detailed Great Lakes winter forecasts and road safety guidance.
