Detroit, Michigan — A sharp late-season cold snap will settle over Michigan beginning Friday, May 8, bringing freezing overnight temperatures that could disrupt travel and damage early-season vegetation across Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Flint, and Kalamazoo.
According to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, temperatures will run 50–60% below normal through May 14, with the most intense cold arriving Friday night into early Saturday. The primary impact window is from 1 a.m. to 8 a.m. Saturday, when temperatures are expected to fall to or below 32 degrees across much of the Lower Peninsula.
That drop will create immediate consequences. Frost is likely to form quickly on exposed surfaces, including bridges and overpasses along I-94 and I-96, increasing the risk of slick spots for early morning drivers. Inland and low-lying areas around Lansing and Flint may see colder pockets where freezing conditions linger longer, raising the risk of plant damage and affecting early outdoor work.
Light precipitation moving through Friday night could leave roads damp, allowing cold surfaces to create patchy slick conditions before sunrise. Low-lying roadways and drainage-prone intersections in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo may see minor water pooling that adds to travel hazards.
This is part of a broader stretch of unseasonably cold air covering much of the eastern United States during this period.
Drivers should use caution on bridges and shaded roads early Saturday and avoid travel on untreated surfaces where slick spots develop. Residents should cover or bring in sensitive plants overnight.
The highest risk for freezing temperatures and travel impacts peaks early Saturday between 1 a.m. and 8 a.m.
