Winds off Lake Michigan carry steady curtains of snow across northern Michigan this morning — white flakes swirling under streetlights, roads dusted and slick. The National Weather Service in Gaylord says persistent snow showers will continue through midweek, with gusty winds and near-zero wind chills making travel challenging at times.
Snow totals between 2 and 4 inches are expected across Otsego, Antrim, Charlevoix, and Emmet Counties, with locally higher amounts in the lake belts west of US-131 and M-72. Forecasters warn of low visibility, drifting snow, and icy conditions, particularly on secondary and rural roads where plows are slower to reach.
By midweek, a clipper system will reinforce the Arctic air already in place, sending temperatures plunging into the teens and single digits. Wind chills could dip below zero by early Friday and linger through the weekend, signaling one of the coldest stretches of December so far.
The snow pattern looks stubborn, too — short breaks between bands before more lake effect returns into Saturday and Sunday. Meteorologists caution that even light, frequent snow can create compacted ice on roadways and parking lots.
Five-Day Outlook for Gaylord, MI
- Wednesday: Snow showers likely, high 27°F, low 19°F.
- Thursday: Chance of snow, high 25°F, low 15°F.
- Friday: Snow likely, high 25°F, low 10°F.
- Saturday: Scattered snow showers, high 17°F, low 7°F.
- Sunday: Mostly cloudy with snow chances, high 20°F, low 7°F.
