Updated/with poll: Winter weather advisory: How much snow will Ann Arbor get?
Forecasters watching a winter storm moving up from the South have added freezing rain to the mix of snow and sleet that was already headed toward Ann Arbor.
The National Weather Service predicts a snowy morning in the Ann Arbor area Friday. University of Michigan students walk to class in this file photo from earlier this year.
Courtney Sacco | AnnArbor.com file photo
Forecasters say a mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain will move into the area late this evening. The mixture will change to all snow in the predawn hours on Friday.
Matt Mosteiko, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in White Lake Township, said snow mixed with sleet and possibly freezing rain is likely to begin around 8 p.m. with significant accumulations starting by 9.
The weather service said the freezing rain could cause minor icing of road surfaces with a glazing of up to a tenth of an inch possible.
About 3 to 4 inches should accumulate by morning, Mosteiko said, with another half inch possible during the day on Friday.
This snow will be much heavier than the light fluffy snowfalls we’ve experienced recently, Mosteiko said. That’s good news for builders of snow forts or snowmen or other snow creatures, but not for shovelers.
Liz Margolis, director of communications for Ann Arbor Public Schools, said the district would be following its normal procedures for determining whether to cancel school because of snowy roads. Those procedures call for an early morning look at road conditions and a decision by about 4:30 a.m.
We can thank a large low-pressure system that’s headed our way for the expected snowfall, Mosteiko said. “Ann arbor will be in the prime position to get a pretty good amount of snowfall,” he said.
Parts of Michigan's Thumb and other areas to our north can expect even more snow, with some areas expected to get 9 to 11 inches before the snow ends Friday.
After the snow moves out, we can expect a cold night Friday with a low of about 5 degrees, then a mostly sunny day Saturday with a high of 25 degrees. Sunday will bring a warm-up, with a chance of showers and a high near 36.
For updated forecasts and conditions anytime, check AnnArbor.com's weather page.
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