Lake effect snow and deep freeze return Thursday
Wednesday 3:30 PM Update: No major changes to the forecast. light snow showers will start by late evening, the lake effect snow ramps-up overnight. A
Winter Weather Advisory is in effect through 7 PM Thursday for Berrien, Cass, LaPorte, St. Joseph, Starke and Marshall Counties.
Plan on at least an inch or two of snow before 7 a.m. in the lake effect zones. Models continue to show a band of heavy snow over western St. Joseph, eastern LaPorte and southern Berrien county. The New Carlisle, Rolling Prairie, Three Oaks area may be the bulls-eye for greatest snow potential. Lake effect snow showers end by Thursday evening.
Temperatures will only fall during the day Thursday, from the mid teens to the single digits by Friday morning. This is only the start of a snowy and frigid pattern that continues through the weekend. A repeat lake effect snow looks to happen Saturday, with subzero lows Sunday morning.
Stay with the First Warning Neighborhood Weather Team as we track the snow and cold.
Thursday starts a snowy a very cold stretch that continues through the weekend.
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Temperatures fall overnight Wednesday and continue falling through Thursday. Temperatures will be in the upper teens just after midnight, falling to the lower teens by afternoon and single digits by Friday morning ( Fig 1).
The arctic air blowing across the open lake will ramp up lake effect snow by 3 a.m. Bands of snow continue through Thursday evening. The main question will be where the main band of snow sets-up (Fig 2). The latest model runs show the main band wavering east to west, holding over western St. Joseph county, then fading back to the east.
In classic lake effect fashion, amounts will vary greatly across the area, most should plan for 2" to 4" with 4" to 6" possible under the heaviest bands.
Stay tuned as Saturday could bring a similar round of snow and frigid temperatures.