How much snow will Michigan get? Winter storm forecast updates

There’s plenty of wiggle room in the National Weather Service’s forecast for a winter storm that’s expected to arrive Sunday in metro Detroit.

The storm is expected to hit as Michigan continues to experience extremely cold temperatures.

The NWS issued snow total estimates with ranges of about 5 inches for most southeast Michigan communities. Low-end and high-end predictions widen the gap even further.

The difference in low- and high-end ranges is vast in most southeast Michigan communities. As of Friday morning, Detroit is expected to get 2-7 inches of snow, but low- and high-end estimates could mean anywhere from 1 to 9 inches.

Monroe is expected to get 3-8 inches of snow, but could see anywhere from 1 to 10 inches. Ann Arbor is estimated at 2-7 inches, but could see between 1 and 9 inches.

Cold temperatures continue Sunday with wind chills between 0 and minus-10 degrees.

Whether the winter storm becomes a snow boom or bust, we have tips you need to prepare and stay warm during the arctic blast.

[ Download the free Detroit Free Press app and turn on “Notifications” to get breaking news updates on this weekend’s winter weather. Prefer email alerts? Sign up here. ]

Michigan’s frigid conditions are the result of an Arctic air mass that typically is located around Hudson Bay in northern Canada. It has been descending south and has now moved into the northern Great Lakes, Freitag said. The jet stream, a fast-flowing “river of air” in the upper atmosphere, is just below the low-pressure system that’s moved into the Great Lakes, meaning it’s channeling that Arctic air into the region.

“For the weekend, we’ve got a southern system just off Baja California that’s going to trek through the Gulf Coast states and grab that Gulf of Mexico moisture, and you are going to have the Battle of Air Masses,” he said. “It’s leading to that big storm we are all hearing about over the Tennessee and Kentucky valley and Mid-Atlantic.”

Michigan will be on the northern fringe of that weather chaos, “but it’s still going to be strong enough to produce snow for the Detroit Metro area; certainly Detroit could see 4 inches or more on Sunday,” Freitag said.

—Keith Matheny

Here are local institutions closing or operating virtually Jan. 23 amid severe cold:

• Wayne State: Wayne State University in Detroit and its extension centers will be under remote operations Jan. 23-24 in light of severe cold, the university said in a Jan. 22 news release. Libraries will be closed and the Student Center, Mort Harris Recreation and Fitness Center, and certain dining options will remain open for modified hours.
• Detroit Zoo: The Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak announced it will close Jan. 23-24. The zoo plans to reopen Jan. 25, weather permitting.
• Belle Isle Nature Center: The Belle Isle Nature Center in Belle Isle, Detroit, will be closed Jan. 23-24 due to the extreme cold, the center said in a Jan. 22 Facebook post.
• BRRmingham Blast: The BRRmingham Blast festival in Birmingham has been canceled due to severe cold, per organizers. The event had been scheduled for Jan. 24.

—Jenna Prestininzi

Be prepared for whatever is in Michigan’s weather forecast with live doppler radar from the National Weather Service below. We also have resources on how to check your power outage status.

(Hit refresh on your browser for the latest radar loop.)