Winter Cold Grips Northern Tier, Lake-Effect Snow Blasts Great Lakes

Frigid temperatures will continue to grip the Upper-Midwest while heavy snow persists downwind of the Great Lakes to end the work week. 

An Arctic blast will linger across the Northern Tier this evening into Friday, with a brutal combination of cold and wind that will stretch from the northern Plains to the Great Lakes. Temperatures here will range from the lower teens to the negative teens. Winds of 10 to 15 mph will only make the situation worse, with parts of the Upper Midwest seeing wind chills of 10 to 25 degrees below zero.

The cold will remain in place through Friday, and this burst of cold air will flow across the Great Lakes. This will lead to more lake-effect snow tonight, with the snow gradually easing throughout Friday as high pressure moves in.

Snow will pile up east of the Great Lakes, where the typical high-impact areas will see 4 to 12 inches of snow through Friday. Areas under the most persistent bands will see higher amounts of 1 to 2+ feet. Lake-Effect Snow Warnings can be found east of lakes Erie and Ontario, along with Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories across far northern Michigan and far northeastern Ohio.

If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of emergency. Be sure to have multiple ways to get the latest weather information from local TV, weather radio, or the WeatherBug app. With bitterly cold air in place, it is the time to check on the elderly, keep pets inside and dress in as many layers as possible to avoid hypothermia.