Forecast: Snow likely to persist into Friday evening, slick roads possible

LANSING — A snowfall that caused sloppy road conditions in the Lansing region on Friday morning was expected to continue into the afternoon and evening hours, making for a potentially slippery evening commute, forecasters said.

A winter weather advisory was in effect until midnight Friday for much of west and mid-Michigan.

Snow was spreading "rapidly" across the state by about 4 a.m., and the National Weather Service warned that some areas could see up to 8 inches on Friday. It was still snowing steadily in Lansing during the early afternoon hours.

The forecast changed only slightly during the day, with total expected accumulations of 3 to 5 inches in the Lansing area, meteorologist Scott Thomas said. Some areas that fall under heavier bands of snow could get a little more than that, he added.

Following a relatively mild winter, drivers need to remember they should slow down in snowy conditions, Thomas said.

"It never hurts to plan a little extra time on their drive," he said.

Most of the snow later on Friday was expected to be focused along a belt between Interstate 96 and M-46, the weather service said.

The weather service said snow was already accumulating on roads along the Lake Michigan shoreline as early as 4 a.m. The storm was moving eastward across the state, with 4 to 8 inches possible in an area generally outlined by Grand Rapids, Alma and Flint. Lansing was expected to see 4 to 6 inches of snow.

Temperatures were expected to rise into the mid-30s on Friday and into the high-30s over the weekend.

Things should dry out over the weekend before rain moves in on Monday night, the weather service said. Temperatures could climb into the mid-50s on Monday and Tuesday before falling back into the mid-40s later next week, it said.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Mid-Michigan could see up to 8 inches of snow today in some areas