Big Powderhorn

...Bitter cold Arctic air mass to impact Upper Michigan starting Thursday and continuing into the weekend... A cold front moving through late Wednesday night into Thursday will usher in a bitterly cold Arctic air mass for the end of the week. The instability from the bitter cold air flooding the Upper Great Lakes will generate lake effect snow over the northwest wind snow belts of Lake Superior. Northwest winds gusting to 30 to 40 mph Thursday into Thursday evening will also cause considerable blowing of fine snowflakes, likely leading to near blizzard conditions at times for the northwest wind snow belts, especially across the Keweenaw and the M-28 corridor east of Marquette. Lake effect snow and considerable blowing snow will continue to impact the northwest wind snow belts on Friday and the west wind snow belts on Saturday. Bitter cold temperatures and wind chills will impact Upper Michigan from Thursday afternoon into the weekend. Temperatures over the west half of Upper Michigan will fall through the single digits during the day on Thursday dipping below zero toward evening as wind chills approach 20 below zero late in the day. Low temperatures of zero to around 20 below zero are expected on Thursday night with highs in the single digits above and below zero on Friday. Lows will be even colder Friday night with most inland readings in the teens to lower 20s below zero. Highs Saturday will only be in the single digits above zero. Minimum wind chill values Thursday night and Friday night into Saturday morning will mostly be in the 25 below to 40 below zero range. Wind chills on Friday will struggle to reach above the teens below zero. For those planning travel or outdoor activities from Thursday into this weekend, stay tuned for updated statements and possible warning issuances on this developing hazardous winter weather event.