Michigan winter storm: Live weather radar, traffic updates
The first major storm of the winter season barrelled into Michigan with a vengeance on Friday.
In the southeast part of the state, the National Weather Service in White Lake forecasts additional snow of up to 3 inches and wind chills of 10 to 20 degrees below zero Friday and Saturday. A winter storm warning began at 7 p.m. Thursday in every area county, including Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, and is expected to last through Saturday morning.
West winds between 50 to 55 mph were expected to develop into the evening. Blowing snow can reduce visibility to "near whiteout conditions," according to the NWS. Combined with strong winds and extreme cold, it's a recipe for the most hazardous and life threatening conditions, the weather service warns.
In the west and northern parts of the state, blizzard conditions continue. In Grand Rapids, driving will continue to be "treacherous as winds increase" into the evening, according to the NWS. In Gaylord, snow and gusty winds were expected to affect traveling conditions as well.
Snowfall predictions:See how much your area will get during winter storm
More:8 steps to prepare for a Michigan winter storm
Suffice to say, it's going to be a messy couple days. Here is the live weather radar and the latest updates from our local National Weather Service offices and the Michigan Department of Transportation.
Michigan weather radar
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Flight cancellations, delays plague holiday travelers
More than 300 flights have been canceled at Detroit Metropolitan Airport as of Friday afternoon, with about 200 delayed, according to data from FlightAware.com. Most of the flights set to depart from the Gerald Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids in the evening have been canceled, according to its flight status dashboard.
On Thursday, 73 flights were canceled at Detroit Metro and 234 were delayed. Thirty-three flights at the airport have already been canceled for Saturday, according to FlightAware.com.
More:Flight delays, cancellations begin at Detroit Metro Airport: How to check flight status
Gov. Whitmer activates State Emergency Operations Center
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer activated the State Emergency Operations Center at 1 p.m. Friday, in response to the extreme weather conditions currently affecting most of the state.
The emergency activation is the next step in making state resources available to the public. Power outages, icy roads and ongoing blizzards have already affected local communities.
"Throughout the activation, conditions and needs will be continually assessed and appropriate action will be taken as warranted to protect public health and safety," according to the news release.
Whitmer is asking residents to avoid any non-essential travel throughout the remainder of the day.
"We are making sure that our response is coordinated and that resources are available to impacted communities," Whitmer stated. "We will continue to work with local officials and are prepared to offer the full weight of state resources to respond to the storm.”
Power outages
All crews are on deck as the storm progresses.
DTE
DTE's outage map shows more than 11,000 customers are currently experiencing power outages, as of Friday afternoon.
"Between 1,900 and 2,000 field resources are out working right now to restore power to those customers safely and efficiently," said DTE spokesperson Kate Mitchell.
The storm is expected to affect services throughout the area Friday and Saturday, according to DTE.
DTE posted a video highlighting complications of restoration efforts Friday. Markeith LaVar Poteat, the regional customer operations director, said the storm's high winds can unexpectedly push workers into an energized conductor, cause debris to fly into them, or even topple trees and cause major injuries.
Consumers Energy
According to Consumers Energy's outage map, more than 4,300 customers are currently without power as of Friday afternoon.
"Almost 4,000 of those customers who are currently impacted have crews working on their outage," said Consumers Energy spokesperson Josh Paciorek.
The storm is still ongoing, affecting the accuracy of the estimated times of restoration. Over 100 Consumers Energy crews are in the field working on restoring power.
Harsh road conditions could delay travel for Consumers Energy crews to get to certain outages, but "we're going to restore power as quickly and as safely as we can," Paciorek said.
Detroit People Mover closes early
To keep commuters safe from extreme weather, Detroit People Mover (DPM) will not be operating today.
DPM trains "experienced challenges this morning from the area’s wind chill and high winds," according to a news release from the public transit service.
Train delays and longer wait times would expose commuters to the harsh weather conditions.
Suspension of operations may continue into the weekend, depending on the weather. The Detroit Transportation Corporation is monitoring the forecast and will update the public Saturday morning, according to DPM.
Detroit Institute of Arts closes
The Detroit Institute of Arts will be closed Friday due to the severe weather, the museum announced in a press release.
"We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but the safety of our staff and visitors is our top priority," museum staff announced.
Tickets purchased for today for the "Van Gogh in America" exhibit will be honored and guests can rebook tickets on an alternative date until Jan. 22.
Michigan traffic updates
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Free Press writer Nour Rahal contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan winter storm: Live weather radar, traffic updates
