West Michigan under weather alert with roads expected to ice over
The National Weather Service Wednesday night issued weather alerts and flood advisories for the lakeshore area, warning of ice-covered roads and minor flooding on the Macatawa River Thursday.
Wednesday's 45 degree Fahrenheit weather melted snow and slush, plus about an inch of rain fell in Holland Wednesday and Wednesday night, the National Weather Service reported.
All of that water on the roads could freeze over Thursday as the temperatures fall below freezing and drop to about 20 degrees Fahrenheit Thursday night.
The NWS issued a special weather statement for the entire West Michigan area, including Ottawa and Allegan counties, warning travelers to watch for roads turning icy quickly.
Additionally, a flood advisory went out for Allegan, Barry, Kalamazoo, Kent, Ottawa and Van Buren counties at 10 p.m. Wednesday night, warning that streams and rivers were rising due to the rainfall and snowmelt Wednesday, including the Macatawa River.
The NWS warned of "minor flooding" possible along streams and rivers Thursday. The advisory is in effect through 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
Some snow is also expected tonight, with the heaviest snowfall in south-central and south-east Michigan, with 4 to 7 inches expected to fall in the Jackson area.
In the Holland and Grand Rapids areas, the NWS is predicting 1 to 3 inches of snowfall Thursday evening.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: West Michigan under weather alert with wet roads expected to ice over
