TRAVERSE CITY — Wintry weather is coming to the Grand Traverse region, but don’t expect any snow that falls to last long.
Snow is forecast for tonight through Monday night, with daytime highs in the mid- to upper 30s and overnight lows in the low to mid-20s, according to the National Weather Service. Up to 2 inches could accumulate by Monday morning, with the highest chances in Leelanau, Benzie, Manistee and western Grand Traverse counties.
Some spots near or along the lakeshore could see up to 4 inches, like Frankfort and Manistee, according to the forecast.
A low-pressure system in the upper atmosphere will park itself over the Great Lakes, drawing in cold air from the north, said Sean Christensen, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Gaylord.
“The biggest driver is the lakes,” he said. “So obviously that unequal temperature difference between the warm lakes right now, where we’re seeing temperatures in the 40s and 50s still, that’s going to interact with our near-freezing and just-below-freezing temperatures as it moves over the lakes.”
Wind direction is another important factor in predicting where lake-effect snow will fall, Christensen said. With winds coming from the north, that suggests hotspots like the Leelanau Peninsula and counties to the south of that — one spot that could see up to 4 inches is around the Lake Ann area, according to forecast maps.
Daytime temperatures above freezing could make for wet snow, Christensen said. But it shouldn’t be slushy — until warmer temperatures return on Tuesday.
Bursts of cold air this time of year are nothing unusual, but this is the season’s first.
“This is kind of the first system of winter, per se, so keep an eye out for that as always,” he said. “People typically are not used to winter driving after the nice summers we have up here, so give yourself some extra time and drive safe.”
Anyone looking to enjoy the snow better not dawdle — temperatures will climb from 38 on Monday to 43 on Veteran’s Day, and are expected to stay in the mid-40s through the week, according to the forecast.
“We’re probably going to see grass again pretty soon” after Tuesday, Christensen said.