National Weather Service extends winter storm warning as snow keeps coming

OTTAWA COUNTY — The Grand Rapids office of the National Weather Service has extended its winter storm warning for Ottawa, Muskegon and Oceana counties.

The warning, which was set to expire at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21, is now extended through at least noon, as moderate to heavy bursts of snow move through.

The current weather system was expected to drop 3-8 inches, with some areas expected to receive 9-12 inches. NWS now says an additional 1-2 inches is expected on top of those previous predictions.

The heaviest bands of snowfall will be near the lakeshore, with snowfall rates of 1-2 inches per hour.

Officials said conditions will continue to create poor travel conditions with low visibility and snow-covered roads.

While totals vary across the county, the average accumulation since Sunday is estimated to be between 8 and 12-plus inches, with amounts of more than a foot reported near the lakeshore. Total lake-effect snow for this week may exceed 3 feet in some of the most persistent bands from Monday to Thursday.

NWS reported that Holland received 10.5 inches as of 6 p.m. Tuesday, and Hemlock Crossing and Pigeon Creek reported a total snow depth of 8-11 inches on the ground.

Hazardous road conditions already have proven dangerous to Ottawa County motorists, after a stretch of I-196 in Zeeland Township was closed midday Monday after than 100 vehicles were involved in a massive pileup.

Authorities received an outpouring of calls about crashes, slide-offs, and several jack-knifed semi-trucks in the area, which made international headlines as of Tuesday morning.

At least nine people received injuries warranting transport to the hospital for treatment. The highway was closed for nearly eight hours.

The waves of snow are attributed to a series of clipper storms from western Canada, which is expected to bring additional snow and shifting bands of lake-effect snow with gusty winds into Thursday.

A weather clipper, often called an Alberta Clipper, is a fast-moving low-pressure system that forms in or near Alberta, Canada, bringing quick bursts of light, powdery snow, gusty winds, and a surge of very cold air as it moves quickly southeast across the northern U.S. and Great Lakes. Named for the swift 19th-century clipper ships, these systems create hazardous travel with blowing snow. 

The systems draw moisture from the Great Lakes, which enhances lake-effect snow.

The U.S. is currently experiencing a significant "polar vortex" disruption, pushing pockets of extremely cold Arctic air south into the Great Lakes, Midwest and Northeast, bringing bitterly cold temperatures and life-threatening wind chills through the end of January, with the coldest air settling over Michigan and surrounding regions.

The term "vortex" refers to the counter-clockwise flow of air that helps keep the colder air near the north and south poles. 

Wednesday night's forecast includes 2-3 additional inches of snow, with Thursday snowfall expected to bring 1-2 more inches. Temperatures will drop, from the teens to -4, with wind chills forcing that down even further to around -16.

Follow along for more weather updates at Bill Steffen's daily weather report on Substack.

— Sarah Leach is the executive editor of the Ottawa News Network. Contact her at sleach@ottawanewsnetwork.org. Follow her on Twitter @ONNLeach.