BRANCH COUNTY, MI (WTVB) – Branch County School administrators did not want to mess around with a major winter storm that was expected to dump over a foot of snow in far southern lower Michigan.
All Branch County school districts announced Tuesday evening there would be no classes on Wednesday. With the heavy snow expected over the next couple of days, some schools in St. Joseph County have already decided to call off school for Thursday.
Branch County remains under a Winter Storm Warning until 7:00 p.m. Thursday night.
The precipitation started as rain which moved in late Tuesday afternoon. Before it changed over to snow during the wee hours of Wednesday morning, the M.S.U. Extension Service weather station at the Bloom Dairy Farm measured two-tenths of an inch of rain.
National Weather Service forecasters on Wednesday morning were calling for total snow accumulations of 12 to 16 inches with locally higher amounts up to 18 inches and ice accumulations of a light glaze.
This would be the most snow to fall from a storm in Branch County since January of 2014.
Travel will become very difficult to impossible. Widespread blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility Wednesday night and Thursday. The hazardous conditions are expected to persist through the day Thursday as this storm will bring potentially dangerous winter weather.
Unplowed roads are likely to become impassable in many areas. Plummeting wind chills accompanied by blowing and drifting snow could bring a potentially lethal travel situation with wind chills falling below zero if you become stuck in your vehicle Thursday night.
If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.
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