BRANCH COUNTY, MI (WTVB) – Two years of curtailed Christmas celebrations due to COVID-19 and now a major winter storm is threatening to disrupt holiday plans this weekend.
Branch, Hillsdale and St. Joseph Counties are included in a Winter Storm Watch that was issued by the National Weather Service on Tuesday morning.
The watch which will likely turn into a warning is in effect from Thursday evening and through Christmas Eve morning.
It includes the southern tier of Michigan counties along the Indiana border along with the northern half of the Hoosier State.
National Weather Service forecasters said during a multi media briefing on Tuesday morning that blizzard conditions are possible with this system.
They say a wintry mix Thursday afternoon and evening will likely transition to snow Thursday night.
Snow may be moderate to heavy at times through Saturday morning with total snow amounts possibly exceeding six inches, especially near Lake Michigan.
Westerly winds could gust as high as 55 mph, and will cause blowing and drifting in portions of northern Indiana, southwest Michigan and northwest Ohio.
Travel especially for those who will be trying to drive to a holiday gathering could be very difficult. Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility.
The cold wind chills as low as 30 below zero could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes. Dangerous cold is expected Thursday night into Sunday.
Low temperatures will be in the single digits above and below zero. High temperatures will be in the single digits and teens above zero. Wind chill values could fall to around 20 to 30 below zero at times. The lowest wind chills will be Friday into Saturday.
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