Bracing for a Chilly MLK Jr Day Weekend

The Great Lakes region is in for a frosty surprise this weekend. An Alberta clipper system is on its way, bringing snow, strong winds, and a significant drop in temperatures. The National Weather Service is quite certain that an Arctic air mass will sweep through the Midwest and head towards the East Coast right after this system passes. This weather system is expected to bring light snow, gusty winds, and lake effect snow bands. These conditions could make travel tricky and potentially hazardous. The forecast for mid-Michigan includes snow throughout the weekend and into the middle of the week. Gusty winds and low visibility could make driving conditions less than ideal.On Sunday, temperatures in the Lansing area are expected to reach a high of around 20 degrees under mostly cloudy skies. As night falls, temperatures will drop to 12 degrees, with wind chills near zero due to 25 mph winds. Monday will be even colder, with a high of about 17 degrees and winds up to 32 mph. The low on Monday night will be near 5 degrees, and temperatures will only rebound to about 10 degrees on Tuesday. Tuesday night will bring lows down to 10 degrees. The good news is that Wednesday is expected to bring a warmup, with temperatures reaching near 30 degrees. Now, you might be wondering, why are these weather systems called Alberta clippers? The name comes from 19th-century ships known for their speed. These ships were designed to be fast and efficient, much like the weather systems that originate near the province of Alberta in western Canada.