OAKLAND COUNTY (WWJ) Winter is not just coming to Michigan— it has arrived.
Accuweather Meteorologist Joe Lundberg said it only takes a little bit of snow to make the roads dangerous.
“In any heavier shower that comes through, you can get a quick coating to an inch of snow in places and that can cause some slick spots on the pavement,” he said live on WWJ.
In a social media post just before 8:30 a.m.; National Weather Service (NWS) Detroit said an “organized snow band” developed along I-96 from Howell to Novi, moving east at 30 miles per hour—warning visibility within that band would "rapidly" drop to less than one mile.
The snow already caused crashes. The Lyon Township Fire Department said a 12-car pileup occurred on I-96 near Kent Lake Road on Friday around 9 a.m. due to the slippery conditions.
Lyon Township Fire authorities told WWJ the chain reaction began when one car hit a median wall and spun around. Drivers only had minor injuries and none had to go to the hospital. Tow trucks hauled away 10 vehicles.
Michigan State Police also closed I-696 at Orchard Lake in Farmington Hills to allow MDOT to salt the freeway. It reopened less than an hour later.
State Police are urging drivers to be extra careful on the roads. In a social media post, they shared the following safety tips:
-Slow down to a speed where you can control your car
-Increase your following distance, so if you lose control, you have enough space to gain it back
-Get your emergency kit into your car
“Buckle up, phones down, move over and be kind,” they said.
NWS Detroit reported 1.6 inches of snow during a nine-hour snowfall in Farmington; 1.3 inches during a six-hour snowfall in Romulus; 1.9 inches during a seven-hour snowfall in Ann Arbor; and 1.3 inches during a nine-hour snowfall in Howell.
While southeastern Michigan is gradually stepping into winter; Up North started their season with a historic lake-effect snowfall.
23 inches of snow walloped Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula. Traverse City, in the western part of the state, saw six to eight inches.
“This is going to be a pretty significant lake-effect event,” NWS Gaylord Meteorologist Joe DeLizio told WWJ’s Luke Sloan. “It might be a top five all-time event for a few areas over a few day timespan.”
A Winter Weather Warning remains in effect through the weekend for most of Northern Michigan.
“Expect dangerous travel and near whiteout conditions throughout the day (Friday),” NWS Gaylord said in a post on X.
A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect for much of West Michigan until 7 a.m. Saturday, November 30th.
Closer to home, NWS Detroit warned of lake-effect snow showers throughout Friday especially for areas south of M-59. They added that additional snow squalls may occur.
“Use extra caution if you are traveling today,” they said.
Accuweather says Metro Detroit could see snow on and off for the next ten days.
Keep it tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 on air, online and on the Audacy app for traffic and weather together on the eights.