School Closing Outlook for Friday 01/23/2026

Day 1 School Closing Outlook

www.WestMichiganWeather.net/closings

Forecast Valid: Friday, January 23, 2026

Forecast Issued: Thursday, January 22, 2026, 2:30 PM EST

Forecasters: Jonah Drake & Jacob Melton

Summary:

Widespread school closures are expected across West Michigan on Friday morning due to dangerously cold wind chills, as well as travel impacts from additional lake effect snow and blowing/drifting snow.

Discussion:

Widespread school closures are anticipated across West Michigan on Friday due to a combination of dangerously cold wind chills, as well as travel impacts from additional lake-effect snow and blowing/drifting snow. Some schools have already announced closures.

The primary threat driving school closures is temperatures. Air temperatures tonight are generally expected to drop below zero overnight into Friday morning, and combined with northwest winds around 10-15 MPH gusting up to 30-35 MPH, will send wind chills down into the -15 to -25°F range. Some localized wind chill readings as low as -30°F cannot be entirely ruled out north of I-96 based on some computer guidance.

In addition to the dangerously cold wind chills, additional lake effect snow will be possible tonight, especially near and west of the US-131 corridor. While totals through 7 AM Friday will not be very high, generally 1-3 inches with local amounts up to 4 inches possible, snow will still be ongoing. When combined with very cold temperatures and gusty winds up to around 35 MPH, road conditions will be impacted with little if any opportunity for improvement due to road treatments becoming largely ineffective. In addition to falling snow, blowing and drifting snow will also be an issue, especially in rural areas. Graphical Forecast: