School Closing Outlook for Friday 12/19/2025

Day 1 School Closing Outlook

www.WestMichiganWeather.net/closings

Forecast Valid: Friday, December 19, 2025

Forecast Issued: Thursday, December 18, 2025, 4:30 PM EST

Forecast Update Issued: Thursday, December 18, 2025, 7:00 PM EST

Forecasters: Jonah Drake & Jacob Melton

Summary:

A combination of lake effect snow, gusty winds, and flash freeze potential is contributing to an elevated risk of some school closings or delays on Friday morning across parts of West Michigan.

Day 1 Update:

Issued: Thursday, December 18, 2025, 7:00 PM EST

Forecaster: Jacob Melton

After reviewing more recent computer model guidance, along with road condition reports and some school closures already ongoing near the US-10 corridor, we have opted to introduce elevated school closure risk zones along the US-10 corridor and portions of Allegan, Van Buren, and Kalamazoo counties between the I-196 and US-131 corridors.

Adjustments have also been made to both the “Medium” and “Limited” risk zones, including an upgrade for the US-127 corridor to a Limited risk from the “Minuscule” risk indicated in the earlier forecast discussion. Updated forecast guidance suggests temperatures may drop below freezing a bit earlier than originally suggested, allowing for a bit more time for refreezing of any stagnant water, especially in rural areas. Be sure to reference the previous discussion below, as many of the details behind the forecast remain the same.

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Previous Discussion:

Forecast Issued: Thursday, December 18, 2025, 4:30 PM EST

Forecasters: Jonah Drake and Jacob Melton

As aforementioned above, a combination of lake effect snow, gusty winds, and flash freeze potential due to rapidly falling temperatures will contribute to some potential school closings or delays on Friday morning across parts of West Michigan.

Our greatest potential for school closings or delays resides in the medium-risk zone, which includes Mason and Lake counties, as well as the Lake Michigan shoreline counties (west of US-131), down to around the I-94 corridor. While snow totals will generally be in the 1-3 inch range by 6:00 AM, snow will still be ongoing, and when combined with wind gusts in the 35-40 MPH range, will result in areas of reduced visibility and may contribute to a few sporadic power outages. In addition, this area will see the rapid onset of sub-freezing temperatures first overnight, with temperatures falling into the lower to middle 20s between midnight and 6:00 AM. This will likely contribute to poor road conditions due to snow and ice, particularly on secondary roadways away from the immediate lakeshore area. There is some risk for black ice development on main roadways as well, although gusty winds and a lull in precipitation this evening may mitigate this somewhat.

In our limited risk zone, generally along and east of US-131 and along US-12, snow totals will be on the lower end, with 1 inch or less generally expected by 6:00 AM. However, the snow combined with wind gusts up to 35 MPH, and rapid onset sub-freezing temperatures again falling into the lower to middle 20s, will contribute once again to poor roadway conditions, particularly on secondary roadways in rural areas. Concern for impacts on main roadways still exists, but is lower than within the medium risk zone.

Closer to the US-127 corridor, we have opted to go with a Minuscule risk zone. In this area, the arrival of the sub-freezing temperatures is forecast to be delayed until around the 5:00-6:00 AM timeframe. Temperatures will also be slightly on the milder side in the upper 20s, which will reduce the amount of time available to effectively freeze any stagnant water, along with gusty winds, which will allow for drying of stagnant water before the sub-freezing temperatures arrive. Impacts will, in general, be confined to secondary roadways, particularly in rural areas that have remaining snowpack after today’s rainfall.

Some factors limiting our confidence in this outlook include Friday being the last day of school before holiday break, with many schools having final exams and holiday events that they may want to see completed. In addition, the impacts on roadways from flash freezing and black ice, along with exactly where the heaviest snow will set up in lake-effect events like this, are all difficult to forecast reliably.

Graphical Forecast: