Temperatures have dipped into the single digits as the big freeze predicted earlier this week has hit mid-Michigan.
A mix of Arctic air, light winds and fresh snow have kicked off a three-day stretch of the coldest temperatures since the previous winter, said Ernie Ostuno, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids.
High temperatures are not expected to reach double digits until Saturday, wind chills likely will be below zero this week and thermometers could dip as low as 15 degrees below zero at night, Ostuno said. Normal temperatures for this time of year are 20 degrees higher than the predicted three-day freeze.
Meteorologists have been tracking a high pressure system of Arctic air in recent days as it descends on central and southern Michigan, forcing a wind chill advisory.
While the frigid temperatures will cake East Lansing, Ostuno said the weather could have been worse.
“Winds aren’t going to be that strong, so that’s a kind of saving grace that we’re not going to be getting 20- to 30-mile per hour winds with these low temperatures,” said Ostuno, adding wind gusts will be between zero and 10 miles per hour during the cold stretch.
Ostuno said Saturday will offer relief with high temperatures approaching 20 degrees, but not before a couple inches of snow are intermittently scattered across the region in the next two days.
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