High Winds Causing Power Outages and Accidents In West Michigan
As West Michigan, as well as the rest of the state, continues to deal with strong wind gust and white-out conditions, power outages scattered across the state have thousands without power and northbound 131 is not handling the weather well.
WZZM 13 says we've seen wind gusts of 60 mph this afternoon with sustained winds between 30 and 40 miles per hour. It's reminded me of living in Mobile, AL during a tropical storm or hurricane. Plenty of tree limbs have blown down and brought power outages.
As of 5:30 pm, just over 28,000 people were without power state-wide on the Consumer’s Energy Interactive Outage Map, mostly in West Michigan and a large spot near Lansing.
MDOT reports that because of white-out conditions 131 Northbound was still closed at 100th St. because of a 7 car accident and near Pierson, a jack-knifed semi on Northbound 131 had traffic down to one lane.
As the temps have fallen this afternoon back below freezing, roadways are icing over and once again holding snow. The wind is also causing white-out conditions which we could still see until around 1 am. The Winter Weather advisory expires tomorrow morning at 7 an.
So if you've managed to stay inside this long, just keep relaxin' because it's very Nome, Alaska-ish out there.