Blizzard and Ice Storm Warning Issued as 3 Feet of Snow, 55 mph Winds Approach: 'Roads Becoming Impossible to Travel'

A massive late-season winter storm is hammering Michigan, and state officials are warning residents that conditions will only get worse before they get better.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has activated the State Emergency Operations Center in response to what she described as "significant weather impacts" already battering northern Michigan communities. All nonessential state office buildings across the Upper Peninsula and much of the northern Lower Peninsula are closed until Tuesday at 6 a.m.

Blizzard Warnings are in effect across the Upper Peninsula, with Ice Storm Warnings covering several counties in the northern Lower Peninsula. Additional Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories extend across a broader swath of the state.

Michigan Winter Storm Warning: What to Expect Through Monday Night

Residents in the U.P. and northern Lower Peninsula are facing the worst of it. Additional snowfall of 10 to 20 inches is expected on top of what has already fallen, with some areas north of a Ludington-Cadillac-Gaylord-Rogers City line potentially seeing up to three feet of total accumulation. Northeast winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts reaching 55 mph will drive near-whiteout conditions, especially near the Great Lakes.

The ice threat is equally serious. The highest risk for ice accumulation runs along highway M-32 from East Jordan through Gaylord east to Alpena, where between .35 and .60 inches of ice may accumulate. "Roads becoming impossible to travel in some cases along with potential power outages overnight," forecasters warned.

Power outages are expected across much of the state. DTE Energy and Consumers Energy are mobilizing crews in anticipation. Residents are urged to secure loose outdoor items and ensure they have multiple ways to receive emergency alerts.

Temperatures will plunge behind the storm. Highs on Tuesday may only reach 13 to 21 degrees — roughly 20 degrees below normal for mid-March — with wind chills bottoming out near zero.

The storm is expected to taper off by Tuesday morning.