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Dangerous cold expected over the long weekend in mid-Michigan

A winter photo of the Michigan State Capitol with snow covering the lawn.
Arjun Thakkar
/
WKAR-MSU

Extreme cold sweeping into the Capital Region could make it dangerous to be outside for extended periods of time.

Nathan Jeruzal, lead forecaster for the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids, said temperatures will begin dropping Saturday and will reach their lowest point Monday and Tuesday, with highs in the single digits.

Wind chills could reach as low as 15-25 degrees below zero.

“At those temperatures, it doesn’t take a lot of wind to drop those wind chills,” Jeruzal said.

Temperatures that cold could cause frostbite in as little as 15-30 minutes.

Those low temperatures could also cause issues for those traveling over the holiday weekend, as Jeruzal warned that road treatments are not effective.

“It could be, definitely, a danger, for anybody having to drive with those conditions,” Jeruzal said.

Jeruzal says drivers who do plan to be on the roads should prepare by having safety kits on hand with things like blankets and candles in case they get stuck without heat for an extended period of time.

“It truly can be life threatening if something were to happen where people wouldn’t have heat for a while,” Jeruzal said.

Lansing’s Code Blue emergency cold weather plan will go active tomorrow evening with the Letts Community Center open overnight among other shelters.

Tabernacle of David will be open as a warming center between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through next Saturday.

The city of Jackson’s MLK Recreation will have extended hours from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday to serve as a place to warm up.

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