In West Michigan, an onslaught of winter weather led to the closure of Grand Rapids Public Schools on Thursday, along with a swath of other districts across the region, according to an announcement made by the largest district in the area, Grand Rapids Public Schools, around 5:30 a.m., the decision was propelled by poor weather conditions; the district cited this in its communication, noting that all classes and activities were canceled for the day, though administrative offices remained open.
Several other school districts, including those in the lakeshore areas of Holland and Muskegon as well as the inland Kalamazoo Public Schools, had preemptively declared closures the evening before, as reported by WOODTV. The closures were widespread, encompassing Allegan, Barry, Muskegon, and Ottawa counties—all of which saw their school districts shuttered, while in Kent County, nearly every district was closed, pervasive closures were also observed in Calhoun, Kalamazoo, and St. Joseph counties.
The district's decisions came amidst a winter storm warning that spanned multiple counties, anticipated to last through the early hours of Friday, with forecasts indicating that snowfall would continue throughout Thursday, albeit lighter and more scattered compared to Wednesday night's flurry.
Challenges facing the region were not solely due to snowfall, drivers faced whiteout conditions spurred by strong wind gusts, and freezing temperatures rendered road salt less effective than in past storms, resulting in treacherous roads noted for a series of highway closures after multiple crashes. "The winds and snow will not subside until after sunset Thursday," concluded the WOODTV report.
Meanwhile, in Southeast Michigan, despite a lighter snow accumulation, a combination of snow and subsequent ice formations led to numerous school closures; road conditions in the morning were hazardous and complicated morning commutes, as salt trucks scrambled to mitigate the icy layers blanketing Metro Detroit streets, this was highlighted by FOX 2 Detroit.
The adverse weather conditions also brought about delays and closures of over 90 schools in Southeast Michigan, disruptions worsened by high winds and power outages. These schools, and those wishing to remain updated on weather developments, were advised to utilize the 4Warn weather app, with further details provided by clickondetroit.
