The second week of January 2016 is shaping up to potentially bring Michigan frigid temperatures and potentially heavy lake effect snow. Here are 5 things you need to know about next week's weather system.

1 - Arctic Air Arrives Over the Weekend

The weather system has the potential to bring the coldest air of the winter season so far. While the snowfall is far less certain, forecasters agree that a deep dip in the jet stream will bring frigid air to all of Michigan and most of the Great Lakes and as far south as northern Mississippi and Alabama. Monday January 11 is shaping up to be the coldest day with highs in the teens.

2 - Lake Effect Event Could be Several Days

According to the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids, the arctic air coupled with a relatively warm Lake Michigan could fire up a very strong lake effect snow machine that could bring a long term lake effect event lasting several days beginning over the weekend.

3 - January is Historically Southwest Michigan's Snowiest Month

Dr. Bob Ruhf at Western Michigan University has been keeping tallies of snowfall in Kalamazoo since 1998, January is by far the snowiest month in Southwest Michigan with the area averaging 24.4 inches of snow, more than 5 inches greater than the next snowiest month, December. The most January snow in Dr. Ruhf's records was the shovel-busting month of January 2014 when the area around WMU's campus saw 42.8 inches.

4 - The Snowfall Forecast is Far from Certain

While most forecasters agree on the cold spell, the prospects of Lake Effect Snow are much less certain. In their long range forecast discussion, the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids says, one model

WOULD SUPPORT CONSIDERABLE LAKE EFFECT SNOW ON
SUNDAY WHILE THE HIGH RES EURO HAS THE ARCTIC AIR LAGGING BEHIND AND
SHOWS ALMOST NO SNOW. [There is] LESS CERTAINTY ON THE POTENTIAL FOR
WIDESPREAD SNOW.

Beginning on Tuesday, "THERE WILL BE ENOUGH
SUPPORT FOR WIDESPREAD SNOW ALONG THE LAKESHORE...POTENTIALLY HEAVY"

5 - More Arctic Air Could Follow the First Wave

After the frigid arctic air arrives over the weekend and into Monday, another wave is forecast that could bring even colder air than what's forecast for early in the week.

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