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24-Hours Of Snowfall Heading Toward Southeast Michigan

WHITE LAKE TWP. (WWJ/AP) - This winter has yet to wallop the Detroit area, but that could change as what may be the first major snowstorm of the season heads toward southern Michigan.

Meteorologist Dan Thompson, with the National Weather Service, said the snow is expected to start falling Saturday night and continue for about 24 hours.

"The snowfall looks like it will become heaviest during the afternoon and evening Sunday," Thompson told WWJ's Russ McNamara. "We're going to see the snowfall taper off, probably around 3 or 4 a.m. Monday. It's mostly going to be half-an-inch per hour or less but just for a long duration, it's going to add up."

Monroe County could get up to 10 inches and Wayne County might see around 6 inches. About 3 to 4 inches are expected for Oakland and Macomb counties, with even less in more northerly areas.

A Winter Storm Watch has been issued for Washtenaw, Wayne, Lenawee and Monroe counties from Saturday night through 4 a.m. Monday.

Forecasters say moderate to heavy snowfall is expected, with localized blowing and drifting snow. Motorists should expect reduced visibility on the roads — although it's not yet clear if conditions would still be dicey for the Monday morning commute. It's possible schools could be closed. It's also going to be very cold.

"It looks like we're going to be dealing with some wind chill issues Sunday night, we're going to see wind chills dropping into the teens below zero Sunday night and Monday morning," said Thompson.

Only about 18 inches of snow has fallen on the Detroit area this winter -- compared to more than 55 inches over the same period a year ago. The average snowfall for this time of year is just over 23 inches.

Know before you go: Keep it tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 for the latest forecast during traffic and weather, every 10 minutes on the 8s. See the live, local radar now at this link.

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TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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