Wind creating hazardous conditions • Hundreds of flight disruptions at DTW • Bystander shot at gas station

FRIDAY NEWS HIT - There is some good news as you wake up this Friday morning when it comes to the details of this Winter Storm - the snow amounts are lower than previously forecast.  

A large pocket of dry air hovered over Michigan late Thursday night and by doing so we are comfortable to reduce our snowfall projections with respect to this storm. At this point, it's fair to say that the majority of our viewers will get 2-4 inches by Saturday afternoon while spots farther north (up near Flint, Lapeer and Port Huron) could still see as much as 5 inches.

While this is good news for holiday travel on the roads, there still exists a dangerous winter situation unfolding today. 

Winds are already picking up, gusting to around 35 mph as of 4 a.m. but those will increase today in combination with the temperatures plummeting. By Friday afternoon the peak winds will have arrived, blowing on average between 25-35 mph and gusting to nearly 50 mph. 

RELATED: Check out DTE's power outages here

This will create a wind chill between -15 and -20 degrees for the entire afternoon/evening/night hours Friday. We continue to keep our fingers crossed that we won't lose power, or we're in for a dangerous situation trying to keep warm.

Saturday morning we'll wake up with temperatures near 8 degrees and wind chills near -15 degrees. Light snow will still be falling in spots while the rest of us will deal with blowing snow.  

Weather conditions improve throughout the late morning and afternoon but will never reach a "comfortable" level. Highs only get to 17 degrees and the wind chill will be 0 to -5. That said, I think you will be able to travel safely on the roads, just dress appropriately.

SNOW EMERGENCIES: Cities are declaring snow emergencies for the winter storm. Check the list here

Christmas day improves again, with winds dropping to 10-20 mph and high temps near 21 (wind chills in single digits). The threat of snow on Christmas day remains very low.

Be safe out there everyone! It's better to take your time getting the that Christmas party than getting in an accident rushing.

DTW seeing hundreds of flight disruptions

Flyers traded freezing cold temperatures outside for long lines inside at Detroit Metro Airport. Despite worries over canceled flights, hundreds of people still descended on DTW Friday morning in hopes of catching their plane.

One flyer named Alenush said she left at 3 a.m. to catch a flight at 8:25 a.m. "I was just so excited to go home and visit my family and spend time with my niece," she said. A five-hour buffer may seem extreme, but Alenush is trading cold and cloudy Michigan for sunny California. Who could blame her?

While many followed the same steps and left for the airport early, not all will make it to their destination. 

According to FlightAware which tracks delays and cancelations at airports around the world - there have been over 300 disruptions to flights. Across the country, nearly 10,000 flights have been delayed or canceled. 

Several SMART Bus routes not operating Friday

Several SMART Bus routes will not operate Friday, while other routes are expected to have significant delays due to a winter storm that will bring snow and high winds to Metro Detroit.

SMART announced Thursday that these routes will not run:

• 805 Grand River Park & Ride
• 830 Downriver Park & Ride
• 851 W. Bloomfield Park & Ride

According to SMART, additional cuts are expected. Riders are urged to check their mobility apps for service statuses.

"SMART is committed to serving our local communities throughout the year, but especially during challenging times, and a snowstorm is one of those times," said Dwight Ferrell, general manager of SMART. "Making sure we have the operators and essential staff available and rested is important to operate service throughout the storm." 

Find more tips for riding the bus here.

Suspect wanted for breaking into Westland Family Dollar store

A suspect broke into a Westland Family Dollar store and took several items early Wednesday.

Police said the suspect broke the front door of the store at 6006 N Wayne Rd. just after 1 a.m. He was inside for several minutes and fled with stolen items.

The suspect is described as a Black male with a beard. He was wearing a black beanie hat, a black jacket, black gloves, gray sweatpants, and black work boots.  

Anyone with information is asked to call Westland police at 734-722-9600 and ask to speak with Det. Halaas.

Woman shot in neck after witnessing men arguing with Detroit gas station clerk

A 19-year-old woman who had plans to start college soon is now focusing on recovering after she was shot in the neck at a Detroit gas station. Kyla stopped at the Sunoco at Livernois and Davison around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. While inside, she saw a group of men arguing with the clerk.

"They were like that (expletive) knows to stay behind the counter, and they flashed a gun," she said. Kyla said one of the men told her, "I advise you to back up," before she walked out of the store. When she got into her car, one of the suspects jumped inside.

"He jumped into the passenger seat soon as I sat down, and he choked me up, and he was like ‘give me everything you have,’" Kyla said. said. "So, he snatched my chain, came back in a little bit and shot me."

She managed to get to her father's house before making it to a hospital. She's now recovering. The suspect was also arrested after a police chase Wednesday night. You can donate to a GoFundMe page set up to help pay for Kyla's medical bills.

Live on FOX 2

Daily Forecast

The nasty weather system that had targeted Michigan earlier this week has finally arrived. While the snow isn't hitting as hard, the wind is making up for lost ground. Plan on freezing temperatures for Friday and the rest of the weekend. 

What else we're watching

1. FOX 2 will be covering the winter weather all morning - including in the station's Weather Beast vehicles. Stay tuned during the broadcast to see some of the best shots of the latest winter storm.
2. One thing the severe weather isn't tearing up is the power lines. DTE's outage center reports that only 2.722 households are without power. That's a far cry from the hundreds of thousands that have lost power in previous wind storms.
3. Among the major closures (besides schools) today is the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Center. The threat of the major winter weather forced the facilities to shutter their services, leaving only essential workers to care for the animals. 
4. Meijer is doing free home delivery for customers that receive SNAP benefits. Through Dec. 31, customers can get home delivery by ordering through meijer.com.
5. Two men have been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a hunter in a Michigan state park during the 2018 deer season. AP reports two 34-year-olds were arraigned on felony murder Thursday. 

Jan. 6 final report: Trump 'lit that fire' of Capitol insurrection

The House Jan. 6 committee’s final report asserts that Donald Trump criminally engaged in a "multi-part conspiracy" to overturn the lawful results of the 2020 presidential election and failed to act to stop his supporters from attacking the Capitol, concluding an extraordinary 18-month investigation into the former president and the violent insurrection two years ago.

Trump "lit that fire," the committee’s chairman, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, writes.

The 814-page report released Thursday comes after the panel interviewed more than 1,000 witnesses, held 10 hearings and obtained more than a million pages of documents. The witnesses — ranging from many of Trump’s closest aides to law enforcement to some of the rioters themselves — detailed Trump’s "premeditated" actions in the weeks ahead of the attack and how his wide-ranging efforts to overturn his defeat directly influenced those who brutally pushed past the police and smashed through the windows and doors of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

The central cause was "one man," the report says: Trump.