Winter Weather in Michigan: Snowfall wreaking havoc on Metro Detroit travel

(FOX 2) - A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect around Southeast Michigan due to falling snow and tumbling temperatures making driving hazardous on highways.

Up to five inches are expected in the immediate area with even more snow expected to fall in the thumb.

Gusty wind conditions and low visibility will make getting around the region even trickier.

Ground Stop at DTW

The FAA ordered a ground stop at Detroit Metro Airport.

Ice was to blame for the delay in travel out of DTW. The advisory is expected until at least 8 p.m. The advisory was later downgraded to a ground delay around 8:20 p.m.

Winter Weather in Metro Detroit

The National Weather Service is warning motorists to take it easy on the roads on Wednesday afternoon after a cold front moved in over Southeast Michigan.

It's bringing falling temperatures which are encouraging ice development under snow throughout the area. It's expected to get even colder by the end of the evening, dropping the wind chill to below zero around Metro Detroit.

There will also be wind gusts up to 35 mph further north in Huron and Sanilac counties. They will be under the advisory for hazardous travel until 10 a.m. on Thursday.

Livingston, Oakland, Macomb, St. Clair, Washteanw, Wayne, Lenawee, and Monroe counties will be under the advisory until 10 p.m.

More snow this week

While the bulk of the snow on Wednesday will end before 7 p.m., it won't be the end of winter precipitation this week. Meanwhile, temperatures will continue to fall into the weekend.

Thursday is expected to be cloudy before the sun comes out in the afternoon, bottoming out at 22 degrees. However, the real hazard will be the wind, which will make conditions feel like they're below zero. 

On Friday, snow will fall throughout the morning, mainly before 1 p.m. Up to an inch is possible.

More snow is expected on Saturday with a temperature low of around 31 degrees. 

Sunday will be cloudy with a high near 22 degrees. 

School closures

The threat of schools closing is also looming over the region due to the winter weather. 

So far, only evening classes have been canceled at six different schools, including Oakland University. 

Check our closings page for more information.

Road conditions in Metro Detroit

Travel on Metro Detroit roadways was bogged down because of the weather.

The traffic tracker that follows up-to-date travel on highways showed major slowdowns throughout Southeast Michigan.

That includes I-94 and I-75 slowing to a crawl around downtown Detroit, as well as I-696 in Oakland County and parts of the Southfield Freeway, the Lodge, and I-275.

There were also minor crashes reported around the area.