A real taste of winter is expected to hit Michigan and settle in for several days, beginning late on Thanksgiving Day.

A blast of Arctic air will bring down our daytime high temperatures below freezing beginning on Friday, and several inches of lake-effect snow could start accumulating in West Michigan, and even on the east side of the state, according to the National Weather Service.

This really flips the switch to feels-like-winter for the Lower Peninsula. It’s a pattern the Upper Peninsula kicked off this week, with several inches of snow already piling up today in the snowbelts of our northern reaches.

There are no big red flags for Thanksgiving travel right now, but by Thursday night, you’ll be able to feel the difference - and you’ll need your big coat!

The National Weather Service meteorologists in Grand Rapids describe it this way:

“Right after Thanksgiving, lake effect snow will intensify going into Friday, ” the NWS team said. “Slick and snowy roads, and quick changes in visibility and road conditions are likely to begin on Friday in parts of Lower Michigan. Through the long holiday weekend, multiple inches of snow accumulation is a good bet in areas downwind of Lake Michigan that are favored when winds are from the west-northwest. This includes (but is not limited to) Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Muskegon, Holland, and South Haven.”

The cold air spilling into the Great Lakes states will be funneling in from the Canadian Arctic region.

The lake-effect snow could ebb a bit on Saturday, but we’re expected to see another uptick in snow on Sunday or Monday.

“This pattern is favored to remain in place at least through the middle of next week,” according to the NWS forecast notes.

We’ll have more details later this week on exactly how much snow could fall across the Lower Peninsula.