The entire state of Michigan, especially West Central Michigan, will likely experience multiple rounds of severe weather on Friday, Apr. 18. According to the National Weather Service (NWS) Storm Prediction Center, nearly the entire Lower Peninsula has been placed under a Level 2 “Slight Risk” for Friday’s storms as of Thursday night.

The first system of storms is expected to cross Lake Michigan between 3:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Friday morning. While this system is projected to be large in size, the storms are not expected to be severe. The primary threats will be low-end damaging winds and a small chance of hail. The system is expected to move through West Central Michigan by 8:00 a.m.

Following an expected lull with warm temperatures, a second system will likely develop in the afternoon in West Central Michigan. These storms, expected sometime after 4:00 p.m., will likely have the conditions necessary to become severe. According to NWS Grand Rapids, there will be a higher risk for large hail and damaging winds. A small, but not zero, tornado risk is also in place for parts of Southwest Michigan, West Central Michigan, and East Central Michigan, including portions of Clare, Isabella, Kent, Mecosta, Montcalm, and Newaygo Counties. The severity of this second system will depend on the "cap," a layer of warm air between 2,000 and 5,000 feet that could inhibit the vertical development of severe storms.

Severe weather alerts can be found on NewsRadio WBRN via WBRN.com, 1460 AM, 107.7 FM, and 96.5 FM, as well as Big Rapids Daily News via Facebook, Instagram, and X.