With schools closed, Thursday's forecast is cold but clear

Update, 10:55 a.m.:All lanes of eastbound traffic on Interstate 96 near mile marker 98 are open after traffic was initially diverted to Lansing Road due to a multi-vehicle crash. 

In Lansing, officials said snow plows are transitioning from major streets and trunk lines to residential streets, cul-de-sacs and alleys. They ask residents to avoid parking on unplowed neighborhood streets because it interferes with snow plows. Violators could be ticketed. Officials estimate all streets will be plowed within 24-48 hours.

LANSING - Motorists in the Lansing area are in for a cold but clear commute.

Temperatures hovering in the single digits this morning should hit a high of 17 degrees this afternoon, said Cort Scholten, a Grand Rapids-based meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

But aside from a few snow flurries sometime after sunset, the Lansing region should be free of additional accumulation, or high winds that could push yesterday's snowfall onto area roadways.

The official tally at the Capital Region International Airport was 5.7 inches of snow, Corton said.

One spotter in Bath Township reported 7.2 inches of snow, and areas north of Lansing generally saw upwards of 7 or 8 inches, he said.

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In downtown Lansing, roads were plowed but still slick with snow early Thursday morning.

Shortly after 8 a.m., eastbound traffic on Interstate 96 near mile marker 98 was being diverted near the Lake Lansing exit due to a multi-vehicle crash. The Michigan Department of Transportation was not reporting any other significant crashes in the Lansing area as of 9 a.m. Area freeways appeared to be largely free of snow on the department's traffic cameras, although traffic was backed up in some places.

Many area schools cancelled classes Thursday. Some daycare programs remained open or planned to open later in the day.

On Friday, winds from the west could push some lake effect snow into the Lansing region, Scholten said. Snow showers on and off throughout the day could bring an inch or two of additional accumulation.

Check back for updates.

Contact Christopher Haxel at 517-377-1261 or chaxel@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisHaxel.