Crashes reported on US-131 as heavy snow, high winds batter West Michigan

Multiple vehicles were involved in a crash on southbound U.S. 131 north of Grand Rapids that closed the freeway for several hours Wednesday.

Snow had accumulated on the freeway, north of West River. No major injuries occurred in the crash, according to Michigan State Police, who tweeted about the crash. 

"FOLKS....I don't know what else to say.....SLOW DOWN!!," police tweeted.

A Michigan State Police official who answered the phone Wednesday night said the southbound stretch of the freeway was still closed between the West River and Post exists.

The agency, which reported crashes both north and south of Grand Rapids, posted on Twitter that the freeway reopened at about 8 p.m.

West Michigan is under a winter storm warning until 10 a.m. Friday because of heavy snowfall and high winds.

Forecasters on Wednesday extended the storm warning to Friday in west Michigan with some areas likely to get more than a foot of snow.

Counties west of U.S. 131 and closer to Lake Michigan were expected to see the largest amount, the National Weather Service said.

“It’s just going to keep snowing,” the weather service said.

Dozens of schools were closed Wednesday morning before the snow began accumulating. Drivers who used north-south roads in the region faced whiteout conditions. 

“We are not going to apply a lot of chemicals when it’s snowing this hard and the wind’s blowing,” said Jerry Byrne of the Kent County Road Commission. “Because all we’re really going to do is cause the snow to melt for a very short amount of pavement and it’s going to refreeze.”

Andrew Nichols, maintenance superintendent at the Muskegon County Road Commission, said it would be “all hands on deck” for his plow crews.

“Travel could become very difficult. Areas of blowing snow will significantly reduce visibility,” the weather service said.

In the Upper Peninsula, a similar storm warning was posted for Marquette and the western edge.

Associated Press contributed.

kkozlowski@detroitnews.com