Broadcasters rely on National Weather Service data to warn people about severe weather. Paul Gross talks about the agency's importance.

Snow last week helped northern Michigan set a new record for seasonal snowfall. At midnight Friday evening, the National Weather Service recorded 1.8 inches had fallen at its office 9 miles south of Gaylord, in Otsego County.

current and former staffers said an exodus of new hires and veterans will hinder the agency’s ability to monitor and predict weather hazards.

Michigan is set for a harsh winter storm with areas expecting up to 20 inches of snow and potential blizzard conditions.

The National Weather Service has added two new weather advisories to separate parts of Lower Michigan. As the storm system center moves east of Michigan tonight the wind will increase. The wind will bring much colder air and change rain showers to snow showers. Here are all of the current weather advisories and warnings as of 3:30 p.m.

Detroit's weather transitions from partly sunny with a peak near 48 degrees to a cooler evening and includes a rainy Wednesday.

"Temperatures will be highly changeable going through the middle of the week due to the storm, with much above-normal temperatures over the Midwest moving east into the Eastern U.S. by Tuesday and Wednesday as these areas will generally be on the warm side of the rapidly approaching upstream storm system," the weather service said.

Several Skywarn spotter training classes are scheduled in the weeks ahead, including three in-person sessions in Oakland County.