LANSING, Mich. — Residents of the Great Lakes region are in for a snowy Thanksgiving, as a weather system continues to drop precipitation across the area, particularly in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Snowfall that began Wednesday persisted Thursday with winds and snow bands out of the north and northwest. A blizzard warning is in effect in Alger County, east of Marquette, Michigan, until 7 p.m. Thursday.

The heaviest snowfall is expected to hit west of the town of Munising, according to the National Weather Service, with up to 13 inches of additional of snow accumulation possible. The snow bands will likely taper off starting in the western counties of the Upper Peninsula as the day progresses.

Lily Chapman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Marquette, said 15 inches of snow were measured at her office Thursday morning. Near Bessemer, Michigan, about 113 miles east of Duluth, Minnesota, Chapman said the National Weather service received reports of over 18 to 28 inches of snow.

“It varies pretty quickly depending on things like elevation or where any of our stronger bands have been able to line up,” Chapman said.

Lake effect snow is characterized by thin bands of clouds that can produce heavy snowfall. Some areas can see much more snow than others nearby thanks to the narrow bands.

The phenomenon occurs when cold air from Canada is blown over the warmer water of the Great Lakes: Superior, Michigan, Huron, Ontario and Erie. Warm air from the lakes pushes the moisture in the sky higher into a zone most conducive to snowfall. The clouds that form as a result can dump 2 to 3 inches per hour and sometimes more.

The weather particularly affects Michigan, Ohio and New York.