DETROIT – There are many different ways, of course, to consider our Christmas weather. I think most people would love to look out the window and see a snow-covered ground or, at least, some nice big snowflakes gently falling. That sets a scene that would do Bing Crosby proud.
On the other hand, I know more than a few people who’d love to get sunshine, afternoon temps in the mid 50s (12-13 degrees Celsius), and nine holes of golf in. In fact, remember Christmas Day, 1982? We had a record high of 64 degrees (17.5 degrees Celsius), and there was even a sailboat seen on Lake St. Clair!
Whatever your perspective, I think all of us can agree upon one thing: we don’t want a butt-kicking massive winter storm that paralyzes travel. Even though we shouldn’t be traveling this year, a lot of people are. And if you know anybody trying to drive to or from the east coast today and tonight, they are running into trouble as a big storm system tracks northward right along the spine of the Appalachians. Pounding rain this afternoon extends from New York down through the Carolinas.
The colder western flank of that storm will see the rain change to heavy snow tonight, and most of that should stay east of our area. However, some computer models are bringing that pattern a little farther west, so those of you in the farthest eastern part of our area (Detroit up through Port Huron and the Lake Huron shoreline) may do well to check our app’s radar this evening to see if a Christmas miracle is in the making -- you MIGHT get enough of a coating tonight to wake up Christmas morning to a coating of white on the lawn!
Aside from what I discussed above, all the rest of us should see on our Christmas Eve is perhaps a few flurries -- nothing that will coat the ground. Lows will drop into the upper teens (-7 degrees Celsius), and wind should diminish to 10 to 15 mph from the west.
Tonight’s sunset is at 5:06 p.m.
Christmas Day
Mostly cloudy skies will start our Christmas Day, and then snow showers should increase during the afternoon…particularly later in the day into Christmas night. With some luck, perhaps we can get enough of a dusting to give us a pseudo-white end of Christmas! Highs in the mid to upper 20s (-3 to -2 degrees Celsius), with a west wind at 10 to 15 mph putting wind chills in the low teens (-11 degrees Celsius).
Mostly cloudy Friday night, with lows again in the upper teens (-7 degrees Celsius).
Weekend Update
Mostly cloudy on Saturday, with highs in the low 30s (0 degrees Celsius).
Becoming partly cloudy Saturday night, with lows in the low 20s (-6 to -5 degrees Celsius).
Becoming mostly cloudy on Sunday, with highs in the upper 30s (3 to 4 degrees Celsius).
The Next Two Storms
The next two storms appear to be primarily rain for us. The first of the pair comes in Sunday night with some rain, and perhaps some Monday snow showers, but the primary precipitation should be rain. The second storm comes in the Wednesday or Thursday timeframe and, again, it appears to be mostly rain.
I know a lot of kids who would love some snow to play in during their school vacation. In fact, last week a ten-year old neighbor of mine (my little buddy’s name is Andrew) was actually shoveling the light coating of snow on his lawn to make a big enough pile of snow to build a snowman. He was pretty determined to make that snowman! Unfortunately, next week doesn’t offer much in the way of a solid snowfall.