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Metro Detroit weather: Arctic cold front approaching; Monday snow storm update

Several inches of snow possible Monday in Metro Detroit

DETROIT – An Arctic cold front is approaching the area early this Friday morning.

At the time I am writing this article, (4 a.m. Friday), temperatures ahead of the front are in the low to mid 30s (0 to 1 degree Celsius), and temperatures behind the front have already fallen to 20 degrees (-7 degrees Celsius) up at Houghton Lake.

Once the front passes by, our temperatures will drop into the mid 20s (-4 to -3 degrees Celsius), and hold nearly steady there for the balance of the day. However, a gusty northwest wind at 10 to 20 mph will keep wind chills well down in the teens (-11 degrees Celsius).

There are some snow showers accompanying the front, but I don’t expect any accumulation for most of us -- perhaps a dusting in the Thumb.

Today’s sunrise is at 7:55 a.m., and today’s sunset is at 5:35 p.m.

Becoming mostly clear Friday night, and it’ll be our coldest night of the winter season thus far, with lows in the low teens (-11 degrees Celsius).

Weekend update

Saturday looks like a fantastic day to hit the slopes if you’re a skier or snowboarder! We’ll have mostly sunny skies in the morning, and then some high clouds will filter in during the afternoon. Highs in the upper 20s (-2 degrees Celsius) won’t be too hard to take if we can keep that sunshine. Oh, and wind will be under 10 mph, too!

Clouds increase Saturday night, with lows near 20 degrees (-7 degrees Celsius).

Light snow develops on Sunday, and this doesn’t appear to be a big deal -- an inch or less of accumulation (probably less). Highs near 30 degrees (-1 degrees Celsius).

Monday storm update

I’m starting to see a bit of trending toward a more common solution in the overnight computer models, and our Monday storm now looks more like a Monday night storm.

I think most of the day Monday will be dry, with perhaps some snow developing late in the day near the state line.

While there are still some small differences in the models that make a BIG difference in our forecast, it appears that the snow will edge northward Monday night. Best chance to see several inches of accumulation is between M-59/Hall Road and the state line. Certainly, the farther south in our area you are, the better the chance you’ll see some impactful snow.

Obviously, I cannot possibly get specific about snow amounts this far in advance -- especially with a situation like this storm presents (a sharp cutoff in snow on its northern edge). But in general, this appears to be a scenario where the Thumb gets just an inch or two, while amounts near the state line could approach five or six inches.

Again, this is PRELIMINARY, and could change. Fortunately, with the Monday night timing, Brandon and I should be able to get real specific with you on Local 4 News Today Monday morning, as well as on ClickOnDetroit.com and our app.



About the Author
Paul Gross headshot

Local 4 meteorologist Paul Gross was born in Detroit and has spent his entire life and career right here in southeast Michigan. Paul has researched, written and produced eight half-hour documentaries for WDIV, as well as many science, historical and environmental stories.

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