DETROIT – While driving into work Tuesday, I was thinking about my forecast last week for the first part of this week, and everything is playing out exactly as I expected. Following Monday’s 2-5-inch snowfall, another surge of Arctic air has moved in, with wind chills generally in the single digits (-13 degrees Celsius).
We’ll have some flurries around late Tuesday afternoon into the early evening, but those will end and skies will gradually clear overnight. That, combined with light wind and a fresh snowpack, will allow temperatures to crater.
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We’ll all be well down into the single digits (-16 degrees Celsius) for actual temperatures, with our coldest rural areas easily dropping below zero (-19 degrees Celsius).
Although wind Tuesday night -- from the west at only 4 to 7 mph -- won’t be very strong, that’s enough to generate wind chills when it’s this cold. So if you are out late Tuesday or early Wednesday morning, it’ll feel like between zero and -10 degrees (-18 to -23 degrees Celsius), depending on where you are.
Tuesday’s sunset is at 5:39 p.m., and Wednesday’s sunrise is at 7:52 a.m.
Wednesday
Mostly sunny skies Wednesday morning will turn partly cloudy, but we’ll still have a fair amount of sun through the day. That always helps when temperatures struggle. With highs only in the upper teens (-8 degrees Celsius), we’ll need that sun.
West winds will shift to the south late in the day, at 5 to 10 mph. As such, wind chills will be in the single digits (-21 degrees Celsius) most of the day.
Increasing clouds Wednesday night, with lows in the single digits (-14 degrees Celsius).
Rest of this week
Mostly cloudy and breezy Thursday, with highs rebounding into the mid-20s (-4 to -3 degrees Celsius).
A cold front crossing the area Thursday evening will bring a brief band of snow showers, but don’t expect much accumulation -- perhaps a couple of tenths of an inch.
More important will be another surge of Arctic air coming in behind it. Lows Thursday night will “only” drop into the mid-teens (-10 degrees Celsius), but just wait.
Highs barely reach 20 degrees (-6 degrees Celsius) Friday under mostly cloudy skies.
We’ll then start to see some clearing Friday night, which will allow lows to drop well down into the single digits once again (-15 degrees Celsius).
Weekend forecast
Partly cloudy on Saturday, with highs again only near 20 degrees (-6 degrees Celsius).
Increasing clouds Saturday night, with lows in the mid- to upper single digits (-15 to -13 degrees Celsius).
Then, mostly cloudy Sunday, with a flurry possible. Highs in the mid-20s (-4 degrees Celsius).