4Warn Weather – Happy Wednesday!
The skies have a cleared a little here overnight. That clearing won’t last too long, but it is leading to cooler temperatures this morning (as clouds often act as a blanket of insolation).
So, we are starting with temps in the middle and upper 20s. Clouds are beginning to fill in ahead of an impressive storm moving slowly across the country. It is going to be pushing more clouds than anything into Pure Michigan throughout the day today with mostly dry conditions.
At least it’s dry as you head out, but watch out for those wind chills that are in the teens and lower 20s. Bundle up as you head out under partly to mostly cloudy skies.
Today’s sunrise is at 7:54 a.m.
The big storm that we are anticipating is practically on our doorstep, and it has had wide ranging effects from blizzard conditions in the High Plains, to severe storms down in Texas and Oklahoma.
The impact on us will be an increase of clouds more than anything today. Our skies will go from partly skies to mostly cloudy, eventually becoming overcast.
We cannot rule out some light and spotty rain and snow moving through today, but most of our Wednesday should still be dry.
High temperatures should make it back into the upper 30s. A bit of a breeze moving E at 7-17 mph will keep wind chills in the lower 30s, unfortunately.
The majority of the wet weather coming our way will move in closer to midnight and beyond. It should be mostly liquid, or rain, with better snow chances north of M-59 overnight.
Tonight’s sunset is at 5:02 p.m.
Wet Thursday
Some heavy rain will move over SE Lower Michigan and Southern Ontario during the early morning hours Thursday. Areas north of M-59, known as our North Zone, will see rain and snow showers back and forth -- while most of us will see just rain, and a lot of it.
We could very well see an inch of rain on the ground by the time most of you head out to begin your day Thursday. That means the morning drive will be wet, slippery and slow, with some areas north even becoming a bit slushy.
Morning temps will start in the upper 30s to near 40 degrees closer to Downtown Detroit.
The rain showers will taper off during the mid-to-late morning, bringing a drier afternoon with more scattered, lighter rain showers. Highs will be in the middle 40s with a warming breeze moving S at 5-15 mph, gusting to 20-25 mph at times.
Spotty rain, snow Friday
Cooler air moves in Friday, and we won’t likely make it out of the 30s all day. There won’t be much moisture remaining over our area, limiting the chances for rain and snow -- yet we expect some spotty light rain and snow on Friday, especially in the afternoon.
The breezy conditions will remain as well, with winds moving WSW at 10-20 mph. So, those 30s will feel like the 20s when we factor in the wind.
Winter officially starts soon, and most of, if not all of, the computer model data coming in shows more and more winter-like weather setting up shop in the Great Lakes Region. We should expect a cold weekend ahead with some light snow around, then temps will be tumbling slowly through next week.
Cold weekend with light snow
The weekend is all 20s to low 30s with west winds dragging lake effect snow bands across the state into Metro Detroit from time to time. This will be a much bigger problem across Western Michigan this weekend.
Just a word of warning for anyone possibly traveling west this weekend: Some snow squalls could make things very dangerous the farther west your travels take you.
Some light snow is possible late in the day on Monday with a system approaching from the Southwest, but the computer models are trending toward dry conditions here for the start of Hanukkah on Monday.
Tuesday looks cool and dry. The computer models show another snowmaker moving in late Wednesday of next week, which is the Winter Solstice, or the official start of winter.
We will keep you posted as we get closer.
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