4Warn Weather – We’ve got a snowy start to our Thursday morning! A quick-hitting system moving through this morning may lead to light accumulations of 1-2 inches of snow.
Plan for a slower drive this morning -- though treated roadways should certainly help with slick spots.
Highs today will be in the mid- and upper 30s. This afternoon will be calmer and cloudy.
Tonight’s sunset is at 5:20 p.m.
Our attention then turns to the next major system that will arrive on Friday.
Impactful winter storm arrives
An impactful winter storm will arrive Friday afternoon. We’re declaring tomorrow a 4Warn Weather Alert Day.
Prepare for our first significant snow of the season.
A winter storm watch has been issued from 10 a.m. Friday-10 a.m. Saturday for the far northwest suburbs from Livingston County stretching up to Sanilac County. The heart of Metro Detroit is not currently under a watch or advisory yet, but I would expect that to be issued sometime Thursday.
We now have high confidence that mid-Michigan and the Thumb region will likely see all snow, and no rain, with this storm. These areas could pick up more than 8 inches of snow.
Accumulating snow expected, plus some rain
The onset of the snowfall across Metro Detroit will be mid-afternoon on Friday. Precipitation will initially fall as snow, with rates as high as 1 inch per hour. Then, on Friday evening, the snow will change over to rain for portions of Metro Detroit and areas south as a brief pocket of warm air pushes in after sunset.
This rainy window appears to be limited, but it’s worth noting that there is still some uncertainty about how the rain/snow line will progress northward. Where that line falls and progresses will have a significant impact on snow totals in Metro Detroit.
We’ll be fine-tuning the forecast over the next 24-36 hours, as we get a better grasp of that brief pocket of warm air Friday night. With this said, it still is probable that Metro Detroit could receive 3-6 inches of snowfall as more snow builds in before sunrise on Saturday. (Areas closer to Monroe should see lesser amounts of snow because they’ll get a bit more rain.)
Northwest communities are more likely to see 6-8 inches of snow by Saturday, and the northern parts of the Thumb could be upward of 8 inches.
Wind warning, subzero temps
Winds will pick up with gusts up to 45-55 mph on Saturday. This could meet the criteria for a high wind warning. One has not been issued by the National Weather Service yet, but when you pair that type of wind with heavy snow, we could see whiteout conditions with blowing and drifting snow.
I also have concerns about power outages. Behind this system will be an arctic blast of air.
We’ll have subzero wind chills on Sunday that will last into early next week.
Make sure you stay with your 4Warn Weather team for the latest updates on air, online, and on our 4Warn weather app.
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