DETROIT – The first snow that you and I will have to shovel is on the way!
Fortunately, this looks to be a weekend event, so the rush hours to and from work won’t be impacted. More on the timing and amounts below.
Today looks to have much more cloud cover than sun, with flurries and light snow showers possible as a modest upper level disturbance swings through. Highs in the low to mid 30s (0 to 1 degree Celsius) will feel like low to mid 20s (-5 degrees Celsius) due to a west-southwest wind at 10 to 20 mph.
Today’s sunrise is at 7:49 a.m., and Today’s sunset is at 5:01 p.m.
Becoming partly cloudy tonight, with lows in the upper teens (-8 degrees Celsius).
Friday forecast
Partly cloudy on Friday, with highs in the low to mid 30s (0 to 1 degree Celsius).
Increasing clouds Friday night, with snow developing after midnight -- our Friday evening plans look dry. Lows in the low to mid 20s (-5 degrees Celsius).
Snow Friday night
How much snow we get Friday night into Saturday is highly dependent upon a potent upper level disturbance that, in only twelve hours, will track southeastward from the northern Minnesota border to west of Chicago, before turning eastward. This disturbance will generate a surface low, the path of which the Local4Casters will keep a close eye on. Based upon the overnight computer models, it appears that this low will track right across the Lower Peninsula, with a nice swath of snow developing. Snow should taper off Saturday evening, with most of us receiving in the range of 2 to 4 inches of snow.
One area to watch is the Thumb, where northeast winds for a few hours behind the passing surface low will enhance the snow you get due to the Lake Huron lake effect. So, if any part of our area is highlighted to potentially overachieve on the snow amounts, it’s the Thumb.
Saturday will look and feel like the season! Highs should reach the low 30s (0 degrees Celsius), so kick the kids out of the house and tell them to go play in the snow!
We should see at least partial clearing Saturday night and, if skies completely clear, then temperatures will really crash. Right now, I expect lows in the mid to upper teens (-8 to -9 degrees Celsius).
Sunday forecast
Mostly sunny to start on Sunday, then clouds increase by afternoon, with highs in the low 30s (-1 degrees Celsius).
I expect this cold temperature pattern to persist all the way through next week. In fact, highs next Tuesday through Saturday may only reach the upper 20s (-2 degrees Celsius). If you’ll be coming downtown for Menorah in the D Tuesday evening, be ready for very cold temperatures (probably near 20 degrees (-6 to -7 degrees Celsius).
The very cold pattern could possibly relax slightly the following week, but we’ll still be cold. So, I expect much of any snow we get this week and next to stick around…a White Christmas is looking increasingly likely…stay tuned!