Wind chills create different set of weather issues in Metro Detroit Sunday

Temperatures drop rapidly into single numbers by evening

Snow hit Metro Detroit just in time for a weekend packed with winter festivals. (WDIV)

DETROIT – Good morning. Throw an extra dog on the bed, blanket on the TV and log on the fire. It is cold out there.  

We have traded snow for the cold, which creates a different set of problems Sunday.  First of all, temperatures to start the day are in the single numbers to near ten degrees.  

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That is cold enough to compromise salt’s effectiveness.  So if a road, driveway or sidewalk was plowed or shoveled and then salted Saturday, and that salt melted the snow, it is possible that the resulting moisture could have refrozen into ice.  

RELATED: Wind chill advisory issued for Metro Detroit, counties outside region 

This is a close call, so be a little extra careful when heading out first thing Sunday morning, just in case.

Fortunately, even in these cold temperatures, sunshine helps the salt work again, so any early morning ice should gradually melt as we progress toward midday.  

The other issue this morning is wind chill, which is generally between zero and 10 below zero.  Though high temperatures will reach the low to mid teens (barely), wind chills will still be between zero and 10 below zero this afternoon, so you’ll need to bundle up if you are heading out to see Vegas and the Rat Pack at the DSO’s Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, Detroit SOUP’s fundraising dinner at the Jam Handy in Detroit, or the Isley Brothers this evening at the Motor City Casino Hotel.  

RELATED: Busy weekend of events in Downtown Detroit: What to know

And remember, if it feels bitterly cold when you step out the door, imagine how it feels to your pet.  This is not the best weather for them to be outside. Please bring them inside. 

Also, make sure the kids are really dressed appropriately if they want to have fun in the snow.  And remember if you head downtown for the Winter Blast, there will be warming tents. You can enjoy Detroit’s big winter festival even in this cold.  

Temperatures drop rapidly into the single numbers Sunday evening and by Monday morning, actual temperatures, not wind chill, will be well below zero.