Possible wintry mix, then snowfall -- when, where, how much to expect in Metro Detroit

It’s a milder morning thanks to cloud cover overnight and a southerly flow of wind. However, passing showers will result in a soggy start to this Friday with drier and breezier conditions building in through the afternoon. Wind gusts could peak close to 30 mph. Highs will be slightly above average in the upper 50s.

Here’s the tea on the weekend ahead...

We will be turning much colder day by day. Temperatures fall about 10 degrees on Saturday and another 10 degrees on Sunday. That means highs will be in the 40s Saturday, but will not exceed the upper 30s Sunday. Bone-chilling wind chills will follow by Monday morning with feels-like temperatures near 10 degrees and actual air temperatures in the 20s, so make sure the kiddos have their winter jackets ready for the bus stop on Monday morning. The arctic blast alone will give us a taste of winter, but here is what we know at this point on the chance for snow:

Timeline

There is a chance for accumulating snow late Saturday night through Sunday. Our northwestern suburbs could see snow mixing in Sunday morning, while East-siders would likely just be seeing rain, but once temperatures fall across the area to near freezing Sunday evening that is when we have more probable chances of seeing snow chances for much of Metro Detroit. Off and on snow will persist Monday through Tuesday due to lake effect bands.

Factors

There will likely be large differences in snowfall between the northern and southern areas of Southeast Michigan, with periods of initial rain, the track of the Low pressure system and melting snow all affecting accumulations.

Accumulation

This is a tricky forecast, so talking totals is still a bit iffy at this point, but we want to help you plan your weekend. An early call as of this writing on Friday morning will be a dusting along the east side with our northwest suburbs possibly seeing up to two inches. As more high resolution data comes in within the next 48 hours, we will be diligently fine-tuning the forecast. With that said, it is looking probable that this will be the first measurable snow of the season. “Measurable” is considered a tenth of an inch.

First snowfall of the season climatology for Metro Detroit (DTW)