Widespread rainfall is expected to hit Metro Detroit Thursday ahead of a sharp decline in temperatures beginning early Friday.
Scattered showers could begin in our western suburbs as early as late morning, but rainfall becomes more widespread by mid-afternoon and potentially brings upwards of a half of an inch of rain from midday to early this evening.
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Winds will be picking up today with gusts of 30-40 mph by Friday morning. As temperatures rise to either side of 50 later today, and then sharply tumble overnight below freezing, the potential will exist for any moisture on roadways to flash freeze by Friday morning as arctic air moves back into the region, so a 4Warn Weather Alert has been issued for tonight through Friday morning.
Here’s a timeline:
Rain
From midday Thursday until just after midnight, precipitation will fall as rain. With the amount of rainfall paired with the melting snow pack, it will be hard for all the moisture at the surface to dry before the drop in temperatures, even with the gusty winds forecasted, which should assist in helping dry us out.
Flash Freeze
The timing of the drop below freezing will be the factor that makes this a “boom or bust” threat. Right now, it looks like temperatures are falling near freezing around 3 a.m. If this happens later and gives winds a longer window to dry out the moisture on the roads, along with salt crews a window to treat the roads, then conditions might not be too bad by the morning rush. However, if the temperatures drop sharply and the changeover to snow happens quicker with less of a lull in precipitation and a shorter window to treat the roads, then it is highly likely that surfaces ice over, especially ramps, bridges and overpasses which would then create a dangerous situation on sidewalks and roadways.
Snow
Precipitation will change to light snow showers after midnight through Friday morning, with isolated embedded snow squalls possible into the afternoon. Some areas could pick up an inch of accumulation. I think the biggest concern with the snow is the potential for it to cover icy conditions. Exercise caution Friday morning.