Brutal stretch of winter weather ahead

Snow this weekend could break January total record set in 1978

DETROIT – Tonight's light snow should grind out an inch on average across southeast Michigan, slightly more to the north and slightly less to the south, with lows around 7 degrees.

Thursday itself should feature light snow showers, but I don't expect much accumulation. Highs in the low teens.

Becoming clear for a while Thursday evening, then partly cloudy. Lows are very tricky to predict: We'll drop off rapidly to zero, and possibly below zero, then temps level off as the wind picks up after midnight.

The later the wind picks up, the farther below zero we fall. The combination of low temps and wind could push wind chills down to -20 to -25 by Friday morning which would prompt a Wind Chill Advisory by the National Weather Service. And there are different concerns as we head into your Friday. Read on:

Increasing clouds and wind. By afternoon, we could be gusting to 40 miles per hour, so the National Weather Service may have to issue a Wind Advisory, stay tuned about this. Highs in the low to mid teens, with temperatures even rising a little more Friday night.

Windy with snow developing Friday night, and we should see enough accumulation by Saturday morning (a couple of inches is my first estimate) to break our record for most January snow set back in 1978. Temperatures rising to near 20.

Windy, with snow diminishing Saturday morning. We'll start the day with temperatures near 20, then see a sharp drop during the afternoon as the next wave of Arctic air ushers in.

Although Sunday could start with a peek of sun, clouds will rapidly increase, and more snow will develop. It's way too early to say for sure, but we'll probably see some accumulation...perhaps an inch or two of light, fluffy, powdery snow by Sunday night. Highs in the mid to upper teens.

Hopefully, the snow will hold off until after the PBA Tournament of Champions finals at Thunderbowl in Allen Park. I'll be there! Then partly cloudy and bitterly cold Monday through Wednesday, with highs averaging around 10 above, and lows below zero.

And don't forget to follow me on Twitter at @PaulGrossLocal4!