Quick cool-down coming to metro Detroit

Get ready for another big warm-up

DETROIT – Rain showers west of a line from Port Sanilac to Pontiac to Ann Arbor to Adrian will gradually spread eastward late this afternoon, with showers likely through the evening hours. 

Rain should taper off in the middle of the night, so I think we’ll have a dry start to work and school Thursday morning.  Lows in the upper 30s (3° Celsius for our Canadian neighbors).  Southwest wind at 10 to 15 mph.

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Partly cloudy on Thursday (there may be parts of the day with more clouds than sun, but most of us should get at least some sun during the day).  Highs struggling to rise from our early morning lows as cold air streams in.  We’ll probably only rise a couple of degrees to near 40° (4° Celsius). 

West-southwest wind at 10 to 15 mph.  Thursday’s sunrise is at 7:56 AM, and Thursday’s sunset is at 5:02 PM.

Becoming mostly cloudy Thursday night, with lows in the mid 20s (-4° Celsius).

Mostly cloudy and breezy on Friday with east-west bands of snow showers stretching across the state from Lake Michigan as cold air flows across the lake, warms and picks up moisture, and then cools and drops that moisture as snow when it moves back over land.  Some of us may just get some flurries, while others under those persistent, narrow bands, could get a light coating of snow…mainly on grassy surfaces.  Highs in the low to mid 30s (1° Celsius).

Snow showers end Friday night, then becoming partly cloudy.  Lows in the low 20s (-5° Celsius).

Partly cloudy on Saturday, with highs in the low to mid 30s (1° Celsius).

Partly cloudy Saturday night, with lows in the mid 20s (-4° Celsius).

Partly cloudy and breezy on Sunday, with highs in the mid 40s (6° Celsius).

Increasing clouds with a shower possible Sunday night.  Lows in the mid to upper 30s (3° Celsius).

Rain showers are likely on Monday, with highs in the upper 40s (9° Celsius).

Mostly cloudy Monday night, with lows in the mid 30s (2° Celsius).

Mostly cloudy Tuesday with a small chance for a few light rain showers.  Highs in the upper 40s (9° Celsius).

Happy Festivus!  (if you don’t know what Festivus is, Google it!) 

We have another chance of showers on Wednesday, with highs in the low 50s (11° Celsius).

My long range computer models continue to display high uncertainty in the Christmas Eve Day weather pattern.  Today, the ECMWF model keeps us warm, with the chance for a few rain showers. 

Meanwhile, the GFS model starts the day warm with some rain showers, but brings a potent cold front through during the afternoon and changes those rain showers to snow showers.  It’s impossible to pick between the two models when they are so different…and when the upper level system that will spawn the surface system affecting us that day is still way out over the data-poor Pacific. 

The model differences are even more dramatic for Christmas Day, with the ECMWF keeping us warm with rain showers, while the GFS brings windy and cold weather, with snow showers!  It’ll be a while before I can solve this…stay tuned.