DETROIT – I hope you enjoyed this little respite of milder temperatures, despite the rain, because we’re heading back downhill starting Tuesday night.
A potent cold front will cross the area. Rain Tuesday evening ahead of the front will end when the front passes by, and a brief line of snow showers may follow, but I’m not expecting any accumulation.
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Lows will plummet into the low 20s (minus 6 degrees Celsius), with a northwest wind increasing to 15 to 25 mph generating wind chills by Wednesday morning between 5 and 10 degrees (minus 15 to minus 12 degrees Celsius).
A greater concern is how quickly we drop below freezing, and this will be a close call. If we drop below freezing fast enough, widespread ice will develop as wet surfaces freeze before the water evaporates; that’s where the wind will help by hastening the evaporation. Even if most paved surfaces are dry when the temperature hits freezing, there will undoubtedly still be some puddles around that will freeze, so be careful when you head out early Wednesday morning.
It will be mostly cloudy and windy with scattered snow showers on Wednesday. It’s not clear yet if any persistent lake-effect snow bands will extend all the way across the state, but if any do, it initially appears that they would set up near or between I-94 and I-96/I-696.
Check the radar on your Local4Casters app through the day to assess this, and follow me on Twitter @PGLocal4 and @Local4Casters for personal updates.
Temperatures will barely budge upward into the mid-20s (minus 4 to minus 5 degrees Celsius), but the wind will keep wind chills of 5 to 10 degrees (minus 15 to minus 12 degrees Celsius) all day long. Bundle up, and make especially sure that children are dressed appropriately if they’ll be standing outside at bus stops.
This is also a good time to remember pets. This weather is dangerous for them, too.
Wednesday night will be mostly cloudy with scattered snow showers. Lows will be in the mid-teens (minus 10 degrees Celsius).
It will be mostly cloudy and still breezy on Thursday, with scattered snow showers (especially across our South Zone). Highs will be near 20 degrees (minus 7 to minus 6 degrees Celsius). Wind chills will be between 0 and 5 degrees (minus 18 to minus 15 degrees Celsius).
Thursday night will be mostly cloudy, with lows near 10 degrees (minus 12 degrees Celsius).
It will be mostly cloudy to partly cloudy on Friday, with highs near 20 degrees (minus 7 to minus 6 degrees Celsius). Wind chills will be between 5 and 10 degrees (minus 15 to minus 12 degrees Celsius).
Friday night will be partly cloudy, with lows in the low teens (minus 11 degrees Celsius).
It will be mostly cloudy on Saturday, with highs in the low 20s (minus 5 degrees Celsius). Wind chills will be between 5 and 10 degrees (minus 15 to minus 12 degrees Celsius).
Saturday night will be mostly cloudy, with lows in the low teens (minus 11 degrees Celsius).
It will become partly cloudy on Sunday, with highs in the low 20s (minus 5 degrees Celsius). Wind chills will be between 5 and 10 degrees (minus 15 to minus 12 degrees Celsius).
There will be Increasing clouds, breezy winds and warmer temperatures on Monday, with highs near 30 degrees (minus 1 degree Celsius).
Rain will develop Tuesday afternoon and, just like that, we’re back up to near 40 degrees (4 degrees Celsius) for a high.
A cold front will come through on the morning of Jan. 11, and temperatures will fall behind it, but not as severely as this week’s Arctic blast.
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