Metro Detroit weather: Sloppy weekend ahead

Rain, snow expected Saturday afternoon

DETROIT – Parts of this last holiday shopping weekend will be sloppy. But temperatures will continue to inch up toward the Christmas holidays next week. And there’s no shortage of weather excitement for the days leading up to Christmas.

Weekend Mix

Most of the weekend will be dry. That includes Saturday morning and almost all of Sunday. But starting in the mid-afternoon Saturday, expect some rain and snow showers, transitioning to rain as temperatures will max out in the upper 30s. Precipitation will taper through the evening and overnight. What’s left may be a few flurries early Sunday. But the majority of that day should be dry. Be prepared for untreated roads to refreeze Saturday night (especially outside the Metro Zone) when temperatures return to the upper 20s and low 30s.

Snow Before Christmas

Monday will bring some precipitation, but most of that will be rain. Any snow should be inconsequential. Wednesday will be a similar setup, but with more moisture. So even though it will start as rain, we’ll see a transition to snow late Wednesday night into the morning of Christmas Eve. Accumulations look likely, but on the low end. Lake-effect snow showers behind the organized snow could add to those totals somewhat. But whatever falls on the 24th will likely be around for Christmas Day. So the chances of measuring 1 inch on the 25th for an official White Christmas are looking promising. More lake-effect snow showers are possible Friday, too.

Christmas Cold

Santa will be bringing the coldest air of the season when he arrives from the North Pole. Highs on Christmas Eve will barely reach 30. Christmas Day will be even colder with highs in the mid 20s. And with windy conditions, it will feel like the single digits and teens for all of Friday.

Track the radar:


About the Author:

Ben loves his job at Local 4 because broadcast meteorology challenges him to crack Mother Nature’s code, then find new and creative ways to tell that story to people.