4Warn Weather – After weeks of stubborn cold that seemed to have no off switch, Metro Detroit is finally catching a break.
Tuesday’s forecast calls for highs near 40 degrees, ending a prolonged stretch in which temperatures rarely gave winter-weary residents relief.
The area last rose above the freezing mark on Jan. 21, when the high reached 33 degrees at Detroit Metro Airport.
From Jan. 22 through Feb. 9, Detroit went 19 consecutive days without a high above 32 degrees, according to National Weather Service climate data.
Read: Warming trend ahead after freezing start to workweek, highs near 40 expected Tues
Even on Monday, Feb. 9, the high reached only 24 degrees during the afternoon, keeping the streak intact.
But it was not just the cold air that was bothersome, it was how the cold felt.
During that stretch, brisk winds regularly drove wind chills below zero, with some mornings feeling like –20 degrees. Stepping outside often felt less like winter and more like a quick endurance test.
The persistence of the cold meant there was rarely a daytime thaw. Snow and ice lingered on side streets and sidewalks, coats stayed zipped, and many people simply waited for anything that felt different.
What made the stretch even more noticeable was the contrast. Early January delivered unusually mild weather, including a record high of 60 degrees on Jan. 9, before the pattern flipped sharply colder.
Since late January, arctic air held firm, driving heating demand well above normal and reinforcing the sense that winter had dug in.
READ MORE: Metro Detroit’s January of extremes: From 60 degrees to 10 below, snowiest in a decade
That grip now appears to be loosening.
Medium- and longer-range outlooks suggest February will become more variable, with temperatures spending more time near, or occasionally above, seasonal averages later this month. Cold snaps are still likely, but the pattern no longer favors another prolonged deep freeze.
Tuesday’s warmup will not end winter, but it will feel like a reset. After nearly three weeks below freezing, even a brief taste of milder air may be enough to remind people that the spring equinox is just over five weeks away.
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