Metro Detroit weather: Freezing rain expected to create dangerous conditions overnight

Wednesday's commute will be slippery

DETROIT – Dangerous freezing rain is set to invade Southeast Michigan overnight.

We expect freezing rain to start moving into our West Zone around midnight. Temperatures will be firmly below freezing by that point. So the liquid raindrops will freeze as they contact the freezing surfaces: streets, sidewalks, car windshields, etc.

The most intense ice will fall between 3-7 a.m. And we expect the highest accumulations to lie between I-94 and M-59. After 7 a.m., the precipitation becomes a lot lighter, but temperatures don’t rise above freezing until 10-11 a.m. After lunch, we’ll be just wet for a much less challenging afternoon commute.

Leave yourself a LOT of extra time getting to work in the morning. Brandon and Kim will bring you the latest on Local 4 News Today starting at 4 a.m.

Temperatures will rise to the upper 30s Wednesday afternoon, then fall to around freezing Wednesday night. 

But numbers jump quickly Thursday to highs in the upper 40s (some South Zone spots may touch 50!). That’s coming with quite a bit of rain through the day.

We go right back to the cold for Friday and the rest of the forecast. Other than a possible lake-effect snow shower on Friday, we’ll stay dry and bright for Saturday and most of Sunday. Snow moves in late in the weekend. And it may be enough to shovel. 1-3 inches is a first stab at accumulations then.

If you’re looking for a warmup next week, keep looking. Once temperatures drop below freezing on Thursday night, we won’t get back above 32 for at least a week!


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.