Metro Detroit weather: Monitoring the next weekend storm

DETROIT – Our stretch of quiet weather days continues today, with some sunshine to start, followed by increasing clouds this afternoon.

Highs should reach the mid 30s (1 to 2 degrees Celsius), which will feel a little nicer than yesterday’s upper 20s (-2 to-1 degrees Celsius). South wind will increase to 10 to 15 mph.

Today’s sunrise is at 7:56 a.m., and today’s sunset is at 5:34 p.m.

Becoming cloudy Wednesday night, with lows in the mid 20s (-4 degrees Celsius). South wind at 3 to 6 mph.

Cloudy, but dry on Thursday, with highs in the mid to upper 30s (3 degrees Celsius).

Some snowflakes may develop Thursday night, with lows near 30 degrees (-1 degrees Celsius).

Weekend storm update

As mentioned yesterday, I won’t develop better confidence in this forecast until the upper level system that will generate this storm crosses the west coast, after which our land-based weather balloon network is able to directly sample it and get that data into the computer models.

The system is actually crossing the coast now, so we’re hoping that this afternoon’s models develop a better consensus and, by tomorrow morning, I should have a much better handle on things. As things look now, we’ll likely see more rain than snow during the Friday daytime hours, as highs reach the upper 30s (4 degrees Celsius).

Rain changes to snow Friday evening, and the overnight hours offer our best chance to see any accumulation -- although some models still keep it a rain/snow mix. I still don’t expect anything more than something in the 1-to-3 inch range for snow accumulation -- as long as the rain doesn’t mix in.

Highs Saturday in the mid to upper 30s (3 degrees Celsius) means that any snow that falls will be a wetter snow -- great packing snow for building a snowman with the kids -- as long as we keep the rain away. Some models, in fact, still mix in some rain even into the Saturday daytime hours. Again, I should have a better handle on this tomorrow.

Any lingering snow ends Saturday night, with lows in the mid 30s (1 degree Celsius).

Mostly cloudy on Sunday, with highs in the mid to upper 30s (3 degrees Celsius).