Rain, then snow in Detroit area’s weekend forecast

After basking in spring-like temperatures to end November, Metro Detroit is for more seasonable conditions — and snow — throughout the first weekend in December.

Highs Saturday should reach the low 40s, which is about average for this time of year, National Weather Service records show.

But that changes a bit on Sunday,when NWS predicts the thermometer topping out in the 30s with rain, and then a 60 percent chance of snow starting in the early evening.

“There’s a low-pressure system lifting out of the southern plains. It’s bringing with it the moisture,” said Dave Kook, a meteorologist with the weather service station in White Lake Township. “We’ve already got the cooler air in place, so we could see a quick shot of 1-2 inches out of that.”

The flurries may help ease the snowfall deficit. Detroit Metro Airport had recorded only about 0.1 inches of snow through Friday compared with the normal total of 2 inches through early December.

The wintry blast should end around 2 a.m. Monday. And despite temperatures that could dip to around freezing overnight, readings are forecast to climb back into the lower 40s, so whatever accumulates “won’t last long,” Kook said. “It should melt fairly quickly.”

After that, conditions Tuesday should be warm enough to bring rain, not snow, as highs again reach the 40s, Kook said.

But an approaching system could spark other issues across the region. “It might be pretty windy through the middle part of next week,” Kook said.

mhicks@detroitnews.com

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