Pleasant Summer, Mild Winter Round Out Optimistic Extended Forecast For Metro Detroit

DETROIT (CBS Detroit) - It's been a wet, soggy spring, but — if forecasts are correct — metro Detroiters have some much more welcome weather to look forward to.

MLive Chief Meteorologist Mark Toregrossa says there's an El Nino forming over the Pacific — meaning a lot of rain and a warming of the ocean; and he told WWJ's Sandra McNeill that may mean we have a milder winter coming.

He's seeing the signs now.

"You'll see above normal temperatures in the water, all the way from the South American coast, all the way across the equator, almost toward Australia and Indonesia," Toregrossa said.

That warming, he explained,"starts to alter the weather patterns around the world."

Toregrossa said this same thing happened during the last El Ninos, with pleasant results in metro Detroit.

"Two good examples that a lot of folks might remember in their lifetime: 1982, I believe it was, and 1998. Both of those were El Nino winters. In '82 you could golf on Christmas Day. It was 60 to 65 degrees," he said.

Toregrossa said the chance of a warmer than normal winter in Southeast Michigan with less snow is around 70 percent.

In the meantime — for those who aren't thinking that far ahead — what can we expect this summer?

CBS Chief Meteorologist Jim Madaus says, while anything more than just a few days out is more of an educated guess, it appears metro Detroiters can look forward to an "average summer" in terms of temperatures.

That means, said Madaus: "We'll have our share of 90 degree days, but we're not looking for many blistering, extended heatwaves."

Meantime, Madaus said, it will be cooler than normal in the center of the country, from around Texas to Kansas, much warmer than normal in the far west U.S., and a little warmer along the eastern seaboard.

Although southeast Michigan has been getting quite a soaking lately, Madaus said, precipitation for the summer is expected to be about average.

Summer officially begins on Sunday, June 21.

Know before you go: Keep it tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 for traffic and weather, every 10 minutes on the 8s; and check the CBS Detroit weather page for live radar and up-to-the-minute information anytime. 

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