Extended Forecast: Will This Michigan Winter Be Worse?

DETROIT (WWJ) - There's unwelcome news in the forecast for those who don't adore Michigan's lengthy winter season.

AccuWeather is out with its long-range outlook — and Meteorologist Bob Larson says we can expect colder-than-average temperatures with more snowfall than normal.

"In general we're expecting the winter, with the core months of December through February, trending up about a degree or so colder than average, and above-average precipitation, which leads to above average snowfall."

Larson said that, coming off of last year's mild winter, it may seem worse than it really is.

"I think that the month that we're most concerned about, with respect to averages, is January," he added.

But don't get the hats and gloves out quite yet.  Larson says there's still plenty of mild autumn weather yet to enjoy.

"It's not an early start to the lake-effect season. There are some years we see that kick in very quickly in October; not likely to be the case this year," Larson said. "But once it gets going we do expect it will be a significant amount of lake-effect snow, enhanced by a number of clipper-type storms that will move across the region. "

Meanwhile, AccuWeather says drier and milder weather will focus on the majority of the southern half of the nation. The Southeast may mark the exception as a chilly January threatens to damage the region's citrus crop.

As for the immediate future, temperatures are trending upward a bit in metro Detroit this week with high temperatures reaching into the mid-70s through Friday.

Stay ahead of the weather: Keep it tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 for the latest forecast during traffic and weather, every 10 minutes on the 8s. See the live, local radar and this week's detailed forecast now at this link.