Metro Detroit Records Snowiest January In History With More On The Way
DETROIT (WWJ) - It's a record we may not want to celebrate.
The National Weather Service said as of Saturday morning, 31.1 inches of snow has fallen this January in metro Detroit -- making it the snowiest January in history. That breaks the old record of 29.6 inches set back in 1978.
AccuWeather Meteorologist Brian Thompson said this is one of the whitest winters that Michigan has ever seen.
"If you look back at every month out of the year, this now ranks as the fourth snowiest month and it will soon be number three, probably by the end of Saturday," he said. "We might even get to the second spot tomorrow, depending on how much snow we get."
The snowiest month ever recorded in Michigan history was February of 1904 with 38 inches.
Thompson said in addition to several inches of snow coming over this weekend, metro Detroit will also sink into a deep freeze next week. Temperatures on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night will drop to near record-setting temperatures of almost 10 degrees below zero.
Here's the 5-day local forecast from the CBS Detroit weather team:
Saturday -- Some sun, increasingly windy with a little snow at times. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. High 21F.
Saturday Night -- Partly cloudy and frigid. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Low -1F.
Sunday -- Very cold with periods of snow, accumulating 1-3 inches, turning breezy in the afternoon. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. High 20F.
Sunday Night -- Windy, frigid with blowing and drifting snow; mostly cloudy with a couple of flurries. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. Low 9F.
Monday -- Partly cloudy, windy and colder with a couple of flurries. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. High 11F.
Monday Night -- Partly cloudy with temperatures falling to near the record of -8; extreme cold can be dangerous. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Low -5F.
Tuesday -- Partly sunny, brisk and bitterly cold with a flurry; extreme cold can be dangerous in the morning. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. High 4F.
Tuesday Night -- Partly cloudy with near-record temperatures; extreme cold can be dangerous for outdoor activities. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Low -7.
Wednesday -- Mostly sunny and very cold; extreme cold can be dangerous for outdoor activities in the morning. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. High 5F.
Wednesday Night -- Near-record temperatures with a couple of flurries; extreme cold can be dangerous late. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Low -1.
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