Warmth builds midweek; Temperatures crash Christmas Eve

A weak system is moving southeastward through the Great Lakes. It brought snow showers to parts of Michigan, some flurries reached the Alpena area while light snow was more persistent west of the local area. These snow showers will continue to drop toward the southeast and Northeast Michigan will have drier weather moving in Tuesday. The more notable storm system is currently moving into the Pacific Northwest. That storm will move across the Upper Plains, then arrive in our area Wednesday afternoon-evening.

Warm temperatures will surge into Michigan Wednesday with winds out of the south, so the incoming storm will begin with late-day rain. After this storm’s cold front moves through Northeast Michigan, winds will change direction, becoming out of the west. That wind shift will cause sharply dropping temperatures on Christmas Eve along with scattered snow showers.

High temperatures will head into the lower 30s Tuesday, around normal for early-winter. The warmth moving in Wednesday will bring high temperatures in the lower 40s. The cold blast that follows will cause temperatures to drop from the 30s predawn Thursday to the 20s Thursday afternoon. Temperatures will remain very cold Friday, highs will reach only the lower 20s.

Tuesday: Mix of sun and clouds. Early-morning temperatures will be in the middle 20s. Afternoon highs will reach about 31 degrees. Evening temperatures will be in the middle/upper 20s.

Wednesday: Temperatures will begin to rise early, rain will move in late-day. Predawn, temperatures will already be climbing into the lower 30s. Afternoon highs will get up to 43 degrees. Evening temperatures will hover close to 40 degrees … then drop sharply after midnight.

Thursday: Dropping temperatures, scattered snow showers, becoming much colder! Predawn temperatures will be in the lower 30s. Afternoon temperatures will drop to the middle 20s. By the late-evening, temperatures will go into the teens.