671
FXUS63 KDTX 290855
AFDDTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
355 AM EST THU JAN 29 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- WIND CHILLS MINIMIZE IN THE 10 TO 15 DEGREES BELOW ZERO RANGE
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY MORNINGS; WIND CHILLS NEAR 20 BELOW POSSIBLE
FOR THE THUMB AND TRI-CITIES FRIDAY MORNING.
- INTERVALS OF FLURRIES OR LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS POSSIBLE AT TIMES TODAY
THROUGH SATURDAY WITH MINIMAL ACCUMULATION EXPECTED.
DISCUSSION
LARGE-SCALE GEOPOTENTIAL HEIGHT ADJUSTMENTS ARE UNDERWAY THIS
MORNING OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF CONUS AS A 500 MB LOW GETS
DISLODGED AND SHEARED BY A RETROGRADING INVERTED SHORTWAVE POLAR
TROUGH AND A 150+ KNOT UNIFIED JET CORE. THIS ALLOWS THE COLD AIR
RESERVOIR FROM ONTARIO AND QUEBEC TO SPILL SOUTHWARD THIS MORNING.
EVEN THOUGH THE CENTER OF THE COLD AIRMASS FEATURES A MINIMUM 850 MB
TEMPERATURE OF MINUS 30C, THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES WILL MODERATE THE
COLDEST AIR UPON ARRIVAL IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN, GENERALLY BETWEEN
MINUS 23C TO MINUS 20C. SLIGHT MOISTENING AND COOLING WITHIN THE
BOUNDARY LAYER ALLOWS FOR A DIURNAL RESPONSE IN LAKE EFFECT SNOW
SHOWERS. EXPECT LIMITED COVERAGE TODAY, LIKELY IN ISOLATED TO WIDELY
SCATTERED FASHION LATER IN THE DAY AS NORTHWESTERLY LOW-LEVEL WIND
FIELD DECREASES. BETTER POTENTIAL RESIDES OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF
THE FORECAST AREA THIS EVENING FOR BRIEF LIGHT SNOWFALL, AFTER THE
SOUTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN THETAE PLUME RELEASES SOUTHEASTWARD. LITTLE
TO NO ACCUMULATION EXPECTED.
ANOTHER VERY COLD NIGHT DEVELOPS, ALTHOUGH LAKE STRATOCUMULUS WILL
AFFECT HOW CHILLY TEMPERATURES AND WIND CHILLS GET. MODEL DATA HAS
CONTINUED TO TREND CLOUDIER FOR MOST OF THE AREA, WITH THE MAIN
EXCEPTION BEING THE THUMB, AND POSSIBLY THE TRI-CITIES. FURTHER
SOUTH, THE POTENTIAL TO APPROACH/EXCEED COLD WEATHER ADVISORY
CRITERIA WILL BE LOWER. A FEW ADDITIONAL FLURRIES ARE POSSIBLE EARLY
TONIGHT, WITH A LOWER COLUMN PERTURBATION, BUT ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE
LIGHT, IF ANY.
SIMILAR THERMODYNAMIC PROFILES SHOULD BE IN PLACE FRIDAY AS THE
INVERTED MID-LEVEL CIRCULATION CARVES THROUGH THE PLAINS. THE
ZONALLY ORIENTED COLLAPSING UPPER TROUGH AXIS TRANSLATES THROUGH
LOWER MICHIGAN CAUSING FLOW TO TURN NORTHERLY. YET ANOTHER
OPPORTUNITY FOR POCKETS OF LIGHT SNOW/FLURRIES ON FRIDAY AS STEEP
SURFACE-BASED LAPSE RATES ACTIVATE A SHALLOW SUPERSATURATED CLOUD
LAYER (WRT ICE). HIGHS STAY PARKED NEAR THE 10F MARK, SUPPORTED BY
FLOW TRAJECTORIES ARCING BACK INTO THE CANADIAN PRAIRIES. THIS
UPSTREAM RIDGE TAKES AN ABRUPT SOUTHWARD TURN FRIDAY NIGHT INTO
SATURDAY MORNING AS THE 1050 MB SURFACE HIGH BUILDS INTO THE
SOUTHERN PLAINS. THIS CONTINUES THE ADVECTION OF ARCTIC AIR INTO THE
GREAT LAKES WITH MINUS DOUBLE DIGIT WIND CHILLS AGAIN LATE FRIDAY
NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING. THE AXIS OF COLDEST AIR SHOULD RESIDE
JUST SOUTHEAST OF LOWER MICHIGAN, THEREFORE COLD HEADLINES ARE NOT
ANTICIPATED. LLJ WINDS INCREASE, OUT OF THE NORTHEAST, ON SATURDAY
WITH LAKE EFFECT SNOW POTENTIAL OFF THE HURON BASIN FOR THE THUMB,
AND POSSIBLY FURTHER INLAND. HIGHER LIKELIHOOD FOR FLOW-PARALLEL
BANDS DURING THE DAYLIGHT HOURS SATURDAY. THE LAKE-MODIFIED AIR
SHOULD ALSO HELP MODERATE TEMPERATURES, SLIGHTLY, WITH HIGHS IN THE
MID-UPPER TEENS. HEIGHT RISES ARRIVE EARLY NEXT WEEK, ALTHOUGH
SOUTHERN LOWER WILL RESIDE INVOF THE BAROCLINIC ZONE.
MARINE
THE GREAT LAKES REMAIN UNDER BROAD UPPER TROUGHING ALLOWING ARCTIC
AIR TO HOLD ACROSS THE WATERS. WINDS HOLD FROM THE NORTHWEST AT 10-
20KTS WITH GUSTS UP TO 25KTS THROUGH FRIDAY. TROUGH INFLUENCE KEEPS
LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS ACTIVE THOUGH DIRECTED AT THE CANADIAN
WATERS AND SOUTHERN ONTARIO. SOME AREAS OF FREEZING SPRAY ARE
POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS TIMEFRAME IN THE ICE-FREE WATERS HOWEVER LACK
OF STRONG WINDS PREVENT ANY WIDESPREAD HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY FROM
DEVELOPING. SLOWLY MODERATING AIRMASS AND SLIGHTLY LIGHTER WINDS
CONTINUE TO LOOK TO BE IN STORE FOR THE WEEKEND.
PREV DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 1132 PM EST WED JAN 28 2026
AVIATION...
ONGOING DRY AIR ADVECTION WITHIN NORTHWEST FLOW WILL SCOUR OUT
LINGERING LOW CLOUDS AND FLURRIES ACROSS THE METRO DETROIT TERMINALS
PRIOR TO TAF ISSUANCE. DECREASING WINDS WITH OCCASIONAL VFR BASED
CLOUDS WILL THEN HOLD THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. SUBTLE MOISTURE
ADVECTION INTO SE MI THURS AFTERNOON IN ADVANCE OF AN ARCTIC FRONT
WILL SUPPORT AN EXPANSION OF VFR BASED STRATO CU.
DTW THRESHOLD PROBABILITIES...
* LOW IN CEILINGS AOB 5000 FEET THURSDAY MORNING. MODERATE THURSDAY
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
DTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
MI...NONE.
LAKE HURON...NONE.
LAKE ST CLAIR...NONE.
MICHIGAN WATERS OF LAKE ERIE...NONE.
DISCUSSION...KGK
MARINE.......KDK
AVIATION.....SC
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