Like It, Hate It? Snow is in the Forecast

If you were hoping for a snow-free January, hope again. Old Man Winter is on his way after all.

By late Thursday afternoon, the expectation of the National Weather Service was that 1-2 total inches of snow could accumulate over nightfall after cold temperatures as low as 27 degrees Thursday night. The chance of precipitation was 90 percent.

Friday morning was expected to greet West Bloomfield residents snow showers. The high was expected to dip to 27 by 5 p.m., while new snow was expected to accumulate 1-2 inches. A west northwest wind between 16 and 20 m.p.h., with gusts as high as 26 m.p.h. makes for a blustery prediction.

Saturday is expected to feature less precipitation, with a mere 20 percent chance of snow. The forecast calls for clouds and a high near 24.

Not your average winter

It has been an unusually warm winter so far. The region has received about 0.4 inches of snowfall in January, compared to 8.3 inches at this time last year, according to the National Weather Service. 

The average in Metro Detroit for the entirety of January is 4.5 inches.

"The driving factor is an eastward extension of the jet stream over the Western Pacific," said Joseph Clark, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in White Lake. "It looks like it won’t be enough to totally change this warm weather pattern, but it looks to change things quite a bit. We’re going to take it up a notch to something more normal."

The below average snowfall has actually saved money for the Road Commission for Oakland County, who help maintain salt trucks in the township. However, public information officer Craig Bryson said RCOC isn't counting its chickens before they hatch, so to speak.

"We have spent less money on salt so far this year ... on salt truck driver overtime by about half what we normally spend and in salt by about a third," said Craig Bryson. "It’s still fairly early in the winter and we’re not ready to assume there will be that kind of savings for the year."

However, count Sue Reeves of West Bloomfield Parks and Recreation among the supporters of the snow. Reeves, public information coordinator for Parks and Rec, said she has the organization's annual outdoor winter event —  on Saturday, Feb. 4 — circled on her calendar, but it can't work without powder.

"We're geared for winter at this time of year. We're confident that before the event, we're going to have a nice, big snowstorm, but no, the event can't go on without snow," Reeves said.

Winterfest features dog sled demonstrations, snowshoeing, and a snowman building contest. Reeves said that in the event there were no snow, the event would not be rescheduled.

Reeves added that given the unseasonably-warm temperatures, the number of sledders at and the have been few.

"We want a snowstorm, and the kids want a day off school. We keep telling ourselves, it has to snow — it's January. So, we're definitely happy to hear the forecast."