January snowfall 7 inches below average so far in Metro Detroit

A period of above-average temperatures has put Metro Detroit about 7 inches below normal in terms of snowfall for the month of January, according to the National Weather Service.

Metro Detroit typically receives around 7.4 inches of snow between January 1st and 17th but has only seen 0.2 inches so far this month, said Meteorologist Ian Lee. For the winter season, which typically starts in early November, the Detroit Metro area is around 11 inches below normal snowfall levels at this point.

But hope for a more typical Michigan winter is not lost yet, Lee said.

"It's not out of the ordinary that... through mid-January that we are behind in snowfall totals," Lee said. "And then... as we get into later January through February, we'll catch up and get back to normal and even get above normal in terms of snowfall. It all depends on the weather pattern."

All it takes for temperatures to drop is a change in the weather pattern, similar to the winter storm that hit Michigan right before Christmas, Lee said.

"We had a really big surge of arctic air where we had temperatures fall to around zero," Lee said. "All it takes is another airmass like that, to make people remember that winter is still here."

The Detroit area receives an average of around 14 inches of snow in January, Lee said. Low-pressure tracks have been oriented to the north and west of Metro Detroit, making temperatures warmer and more favorable for rain instead of snow, Lee said.

"We need the low-pressure track to be further to the south and east to get more of that cold air in for the snow," Lee said. "Really all we need is just a further shift south in that low-pressure track to introduce more opportunities for snow. And that could very well happen, you know, in the next couple of weeks or so or into February."

This week's forecast

Warmer temperatures ranging from 32 degrees to 51 degrees will continue in the Metro Detroit area through Friday, the National Weather Service predicts. A high of 51 degrees is expected on Thursday whereas temperatures on Wednesday are expected to reach 42 degrees.

Wednesday's milder temperatures during the day will be accompanied by cloudy skies and a mix of rain and potentially snow this evening. Southern areas of Metro Detroit can count on just rain but northern parts of the Saginaw Valley and The Thumb could see 1-2 inches of snow Wednesday night, the weather service said.

Just rain will continue into Thursday morning but begin to taper off with the occasional late afternoon or evening shower, according to the weather service. Chances for showers on Friday remain low.

hmackay@detroitnews.com