Rain, wintry chill mark Thanksgiving holiday week in Metro Detroit

Thanksgiving week in Metro Detroit is forecast to bring a shift toward rain and colder wintry conditions, meteorologists say.

The week is slated to start off mild on Monday. The area is expected to bring increasing cloud cover with temperatures topping out in the 50s. The average high on Nov. 24 is 45 degrees, National Weather Service records show.

Forecasters from both the National Weather Service and AccuWeather expect rain Tuesday as a kickoff to the week’s wet weather pattern.

According to the weather service, Tuesday’s rain chance is around 80% with a cold front approaching. AccuWeather says temperatures will range between 40 and 50 with rain arriving before 2 p.m.

The cold front moving in Wednesday morning ushers in stronger winds and colder air. NWS predicts the day will be breezy with gusts possibly reaching into the 30 to 40 mph range. The high should climb near 50 with a chance for a rain/snow mix then drop to lows around the upper 20s at night.

The transition from rain to snow signals that winter is starting to lean in.

“Wednesday night we have about at 40% to 50% chance of snow showers, dusting or accumulation is possible,” said Steve Considine, a meteorologist at the NWS’s Detroit office.

This Thanksgiving could also be colder and windier than last year, Considine said. NWS said Thursday and Friday will have a notable chill with readings between the mid 20s and upper 30s.

“Last year we had a high of 42 degrees and a few snow showers in the morning that didn’t amount to anything, so this Thanksgiving is going to be colder and windier in comparison to last year,” he said.

Considine added: “The wind chill readings on Thanksgiving are going to be in the teens in the morning and in the 20s in the afternoon. We’re still looking at west winds of 20 to 25 mph with a few gusts of 30 to 35 moh. So essentially cold and windy for Thanksgiving Day with some snow showers, minor accumulation possible but we’re not expecting any accumulations.”

The weekend is expected to lean toward winter weather with temperatures in the 30s, cloudy and chilly Saturday.

Sunday presents a chance for a snow/rain mixture.

mjohnson@detroitnews.com