News photo by Crystal Nelson Water and ice build up along the pier and shoreline Thursday at Blair Street Park. A colder, wetter than average winter is forecast for early 2020, according to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.

ALPENA — While above-normal temperatures are expected to carry over into next week, meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Gaylord say that rain is on the way.

Meteorologist Faith Fredrickson said rain is expected this weekend due to a weather system expected to move through the region. Fredrickson said the weather system is coming from the Rocky Mountains and will move northward into the Great Lakes region.

“We’re going to have a system move by just to our west, and that will put at least Northeast Lower Michigan in part of the warm area of that storm system, and that will bring rain to (Gaylord) and to the Alpena area,” Fredrickson said, noting there could be some snow on the backside of the storm system.

While today’s weather is expected to be cloudy with a high near 39, according to the National Weather Service website, Frederickson said rain is forecast for Saturday night into Sunday. She said snow could fall on Monday or Tuesday.

The cool, wet temperatures are expected to continue into the new year.

Fredrickson said the NOAA Climate Prediction Center’s outlook for the months of January, February and March indicates temperatures in the Great Lakes region will be below normal while having above-normal precipitation.

Lauren Fry, hydrologist with the Army Corps of Engineers, said via email that according to the agency’s latest forecast, water levels for Lake Huron and Lake Michigan are predicted to be about 15 inches above its January 2019 level.

“Typically, Lake Michigan-Huron begins its seasonal rise in the spring as snowmelt enhances runoff into the lake,” she said. “Even if we have fairly normal water supply to the lakes in the coming months, the odds of being above last year’s levels in the spring and summer are increased simply by starting at the higher level we’re at now.”

Fry said higher precipitation in the winter and spring further increases the likelihood of higher water levels. She said the latest forecast indicates new record-high water levels could be set on Lake Huron and Lake Michigan in February and March.

Crystal Nelson can be reached at 989-358-5687 or cnelson@thealpenanews.com.