Light snow or wintry mix possible Thursday into Friday

Warm weather returns next week

ALPENA - A chance of light snow or a rain-snow mix is possible in the Alpena area Thursday into Friday, though measurable accumulation is not expected, according to the National Weather Service.

Joseph Delizio, a meteorologist with the NWS office in Gaylord, said the primary window for snow begins early Thursday, with a secondary chance of light precipitation stretching Thursday night into Friday. Some light precipitation could linger into early Saturday before milder air moves back into the region.

"There's a chance early Thursday, and then potentially another light round later on Friday," Delizio said. "But it could be a mix."

The setup is driven by a low-pressure system passing south of the region combined with upper-level energy moving in from the north. That combination will pull marginally colder air into the area while moisture from Lake Huron fuels lake-enhanced precipitation.

"Between the upper-level energy, the system, and any lake effect or enhancement, that's really the main driver here," Delizio said.

By the weekend, conditions are expected to improve. Temperatures Thursday and Friday night will drop into the upper 20s and lower 30s, but Delizio said the drop will not be sharp enough to create widespread flash freezing or dangerous road conditions.

"It's not any sort of harsh, very quick drop to well below freezing that would result in icy spots all over the place," he said.

Daytime temperatures during the stretch will reach the upper 30s over higher terrain and the lower 40s in Alpena--typical for mid-November. The area remains behind schedule for seasonal snowfall, with most locations recording only a trace.

Delizio noted that the weather service does not formally declare a “first snow” of the season; any falling snowflakes are officially logged as snow for that day, regardless of whether they stick.

"If flakes fly from the sky, even if it doesn't accumulate on the ground, that's still snow for the day," he said.

Earlier in the week, breezy conditions will affect Northeast Lower Michigan along the Lake Huron shoreline. Small craft advisories remain in effect through Tuesday, with additional advisories likely later in the week. Gale-force winds are not anticipated.

Overall, the weather pattern features a brief shift from mild weather early in the week to cooler temperatures Thursday and Friday before a gradual weekend warm-up. Temperatures could return into the mid-50s next week.