Traverse City Record-Eagle

Archive: Friday

March 19, 2010

Winter to make brief return this weekend

Expect cooler conditions

By SHERI McWHIRTER

TRAVERSE CITY -- The first day of spring is going to bring typical northern Michigan weather, but a warm and dry pattern next week is expected to return the region to unseasonably mild conditions.

A chance of rain will come tonight, after a day with high temperatures in the upper 40s and increasing clouds. A snowflake or two may also fall into Saturday, the first day of spring, said Keith Berger, meteorologist at the National Weather Service station in Gaylord.

"Saturday will be cloudy and colder with seasonable temperatures in the upper-30s," Berger said.

Any snowfall that appears will not accumulate, he said.

And area residents should not expect colder conditions to continue.

"I wouldn't try to glean anything from it. It looks like in the next few weeks we're going to be back in the warm and dry pattern. It seems like it's going to be a short reality check," Berger said.

Sunday will be cloudy and cool, but dry. High temperatures are expected in the mid-30s, Berger said.

Monday will bring another "slight chance for scattered rain or snow," with temperatures in the low-30s, he said.

Milder and drier conditions will make a return on Tuesday, when it's expected to be sunny with temperatures climbing into the upper-30s. Thermometer readings will continue to climb on Wednesday into the mid-40s under cloudy skies, Berger said.

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