As city and county crews worked to remove several of snow that fell Wednesday, meteorologists are warning people of an “extreme cold” headed this way.
“It’s going to be well below normal temperatures for the next few days,” said Alex Mannion, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service office in Oakland County’s White Lake Township.
Macomb County communities recorded the highest snowfall accumulation amounts Wednesday for the Southeast Michigan region.
While most cities and townships reported 1.5 to 3 inches, Mannion said there were reports of 3.5 inches of snow in Shelby Township and 4 inches in Macomb Township.
Warren Mayor Lori Stone declared a snow emergency for Macomb County’s largest city that went into effect at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21 meaning all vehicles must be removed from city streets to allow plows and salt trucks to access roads.
“Once a street has been plowed, vehicles may be parked on the street as necessary,” the city said in a news release.
In neighboring Eastpointe, City Manager Ryan Madis did not issue a snow emergency, but in a social media post he urged residents to begin preparing for one by voluntarily moving their vehicles off the street, especially during overnight hours to allow safe passage for snow removal.
The Macomb County Department of Roads had its rigs out clearing area roads and highways for most of Wednesday, a department spokeswoman said.
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service issued an extreme cold watch from late Thursday night through Saturday morning.
The watch means dangerously cold wind chills as low as 25 below zero are possible throughout Southeast Michigan.
According to the weather service, an arctic airmass settles over the region Thursday night bringing actual temperatures below zero late Thursday and Friday nights. Wind chills both nights into the following mornings are likely to fall to 15 to 20 degrees below zero.
There is chance feels-like temperatures fall further to 25 degrees below zero, meteorologists predicted, the coldest temps since 2019.
As result, frostbite could set in on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes.
The weather service offered the following tips for dealing with the cold environment:
- Dress in layers including a hat, face mask, and gloves if you must go outside
- Keep pets indoors as much as possible
- Use caution while traveling outside. Wear appropriate clothing, a hat, and gloves
- Monitor the latest forecasts and warnings for updates.
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