Winter returns to Detroit; no snowstorms in the forecast, yet

In case you didn't know, we are in the middle of winter. Winter is the season after Fall and before Spring.  Typically Winter is a season where the temperatures are cold (sometimes below zero!) and white stuff called snow falls from the sky. We have seen it before.

(If you don't pick up on the sarcasm here...tune in)

Alright, I'm being a tad bit sarcastic here, but for good reason. This January has been anything but winter-like.

We are running 7 degrees above average and are currently sitting at the 11th warmest January ever. These warm temperatures have taken a bite out of our snow fall totals as well: so far we've only received 4.6 inches of snow for the month.

January is typically the snowiest month of the year (we average 12.5 inches of snow each January) but we've gotten a little more than 1/3 of what we would normally see this time of year.

What is interesting to me though is that we *have* had plenty of moisture this month. 2.44 inches of rain has fallen through the first 25 days of January. So let's go to an alternate reality and imagine if temperatures had been closer to normal. That would translate into nearly 20 inches of snow!

But we don't live in that reality - we live in this one where the precipitation was all rain. Now, we stand here with no snow on the ground for most of the Midwest.

When will this mythical Winter return? Colder air will start rushing back in Thursday night as we return to below freezing for the first time in 9 days. But it's just cold for now - there aren't any big snow makers in the extended forecast.

We could see snow flakes return as early as Wednesday night with lake effect flurries taking us into the weekend.

So, Winter - hello again.