DETROIT (WWJ) - Residents across Michigan are reaching for the thermostat Tuesday morning after widespread cold from northern Canada gripped most of the Great Lakes region overnight.
AccuWeather meteorologists say more than 100 million people from the Midwest to the Northeast are battling the shock of the first major cold wave of the season as temperatures run 10 to 20 degrees below the historical average for late November.
In Metro Detroit, the National Weather Service said Tuesday highs will stay below freezing at around 28° while temperatures plummet overnight into Wednesday with wind chills in the single digits.
Detroit and Monroe are forecasted to see blisteringly cold RealFeel temperatures of 9° while cities like Howell will see 5°. Port Huron, Pontiac and Ann Arbor are said to have wind chill factors hovering between 6° and 7°.
While the arctic blast isn't record-breaking, it was enough to unleash a "lake-effect snow machine" in Lower Northern Michigan and into the Upper Peninsula over the last two days.
"The temperature difference between the bitter cold blowing across still “warm” lake waters can lead to bursts of heavy snow to reach farther than usual..." warned AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda.
On Monday evening, a rare Snow Squall Warning was in effect for freeways including I-94, US-12, US-23 near Ann Arbor and I-94 near Chelsea, MI and I-275, I-75, I-94, US-12 near Detroit and US-23 near Milan as the wind brought a heavy band of blowing lake-effect snow to Metro Detroit.
Along with the cold, Metro Detroiters were greeted by blustery winds with gusts of 30-40 mph while parts of West Michigan and the U.P. are forecasted to see gusts of 40 to 50 mph.
"Localized power outages will be a concern, as well as localized damage. Residents should ensure any outdoor holiday decorations are secured before winds pick up," AccuWeather experts warned.
For those on the lakes, meteorologists warned the howling winds would push lake waters toward the west- and northwest-facing shorelines, where overwash and even freezing spray may affect some areas.
The winds are expected to interrupt the intensity of lake-effect snow on Wednesday, but the lake-effect snow machine is expected to cease across the region as milder air returns to the area on Thursday, meteorologists say.