(WWJ) - You know that big, blazing orb in the sky that's been obscured behind rain and snow and more rain over the last month? Well, its made its appearance again in Metro Detroit-- and it's ushering in near-record breaking weather that will feel more like spring than winter.
Punxsutawney Phil's prediction of an early spring looks like it might hold true over Woody's, Michigan's official weather-predicting groundhog that said we're stuck with winter for the next six weeks, after AccuWeather meteorologists say an unseasonably warm, spring-like pattern will set up across the state.
Experts say a strong area of high pressure will cause a bit of "weather whiplash" as Michiganders go from nearly a month of dank, cloudy weather to abruptly sunny and dry conditions.
"A large, northward bulge in the jet stream has driven all of the Arctic air out of the country," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Joe Lundberg, "There's just nothing to replace it, leading to this very warm pattern for February."
The warmth began earlier this week and ushered in record-breaking temperatures 10-20 degrees above the historical average this time of year.
Fargo, North Dakota; Green Bay, Wisconsin; and Lincoln, Nebraska all set new records on Thursday with the most impressive temperature recorded in Waterloo, Iowa, which saw daytime highs reach 57F, shattering the previous record of 48F from 1931, AccuWeather stated.
Now Michigan is on deck.
The National Weather Service post in Detroit shared a video of clouds appearing to evaporate over Michigan in the blink of a eye on Saturday afternoon.
Sunday, Feb. 4, will end strong with partly sunny and mild conditions with temperatures expected to reach 45F.
NWS meteorologists had more good news, stating the stretch of dry conditions with above average temperatures will last well into next week.
"Temperatures will remain above average with highs ranging from the upper 30s to mid 40s," NWS said of Saturday and Sunday's forecast. "Aside from perhaps a flurry Saturday morning, dry conditions hold thru the weekend."
But the big temperature swing comes later in the work week with the NWS saying highs potentially in exceeding 50F will sweep into Metro Detroit.
Residents should enjoy it while it lasts as AccuWeather's long-range forecasters warned winter is still in season.
"There are changes lurking," Lundberg said. "A storm near Valentine's Day will likely help to draw cold air back into the pattern later that week, bringing an end to the 'early spring' in the northern Plains and Midwest."