Detroit area weekend forecast has freezing rain, flooding but low snow totals

DETROIT (FOX 2) - January plus wet weather plus Michigan usually equals snow. And the storm about to arrive in Southeast Michigan would have brought more than two feet of snow! But with temperatures well above freezing, it's going to be a lot of rain and even freezing rain at times.

If it had been a little colder this weekend, we would be expecting over 30 inches of snow.

But we aren't.

However, 30 inches of snow means a lot of water and we are anticipating that.

A series of weather systems will impact us starting early Friday morning and continuing until Sunday morning. We will see mostly rain but there will be a few battles with freezing rain and a little bit of snow. 

Track the weather if you're in Detroit, Grand Rapids or Ludington with the FOX 2 Weather App.

Beginning early Friday we'll start seeing rain showers which will continue off and on for the entire day. But, with temperatures topping out near 50 degrees, it's just going to be rain.

That changes Saturday morning when cooler air begins to infiltrate the atmosphere early, bringing wintry weather.  Freezing rain or sleet is possible early Saturday (which means icy roads). As the day moves along, it turns back to rain and will be very heavy at times, especially late morning. 

And it's an all-day rainfest.

Rain will continue ALL DAY Saturday, getting lighter in the afternoon and then heavier again in the evening. 

Flooding is a major concern, for low roads, for areas with poor drainage and for basements. The rain could turn into freezing rain again late Saturday before a brief period of snow between 11 PM and 4 AM Sunday. 

Snow totals for us will be an inch or less, while northern Michigan will gather nearly a foot of snow!

By 7 am Sunday morning, the entire storm will be gone and we'll start drying out. 

The biggest threats will be flooding and icing, which could mean wet basements and power outages. 

Temperatures get cooler on Sunday so make sure you check on your loved ones in case they need a warm/dry place to stay for a night.