Freezing rain, sleet hit Wayne, Oakland, Macomb counties

White Lake Township — The New Year began Friday in Metro Detroit with chilly temperatures and a mix of freezing rain and rain.

The National Weather Service issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, warning of possibly slippery roads. 

The advisory is in effect in Wayne County until midnight, while it remains open in Oakland and Macomb counties until 6 a.m. Saturday, meteorologist Steve Considine said.

"The big thing is going to be the freezing rain," Considine said. "It was quite cold last night, with temperatures in the 20s, and as the rain comes in, the road temperatures are still cold. I suspect some roads will be icy into later this evening."

The northern sections of Oakland and Macomb counties were expected to be hardest-hit, Considine said.

"There's a possibility of up to a tenth of an inch of ice, and an inch of snow and sleet accumulations today and tonight," he said. "The good news is that temperatures will be relatively mild, with highs in the 30s and lows in the 20s, which in January isn't too terribly cold."

As of 6:45 p.m., mixed precipitation was falling over much of Oakland and Macomb counties but was expected to change over to all rain later in the night, followed by snow after midnight. At 7 p.m., the National Weather Service reported a six-hour ice accumulation of 0.02 inches at its White Lake Township station

The wintry forecast comes on the heels of a December that saw 9.6 inches of snowfall, a tick under the December average of 9.7 inches.

"The most snow we had on one day in December was the 25th, Christmas," Considine said. "What happened last month was, we'd get the snow, but it would melt fairly quickly, so it didn't stick on the ground very much."

Considine said more snow could be on the horizon.

"There's a potential for a couple inches Saturday night and into Sunday morning," he said. "After Sunday, it looks like a quieter period for a couple days."