Arctic blast brings dangerous cold to metro Detroit

Arctic-like cold has settled over Southeast Michigan, bringing dangerously low temperatures and wind chills to the region.

Metro Detroiters will experience wind chills of -10°F and below. The bitter cold will continue through the week, with highs staying below freezing into the weekend.

Meteorologist Steven Freitag of the National Weather Service said extreme cold like this poses serious risks.

“When the wind chills and temperatures drop to 0 or below, frostbite can occur in those thirty minutes on exposed skin… and hypothermia, of course,” Freitag says. “So [wear] a lot of protective clothing and obviously, you don’t generally want to leave your pets outside.”

Freitag says February temperatures typically reach the mid-to-upper 30s, making this cold spell well below the seasonal average.

Residents are advised to dress in layers, limit time outdoors, and check on elderly or vulnerable individuals. Freitag also warns that prolonged freezing temperatures could cause water pipes to freeze in homes with poor insulation.

Freitag says the cold is expected to gradually ease by the weekend, with temperatures beginning to trend closer to normal as March approaches.