DETROIT – Metro Detroit is about to get its first snowfall of the season, but will any of it actually stay on the ground?

In short: no. This is not what we expect.

The 4Warn Weather Team is forecasting a few stray snowflakes after sunset Wednesday, but these will be isolated. Scattered, more widespread snowfall will arrive around 3-4 a.m. Thursday.

This will persist until midday and should end around lunchtime. Overall, scattered pockets of snow will pass through – nothing intense.

But the ground is not yet frozen. In fact, surface and road temperatures are still in the 40s, so this wet snow isn’t expected to last long.

Metro Detroit residents won’t need to get out the shovels this week, and by the time you wake up Friday morning, you probably won’t see any snow at all.

Rain is forecast for Friday and highs will reach the 40s for the weekend. So this snow is not going to stick.

Most of metro Detroit is expected to receive less than a half-inch of snow in total, and only areas west of U.S. 23 have a good chance of getting nearly an inch.

The main concerns related to this storm are visibility and wet roads for Thursday morning travel. This is likely more of a traffic event than a weather event.

Set your alarm early for Thursday to give yourself more time. After all, it’s the first snowfall of the season, so driving conditions will be difficult.