As the monster storm Sandy bears down on the East Coast, the Ann Arbor area will not escape unscathed, forecasters warn.
This map shows the projected path of Sandy. Forecasters warn hazardous weather is possible well outside of the cone-shaped area.
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory in effect from noon Monday through 5 p.m. Tuesday. Winds are expected to increase to 20 to 30 mph this afternoon with gusts of 40 to 50 mph expected, the weather service said. Winds of that intensity could cause power outages, forecasters warn.
Even after the winds die down, cloudy skies, cold temperatures and some rain will stick around until the end of the week. The Ann Arbor area could even see a few snow showers Monday night and Tuesday. We have Sandy to thank for all this cold and gloom.
“We are feeling the effects of it,” said Sara Schultz, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in White Lake Township, which does forecasting for all of southeast Michigan.
Fortunately, any rain that falls will not be enough to cause flooding issues.
“We are the western fringes of the storm system, so our biggest concern is going to be the winds from this,” Schultz said.
As Sandy moves from the Atlantic and merges with a low-pressure system, winds will steadily increase throughout the day Monday, the National Weather Service said. The storm will begin to weaken rapidly on Tuesday, causing winds to decrease.
The area along the lake Huron shoreline will be the hardest-hit in Michigan. Gusts there could reach or exceed 60 mph at times.
The cold and rain will stick around though, making for not-very-pleasant trick-or-treat weather on Wednesday. “It’ll be cold and cloudy with possibly some showers,” Schultz said.
Here’s a rundown of what’s in store for the Ann Arbor area over the next few days.
Monday: Rain likely, mainly after 5 p.m. It will be cloudy with a high near 44. Winds will pick throughout the day with a north wind increasing to 23 to 28 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 41 mph. The chance for precipitation is 60 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch are expected:
Monday night: Rain, possibly mixed with snow. Low around 36. Windy, with a north-northwest wind 29 to 31 mph, with gusts as high as 46 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Tuesday: More
 rain, possibly mixed with snow, becoming all rain after 2 p.m. High near 43. Windy, with a north-northwest wind 28 to 32 mph, with gusts as high as 46 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Tuesday night: Showers are likely. It will be cloudy, with a low around 36. Breezy, with a north-northwest wind 18 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Wednesday: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 45. Northwest wind around 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.
Wednesday night: 
A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 38. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.
Thursday: Mostly cloudy with a high near 47.
Friday: We’ll finally get a bit of sun. A partly sunny day is expected with a high near 47.
For updated forecasts and conditions any time, check AnnArbor.com's weather page.