Will Southwest Michigan See Spring Soon?

If the snow and cold is wearing on your nerves, here's a little springtime image you can lose yourself in, with hopes that will help you dream of what's to come.

Unfortunately, weather forecasters are not yet ready to say spring is right around the bend.

However, the coming week will be slightly warmer — but that doesn't mean we will be breaking out the shorts and swimsuits, according to what MLive chief meteorologist Mark Torregrossa.

"Late next week, we have one more surge of arctic cold, and then I think we're going to see it break," Torregrossa said. "There's going to be a storm system move through next week...then another blast of arctic cold...and then after that, it looks like a shift."

He cautions, though, the southwesterly flow of wind that ensues could mean anything, as March tends to be on the cusp of winter and spring - and can mean anything.

"I always say that weather in Michigan is March madness," Torregrossa said. "It's our most volatile and stormy month."

Still, Torregrossa says mid-March will likely bring temperatures in the 40-degree range, signaling the first signs of spring. But, he believes there is still a good chance Michigan will have a cool spring.

"I would imagine we will probably set a record ice amount on the Great Lakes in the next week to ten days," he said. "That's going to probably lead to a cool spring."

Great Lakes ice - like an ice cube in a drink - cools the water, but also radiates cool air above it and inland, keeping air temperatures colder.

"The most amazing thing I've found is that right now, Lakes Michigan and Huron...are one degree colder than last year - that's a lot of water to warm up," Torregrossa said.