Weekend Outlook: A little cooler and only a little snow

We are halfway through January, and I'd say the weather in Sault Ste. Marie, so far, this winter reminds me of winters in Southern Ontario when I was younger. This month, the average daytime high is above freezing and warmer than it was in December. What's even more remarkable is that only 3-4cm of snow has fallen - compared to the 80cm we usually see this month.  
 
We will see a cool down by the end of this weekend and early next week, but we are unlikely to see much more than a trace of snow. The long-range doesn't show any sign of winter storms or strong lake-effect squalls, even though Superior is still mostly ice-free. On average, the coldest temperatures of the year typically arrive next week and then it starts to get warmer - that certainly feels odd, as it still feels like winter has hardly begun.
 
There could be some patchy drizzle Friday morning and then a few flurries in the evening, but most of the snow will miss us to the south. Daytime highs should reach +3°C with gusty east winds and cloudy skies.
 
We might wake up to a trace of snow Saturday morning, and then the rest of the day will be mainly cloudy. We could see the odd sunny break in the late afternoon as temperatures again climb a few degrees above freezing. 
 
We should see some sunshine on Sunday, but cooler air moves in to keep daytime highs near -3°C. A cool, weak north wind will make it feel a little colder. Temperatures continue down early next week, but there is a chance it may only last a few days.