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Michigan Stadium, pictured here Monday morning, appears ready for the 2014 NHL Winter Classic on New Year's Day in Ann Arbor. Temperatures will reach a high near 20 degrees for the game.

(Courtney Sacco | The Ann Arbor News)

The deep freeze has returned to Michigan this week just in time for the 2014 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic and thousands of hockey fans to take over the Big House.

Though a brief respite to the tune of about 45 degrees warmed the Ann Arbor area this weekend, Monday temperatures plummeted back to a freezing high of 20 degrees.

Sara Schultz, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in White Lake, said the 20-degree temperatures are below normal for this time of year by about 13 degrees.



Monday night will be bitterly cold, as the 14-degree low may feel as cold as zero degrees with the wind chill. Winds are out of the south at 8 to 13 mph. Less than half an inch of snow is expected after midnight.

Gusting winds as high as 26 miles per hour Tuesday will usher 2013 out the door. The wind chill on New Year’s Eve will make the 22-degree high feel more like one degree, Schultz said.

Less than half an inch of snow could fall New Year’s Eve during the day. The temperature will be about nine degrees at midnight.

The forecast for the Winter Classic on New Year’s Day is shaping up to be a snowy one.

Temperatures will reach a high near 20 degrees, with winds expected from the east at 3 to 8 miles per hour. Schultz said the wind won’t affect the temperature too much.

There’s a 70 percent chance of snow on New Year’s Day as a system moves out of the northwest plains and down across Michigan. Schultz said about three to four inches of snow could fall on the Ann Arbor area during the day.

The strong chance of snow continues throughout Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Schultz said the early forecast for next week shows temperatures dropping even colder than this week.

Amy Biolchini is the K-12 education reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Reach her at amybiolchini@mlive.com, (734) 623-2552 or on Twitter. Find all Washtenaw County K-12 education stories on MLive.com.