First, the good news: Southeast Michigan is expected to skip the brutal winter of 2013-14, according to a winter weather outlook released this week by the National Weather Service.

The bad news? It could end on a slightly colder note.

On the other hand, “it’s an outlook,” says meteorologist Deb Elliot. “So it could change in time.”

Winter temperatures will be about normal in December, become slightly colder than normal in January and then return to about normal to slightly colder than normal in February with drier conditions, according to the report.

Temperatures are expected to be colder during the second half of winter, said Elliot .

“I don’t think it will be as brutal as what we saw last winter,” Elliot said.

Average winter temperatures are 29.3 degrees in December, 24.1 degrees in January and 26.5 degrees in February, according to the National Weather Service.

Normal snowfall amounts for December through February are expected, according to the report. The average seasonal snow fall is 42 inches. Last winter, more than 90 inches of snow fell in Metro Detroit.

“You might be dry for a while and you get a big snow storm that moves in,” Elliot said. “It balances out over the course of the winter with light snow fall with occasional heavier snow falls.”