Isolated severe storm risk this evening in metro Detroit

NEW meteor shower to watch for this weekend!

DETROIT – There is an isolated severe storm risk early this evening ahead of an approaching cold front.

Many of us, I suspect, won't get a storm, but some of us might -- and these storms could pack a punch.

I'll tweet updates if any rough weather materialize -- you can follow me @PaulGrossLocal4. The rest of the night will be partly cloudy to mostly clear, with lows in the mid 50s.

Thursday forecast:

Becoming partly cloudy and breezy on Thursday. Highs in the upper 60s. Northwest wind at 10 to 20 mph. Becoming mostly clear Thursday night, with lows in the upper 40s.

Friday forecast:

After a mostly sunny start Friday morning, skies once again become partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 60s.

Saturday forecast:

Sunny and very pleasant Saturday, with highs in the low to mid 70s.

Something neat to keep an eye on this Saturday night is a NEW meteor shower! It's a new meteor shower because, for the first time, Earth will pass through the debris left behind by Comet 209P/Linear. Since it's our first encounter, scientists really don't know how good of a meteor shower it'll be -- it could be just a few "shooting stars," or maybe a meteor storm with 1,000 per hour. Michigan is one of the best places in the nation to watch not only because areas farther north are favored, but also because we'll have crystal clear skies. Best time to watch is 2 a.m. to 4 a.m., and you'll want to face north: most everybody can recognize the Big Dipper, so look to the right of that and the meteors should originate from that part of the sky. Good luck!

Sunday forecast:

Look for another beautiful, sunny day on Sunday, with highs in the mid to upper 70s.

If you've been following my forecast this week, I've discussed that Memorial Day is a close call, and our thunderstorm potential rests upon the strength and placement of an upper level ridge of high pressure. Over the past couple of days, the long range computer models located the ridge right where we want it - with the center of the ridge axis over Michigan. Today's models keep that orientation, but are now projecting a slightly weaker ridge, which could allow some thunderstorm development. This still remains a close call, and I'm not expecting an entire day of rain...just a chance.

There is still time for us to fine tune this forecast, so "stay tuned," as we like to say. This is a good time to download the FREE Local4Casters weather app...it has a great radar display that lets you track the storms on zoomable maps. Just search in the app store under "WDIV." One thing that hasn't changed in the holiday forecast is that it'll be warm, with highs near 80!

Remember to fly your flag as we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country (and I'm talking about more than just our troops -- I also think about our first responders -- police officers and firefighters -- on Memorial Day). If you don't have a flag, think about going out and buying one...they're not that expensive. Let's drape the area with a red, white and blue tribute to those who lost their lives to help protect us. I'll proudly fly my flag. In fact, I just may have it out all weekend.

Partly cloudy and still warm on Tuesday, with another period of thunderstorms possible. Highs in the low 80s.

Partly cloudy and cooler on Wednesday, with highs in the mid 70s.