DETROIT – As I discussed yesterday, a strengthening storm system will cross the Great Lakes Wednesday night and Thursday, bringing very strong wind with it.
As you know, I am not an alarmist, but I also like to give you as much notice as possible about potential high-end weather events. Today's weather article provides that notice, and I'll provide as much detail below as I can.
First things first:
Tonight will feature clearing skies, but the combination of light wind, surface moisture from today's rain, and those clearing skies may promote some fog development. Lows in the upper 30s (4° Celsius for our Canadian neighbors). Light west wind at 3 to 6 mph.
Wednesday forecast:
Mostly sunny on Wednesday -- a spectacular fall day -- with highs in the mid to upper 50s (14° Celsius). Southwest wind in the morning will shift to the southeast, at 5 to 10 mph. Wednesday's sunrise is at 7:18 AM, and Wednesday's sunset is at 5:16 PM.
Don't let the beautiful day on Wednesday fool you -- conditions will deteriorate Wednesday night. Rain will develop, and it'll become breezy late at night. Temperatures initially falling into the mid to upper 40s (8° Celsius), then rising to near 50° (10° Celsius) toward dawn on Thursday.
Thursday forecast:
Thursday starts with a band of rain in the area, which then moves northeastward as a cold front swings through. Wind behind the front will increase, and become very gusty by midday. As you can see on this snapshot from my 4km High Resolution RPM model, wind gusts of 45-50 mph are possible.
If gusts of this magnitude do develop (remember that there's still time for this forecast to change), then scattered power outages would be likely on Thursday. Highs in the mid 50s (12° Celsius).
Very windy Thursday night, with lows in the upper 30s (4° Celsius).
A second strong upper level storm system following right on the heels of the Thursday one will maintain very strong wind through the day on Friday. Scattered rain and snow showers are also possible. Highs in the mid 40s (7° Celsius), making for a very raw day -- wind chills will be in the 30s (3° Celsius).
Mostly cloudy and breezy Friday night, with lows in the mid 30s (3° Celsius).
Partly cloudy and continued breezy on Saturday (but not as windy as Thursday and Friday), with highs in the upper 40s (9° Celsius).
Becoming mostly clear Saturday night, with lows in the mid 30s (3° Celsius).
Mostly sunny on Sunday, with highs back into the mid 50s (13° Celsius).