DETROIT – If you read yesterday's weather article, I told you that we had two mechanisms that would produce strong wind gusts today.
The first was the cold front that came through right on schedule between 7:00 and 10:00 AM. Here are some of the wind gusts associated with the front, as reported to the National Weather Service this morning:
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DETROIT METRO AIRPORT -- 51 MPH
DETROIT CITY AIRPORT -- 49 MPH
MOUNT CLEMENS -- 49 MPH
SAGINAW -- 47 MPH
YPSILANTI -- 47 MPH
MONROE -- 45 MPH
PONTIAC -- 43 MPH
ADRIAN -- 41 MPH
ANN ARBOR -- 40 MPH
LAPEER -- 38 MPH
FLINT -- 37 MPH
HOWELL -- 36 MPH
PORT HURON -- 36 MPH
TROY -- 35 MPH
NWS WHITE LAKE -- 35 MPH
The second opportunity for strong wind gusts arrives by late afternoon and continues into the early evening hours (blowing from the southwest). A particularly strong band of wind aloft will overspread the area, and as colder, denser air moves in, we have a pretty solid chance to tap into some of that wind. So don't let your guard down: Round Two is on the way, and some of us may see wind gusts approach 50 mph before the gusts "settle down" to "only" 35 to 40 mph overnight.
The National Weather Service has replaced the High Wind Warning with a Wind Advisory until 10:00 PM, since gusts approaching 60 mph are less likely now. Although there may be a few spritzes of rain tonight, that's nothing to worry about -- the wind is the primary story. Lows by morning should drop into the low 40s (5° Celsius for our Canadian neighbors).
Friday will be another very windy day, and it wouldn't surprise me to see gusts around 40 mph (blowing from the west) as a second potent upper level system follows right on the heels of the Thursday system. Rain and snow showers will increase during the day, and the best chance to see any wet snowflakes will be near and north of M-59 -- especially in the higher terrain areas.
Temperatures will initially hold steady at the overnight low, then start falling during the afternoon.
Becoming partly cloudy Friday night, with lows in the low 30s (0° Celsius).
Mostly sunny on Saturday, with highs in the upper 40s (9° Celsius).
Mostly clear Saturday night, with lows in the upper 30s (3° Celsius).
Mostly sunny on Sunday, with highs rebounding into the mid-to-upper 50s (14° Celsius).
Mostly clear Sunday night, with lows in the upper 30s (3° Celsius).
Mostly sunny on Monday, with highs in the mid 50s (13° Celsius).
Our next rain and wind-maker moves sometime during the Tuesday through Thursday timeframe. Today's computer models are in great disagreement over the timing and evolution of this system, so stay tuned -- but at least we should stay relatively mild through at least Wednesday.