DETROIT – Before getting to the forecast, just a quick word about last night.
As you recall, we had a thick cloud deck through the day yesterday. Every single computer model at my disposal had those clouds breaking up and moving out by 11:00 PM at the latest, and the clearing skies combined with the cold, dry air mass over us would have allowed temperatures to drop well down into the 30s. Except for one thing: the clouds hung tough for most of the night.
Ben Bailey and I were even talking about this yesterday afternoon. We were concerned about this aspect of the forecast. But with not one computer model keeping us socked in with clouds last night, it was tough to go against the grain. On the bright side, those clouds acted like a blanket and kept us warmer -- most southeast Michigan locations only dropped to between 35° and 40°.
However, temperatures DID drop into the upper 20s at many locations up north, which could have devastating implications on Michigan's tart cherry crop since the cherry blossoms bloomed early this year due to the early spring warmth we've had. I distinctly remember this happening back in 2002, as well as in 2012. In both years, we had early spring warmth followed by a hard freeze and, in 2012, we lost 90 percent of our state's tart cherries.
And by the way, these early spring big warm-ups are becoming more common due to our warming climate. While we all rejoice in the end of winter and this early warmth, keep in mind that this changes our flowering plants' and trees' internal clocks -- they start flowering earlier, and once those blossoms are out, they are very susceptible to a killing frost. If we lose our cherry crop again this year, it would be the third time in thirteen years -- not good.
Fortunately, we won't be nearly as cold tonight. Skies will be mostly cloudy with just a slight chance for a brief, light shower. Lows in the mid 40s (7° Celsius for you Canadians), with a light and variable wind.
Partly cloudy on Thursday, with highs in the mid to upper 60s (19° Celsius). West wind at 10 to 15 mph.
Thursday's sunrise is at 6:07 AM, and Thursday's sunset is at 8:53 PM.
Don't forget that this Thursday is our second Weather Radio Campaign Day of 2015. Brandon Roux and Ben Bailey will be broadcasting live from the Meijer store in Woodhaven on Live in the D, at Noon, 4, 5, and 6pm. Remember that weather radios are "smoke detectors for weather": they sit silently, and only sound an alarm for the county or counties you care about when the warnings you want to know about are issued. The radios are available at a significantly discounted Local 4 price -- $29.99 -- which is $10 off the regular price. Plus, if you come to the Meijer store, the people there will program the radio for you (you can do it yourself, but they'll save you the trouble). It's our goal to get these weather radios into as many homes, schools, and businesses as possible and, since we began this program three years ago, over 40,000 radios have been purchased! Remember that the radios can be used anywhere in the U.S. or Canada. You just have to program it for where you'll be, so take it with you! Or, you can do as a lot of people I met on our last campaign day do: buy one for yourself, and buy others as birthday or Father's Day gifts. One woman I met bought her own radio the previous year, and she was back this year to buy one for her cottage up north, and another three for her children's homes.
Mostly clear Thursday night, with lows in the low 40s.
Mostly sunny on Friday, with highs in the mid 60s.
Mostly clear Friday night, with lows in the low 40s.
Mostly sunny on Saturday -- a great start to the holiday weekend -- with highs near 70°.
Partly cloudy Saturday night, with lows in the mid 50s.
Becoming mostly cloudy on Sunday with a chance of showers, and today's computer models continue the trend I've seen the past couple of days: the rain may hold off until mid to late afternoon, so keep an eye on the Local4Casters app's radar if you have any outdoor plans. Also remember to follow me on Twitter (@PGLocal4), as I tweet weather updates. Those of you who already follow me got a lot of "weather help" from me last weekend. Highs Sunday in the low 70s.
There's a chance of showers and thunderstorms Sunday night, with lows in the upper 50s.
Memorial Day is still very tricky, and our rain chances are highly dependent upon the timing of a warm front. There should be some showers and thunderstorms ahead of the front, then drier weather behind the front (although the humidity comes back). It's just a matter of when the front comes through and, as long as it does, highs should reach the mid 70s (maybe warmer if the front comes through very early in the day).
Today's computer models give us a pretty good chance of showers and thunderstorms at least for the first half of the day, but I cannot get more specific right now so stay tuned -- I'll keep a close eye on this for you, and for me: I'm the co-emcee of the Farmington Memorial Day Parade on Grand River in downtown Farmington. The parade starts at 10am (I'm in the first car), and it would be great to see you there helping to remember and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom. Yes, it's a day off work. But it's also something much more important than that so, before you hoist that burger, take a moment to remember and give personal thanks to our young men and women who never came home.