A 4Warn Weather Alert has been issued as two potential rounds of storms are expected to hit Metro Detroit on Wednesday.
What is a 4Warn Weather Alert?
Local 4 issues a 4Warn Weather Alert when there’s a chance of severe weather that could impact your lives. That means we have to weigh the likelihood of severe weather with the potential impact.
We issued a 4Warn Weather Alert on Wednesday because we anticipate that thunderstorms could reach strong to severe limits.
On Wednesday, the most likely threats are damaging wind gusts and heavy rain, but tornadoes and hail cannot be fully ruled out, either.
Wednesday’s storm chances
Scattered to numerous severe thunderstorms are possible as early as Wednesday afternoon, with the greatest threat expected to happen Wednesday evening.
The first round is expected to hit from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the second round is expected to hit from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.
There is a slight to enhanced risk for severe weather in most of Southeast Michigan. The level 3 (out of 5) enhanced risk includes Western Wayne, Livingston, Washtenaw, Monroe and Lenawee counties. The remaining part of Metro Detroit, stretching up to Cass City (north of I-69), is under the level 2 slight risk.
The main threat is damaging wind gusts to 70 mph or greater and heavy rain. Average rainfall totals will be around 1-1.5″, but we could see isolated higher amounts up to 3″. The heavier rainfall will track north of I-94. A few tornadoes are possible. Large hail (1”+) is also possible but is a secondary severe weather threat.