Mostly sunny skies south and partly cloudy skies north, combined with mild temperatures, made for a very pleasant Hump Day. Wait a minute…if most of us were off Monday for the holiday, do we technically still have a Hump Day this week? I’ll have to check into that. In any event, a brisk west wind once again today was the only negative on what, otherwise, was a nice day.
Skies will clear overnight, with the wind also slackening. Lows near 50 degrees (10 degrees Celsius), but cooler in rural areas. For those observing Ramadan, tonight’s sunset is at 9:03 p.m.
Mostly sunny and absolutely gorgeous on Thursday, with highs in the mid 70s (23 degrees Celsius). West wind at 7 to 12 mph. Thursday’s sunrise is at 5:59 a.m., and Thursday’s sunset is at 9:03 p.m.
**Important: if you’ll be out in the sun for an extended period of time Thursday, don’t forget the sunscreen. Many people incorrectly assume that the sun’s rays aren’t as strong when temperatures are in the 70s as opposed to the 80s. That is emphatically wrong: the sun’s rays on Thursday will be every bit as strong as they will be on a hot, steamy day in the second week of July. Preventing sunburns now may prevent skin cancer later (and possibly save your life later, too). And in case you’re wondering, yes, I practice what I preach. I emceed the Farmington Memorial Day parade Monday in full sunshine. I sprayed my exposed skin and my scalp with sunscreen, and didn’t even come close to burning. Please follow my example…and especially with children.
Mostly clear Thursday night, with lows in the mid 50s (12 degrees Celsius).
Detroit Grand Prix Weekend
Friday: The weekend weather pattern is starting to come into better focus. Friday is the always popular Comerica Bank Free Prix Day, and it’s a bit of a close call. An upper level disturbance tracking from the Upper Peninsula through southwest Ontario will bring a chance of showers to the Thumb, and possibly farther south toward Metro Detroit’s eastside. Today’s models suggest that the rain might stay just north of downtown Detroit, but it’s looking real close. If you’ll be heading downtown to Belle Isle, make sure you have the Local4Casters app downloaded onto your phone, and check the radar often. Highs should reach the mid 70s (24 degrees Celsius).
Saturday: Today’s models are slowing the northward movement of a warm front, which will delay the arrival of any rain until, hopefully, Saturday evening. What good luck it would be if we can keep the bulk of the daytime hours dry for the Grand Prix, the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, the Cancer Awareness and Research Network’s (CARN) inaugural 6K run/walk going on in River Rouge (click here for more details), and the Metro Detroit Tour de Cure at Washtenaw County Community College! As long as we can hold off the rain and thicker cloud cover, highs should reach the mid 70s (25 degrees Celsius).
Sunday: This will be the weekend’s highest chance for rain, as low pressure tracks eastward right at us along the warm front I mentioned above. Steady rain and possibly some thunderstorms will develop Saturday night, and continue at least into the first half of Sunday. If we get real lucky, perhaps we can taper off some of the rain during the mid-to-late afternoon period and, since the race doesn’t start until 3:30 p.m., perhaps we have a chance. Expect cooler highs in the low to mid 70s (23 degrees Celsius).