DETROIT – We have now entered a very active weather pattern, with a number of weather systems affecting us into the weekend. Unfortunately, the timing doesn’t look good for Opening Day, which we’ll get to in a moment.
First, any scattered light showers in the area should end by late evening, with some partial clearing even possible late at night. Lows in the upper 30s (4 degrees Celsius). Wind becoming north at 4 to 7 mph.
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Partly cloudy on Wednesday, perhaps even becoming mostly sunny in some areas, with highs in the mid 50s (12 to 13 degrees Celsius). East-northeast wind at 4 to 7 mph. This will be our nicest day of the week.
Wednesday’s sunrise is at 7:23 a.m., and Wednesday’s sunset is at 7:55 p.m.
Increasing clouds by late Wednesday night, with lows in the mid to upper 30s (3 degrees Celsius).
Opening Day forecast
The second half of this month is loaded with religious holidays: St. Patrick’s Day, Good Friday, Passover, Easter and, of course, Opening Day. Of the five holidays, Opening Day is the one that is most weather dependent and, the way things look right now, you’ll be highly dependent upon your rain gear if you’re going to the game.
Thursday should start dry and, with some luck, we could remain dry for the morning. Rain will develop during the afternoon, however, and the only question remaining is if the rain will start near first pitch, or during the game. That will determine if we get the game in.
Temperatures probably won’t make it out of the 40s, so layers under that rain gear will be essential. Hands and feet always get coldest, so finding a way to keep those dry will be a bonus. The Local4Casters are monitoring this very closely, and will keep you updated on-air, online and on social media.
Rain may mix with some wet snow Thursday night, with lows in the low 30s (-1 to 0 degrees Celsius). Whether or not we get any accumulation will be highly dependent upon how quickly the temperatures drop through the 30s.
Partly cloudy on Friday, with highs in the upper 40s (9 degrees Celsius). That’s good news for those going to Good Friday services, or your first night Passover Seder (I made my Uncle Eddie’s famous horseradish last night).
Saturday storm
The Saturday forecast is becoming most intriguing. A wave of low pressure will be whipping across the country and approach the Great Lakes region. The ECMWF model develops this into a stronger system, which pulls it farther north and draws in some warmer air…that means that rain would develop. However, the GFS and GEM models keep that wave weaker and farther south. That scenario keeps us in colder air, and we get accumulating snow. It is just not possible to choose a model and lean one way or the other with this forecast.
Stay tuned…the Local4Casters are all over this and will let you know the moment we get some data that allows us to fine-tune the forecast. Of course, this rain or snow isn’t great news for those going your second night Seder – and I’m hosting it at my house. I’m not looking forward to shoveling Saturday, with everything else I need to do.
Partly cloudy and chilly on Sunday, with highs only around 40 degrees (5 degrees Celsius).
A quick word about 'clickbait'
Earlier today, the Local 4Casters were made aware of a weather article on another Michigan website with a sensationalistic headline talking about record cold next week.
Yes, it’s going to be cold next week. But keep in mind that our record lows are still well down in the teens (around -10 degrees Celsius), and our record lowest high temperatures are still near 30 degrees (-1 degree Celsius).
We shouldn’t be too close to those numbers That headline is called “clickbait.” It’s intentionally sensationalistic to get you to click on the article and read it. Please remember that the Local4Casters have not and will not sensationalize our weather.
Obviously, if dangerous weather is expected, we will strongly convey this information -- public safety is our number one priority. But we will not hype the weather just to get you to watch us or read our articles on ClickOnDetroit.com.
We take our responsibility very seriously, and are grateful to have earned your trust.