Metro Detroit weather: Smokey sunshine

DETROIT – Like yesterday, mostly sunny skies will be topped by a high-altitude layer of smoke from those western wildfires, creating a hazy layer that actually looks like a thick cirrostratus cloud deck.

It gave us a beautiful sunrise and sunset on Monday, and likely will do so again today.

That smoke filtering the sun actually does impact temperatures, but the wind swinging around from yesterday’s northerly direction to today’s southerly direction will partially offset that, and I think most of us should hit the low to mid 70s (22 to 23 degrees Celsius). That south wind will blow at 5 to 10 mph.

Today’s sunrise is at 7:14 a.m., and today’s sunset is at 7:42 p.m.

Mostly clear skies with some of that smoke still around will prevail Tuesday night. Lows in the low 50s (11 degrees Celsius). South-southwest wind at 4 to 8 mph.

Mostly sunny on Wednesday -- possibly more smokey sunshine, but perhaps less smoke than the first two days of the week due to the approaching cold front -- with highs approaching 80 degrees (27 degrees Celsius).

A stray light shower is possible Wednesday night, but many of us may end up dry. Keep watering that grass seed if you put any down last weekend. Lows in the upper 40s (9 degrees Celsius).

Big cool down

Strong Canadian high pressure barreling in behind the Wednesday night cold front will really drop our temperatures. Highs Thursday will only be in the mid 60s (19 degrees Celsius) under partly cloudy skies.

Friday and Saturday will have highs that struggle to reach the low 60s (16 degrees Celsius), and I suspect that many areas north and west of a line from Mount Clemens to Adrian may not make it out of the 50s for highs. Overnight lows Thursday night and Friday night will drop well down into the 40s (5 to 7 degrees Celsius), and some of our coldest locations far enough away from the moderating impact of the Great Lakes may actually hit the 30s (although I do not expect any frost).

Fortunately, we’ll have mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies Friday through Sunday, and we’ll finish the weekend on Sunday with highs warming a bit into the mid 60s (19 degrees Celsius). What a great day to go to the cider mill or play some September golf.