Metro Detroit weather: Calmer, cooler before unseasonable warmth returns

Temperatures plummet Thursday morning

DETROIT – Lots of colorful leaves were swirling around Southeast Michigan on Wednesday. We’ll get calmer and cooler for a brief period before unseasonable warmth returns, while Hurricane Delta regroups in the Gulf on its way to the states.

Temp reversal

That subheading is a play on words. It refers to both temperatures moving in the opposite direction, and that movement being temporary.

After soaring into the 70s, we’ll return to seasonable numbers Thursday. Morning starts will be in the 40s in many locations, with a few select outlying 30s. Highs will finish in the low to mid-60s.

Temperatures in the 70s return for Friday through the weekend, with Saturday being the warmest of the week. We’ll get plenty of sunshine to go along with it, and lighter winds, too.

Mainly dry week

After Wednesday’s early morning showers, most of us won’t see a drop of rain until early next week. The only slight shot will be after lunch on Saturday, and likely in the South Zone only.

A cold front will pass through dry for most of us, then start to light up with rain when it runs into moisture from Delta. The speed of that front is still the open question. Will it be far enough south before the moisture arrives? We’ll keep watching the models on that.

Delta regroups

After smashing into Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on Wednesday morning, Hurricane Delta is getting its act together in the warmer, calmer waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It will likely restrengthen to category four status, then weaken a bit as it heads toward cooler waters and slightly more wind changes near the U.S. Gulf Coast.

But this should still be a major hurricane with sustained winds of 120 mph when it roars ashore Friday afternoon. Landfall will likely be at the Louisiana coastline, not too far east of where Laura made landfall earlier this year.

Remember, the Local 4Casters app has a great way to track this storm. Just tap the “More” button at the bottom of the home screen and select “Hurricane Tracker.” You can get current stats, see the forecast track, and interrogate each data point for even more information.

Track the radar:


About the Author:

Ben loves his job at Local 4 because broadcast meteorology challenges him to crack Mother Nature’s code, then find new and creative ways to tell that story to people.