4Warn Weather – Metro Detroit gets one more quiet day before a cold front brings a widespread chance of rain and thunderstorms Saturday, including a low risk for severe weather.
Friday should offer plenty of opportunities to get outside, with mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies and highs in the lower 80s.
A strengthening cap in the atmosphere should prevent thunderstorms from developing despite a gradual increase in moisture and instability.
The weather changes Saturday as a low-pressure system and cold front cross the Great Lakes.
Saturday brings the weekend’s biggest weather impact
Showers and scattered thunderstorms are expected across Southeast Michigan Saturday, with high rain chances.
The Storm Prediction Center has placed much of Southeast Michigan in a marginal risk, Level 1 of 5, for severe thunderstorms.
The overall severe weather threat remains limited, but it is not zero.
Atmospheric conditions will not favor a widespread or particularly organized severe weather event, but a few stronger thunderstorms could still develop.
Damaging wind gusts would be the main concern with any stronger storm. Heavy downpours and frequent lightning are also possible.
Expect rainfall around a quarter-inch, although some locations could receive one-half to three-quarters of an inch.
Locally higher amounts are possible beneath thunderstorms.
For weekend plans, Saturday is the day to have a backup plan indoors. Anyone heading to a barbecue or other outdoor activity should keep an eye on the forecast and be prepared to move indoors if thunder is heard or other threatening weather approaches.
The exact timing of thunderstorms will become clearer, but the greatest concern is Saturday afternoon and evening as the front crosses the region.
Cooler air takes over Sunday
Behind the front, northwest winds will usher noticeably cooler air into Michigan.
Sunday will be breezy and cooler, with highs generally in the upper 70s. Most of Metro Detroit should spend a good portion of the day dry, although a few lingering showers are possible.
The better chance for those showers will be toward the Thumb, where additional moisture coming off Lake Huron could help generate some activity.
Monday
Monday looks even better.
Sunshine and highs around the upper 70s will make for comfortable weather as thousands of students head back to class.
Detroit Public Schools Community District begins its 2026-27 school year for students on Monday, Aug. 24.
Students waiting at bus stops early Monday may want a light layer, with morning temperatures likely in the 50s in many communities before temperatures recover to the 70s during the afternoon.
Tuesday and Wednesday
Tuesday should remain mainly dry with highs around 80 degrees. Another disturbance could bring a chance of showers Wednesday, with at least a stray shower remaining possible Thursday.
Temperatures should stay close to seasonal levels.
Nine days after Great Lakes derecho, tens of thousands still without power
While Michigan prepares for another round of thunderstorms, communities just south of Lake Michigan continue dealing with the consequences of one of this month’s most destructive severe weather events.
More than 70,000 customers in Northwest Indiana remained without electricity Thursday evening, nine days after the Aug. 11 derecho.
Most of the remaining outages were concentrated in Lake County, home to Gary and several other communities.
The magnitude of the damage helps explain the extraordinary restoration effort.
The National Weather Service confirmed the Aug. 11 thunderstorm complex as a derecho after a long-lived line of severe thunderstorms tore across northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana.
Winds of 70 to 90 mph were recorded across parts of the region, and Gary/Chicago International Airport measured a peak wind gust of 99 mph. The line of storms also produced multiple tornadoes.
The storm initially knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of customers.
More than a week later, the prolonged outages have led to dire conditions.
It has forced many families to throw away spoiled food, but it has also created hardship for people who use medical devices that require electricity.
The situation is also a reminder of how disruptive severe thunderstorms can become.
Saturday’s setup in Southeast Michigan is not expected to resemble the Aug. 11 derecho, and the severe weather threat here remains much lower.
Still, even an isolated severe thunderstorm can cause localized damage and power outages.
Dangerous heat grips parts of the South
Travelers heading south will encounter a much different weather story.
Dangerous heat and humidity are affecting parts of the southern United States, with heat advisories and extreme heat warnings posted in portions of the region.
A combination of very hot temperatures and abundant Gulf moisture is pushing heat index values well above the actual air temperature.
In South Florida, heat index values could reach around 105 to 110 degrees.
The combination of high temperatures and humidity increases the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, particularly for people working outdoors, older adults, young children, and anyone without reliable air conditioning.
Farther west, a strong upper-level ridge is supporting significant heat across a large swath of the western United States.
Record high temperatures are possible in some areas.
Anyone traveling into areas experiencing excessive heat should drink plenty of water, limit strenuous outdoor activity during the hottest part of the afternoon, and never leave children or pets unattended inside a vehicle.
Hawaii watches another tropical system after Lala
Hawaii is watching the tropics again only days after Hurricane Lala affected the islands.
Tropical Depression Two-C formed Thursday roughly 1,000 miles east-southeast of the Hawaiian Islands and is expected to strengthen as it moves generally westward.
If the depression reaches tropical storm strength, it would receive the name Moke.
The current forecast takes the center generally south of the main Hawaiian Islands, meaning a direct landfall is not likely.
However, the center of a tropical cyclone does not have to move directly over an island for significant impacts to occur.
Heavy rain could begin affecting the Big Island as early as Saturday night before spreading to other parts of the state Sunday into Monday.
Flooding, strong winds and dangerous surf could become concerns depending on the system’s eventual strength and track.
The potential for additional heavy rain comes as Hawaii continues recovering from Hurricane Lala.
Additional rainfall over vulnerable areas could create renewed flooding problems and complicate cleanup efforts.
Residents and travelers should continue monitoring the forecast as the system develops and its eventual track and intensity become clearer.
Locally, plan for typical summer weather in Metro Detroit, including the chance of strong storms this weekend.
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