DETROIT – As promised, a very hot -- even dangerous for some -- air mass overspread the area over the weekend, with heat index readings approaching and even surpassing 100 degrees (38 degrees Celsius).
Relief is on the way tonight and, as we always tell you, sharp changes in temperature generally mean some active weather.
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The front edge of the cooler, drier air is called the cold front (yes, some weather is easy), and that front will slowly cross the area tonight. Scattered showers and thunderstorms, some with torrential downpours, will persist ahead of the front.
While we do not expect much of a severe weather threat, any storm with torrential downpours can cause very gusty winds from what we call “precip loading” essentially, the heavy downward rush of big raindrops pulls air down with it and, when that air hits the ground, it spreads out in the same way that water would if you held a glass of water above the ground and poured it out.
Lows tonight will range from near 70 degrees (21 degrees Celsius) in the far south to the low 60s (16 degrees Celsius) in the far north. Wind will shift and blow from the northwest, then the north, behind the front, at 5 to 10 mph.
Mostly cloudy to start our Tuesday, with skies eventually becoming partly cloudy at some point during the afternoon. Highs near 80 degrees (27 degrees Celsius) will feel SO much more comfortable, especially with the lower dew point temperatures (we explained dew point in one of last week’s articles). Northeast wind at 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday’s sunrise is at 5:57 a.m., and Tuesday’s sunset is at 9:13 p.m.
Becoming cloudy Tuesday night with showers developing as the aforementioned Monday night cold front stops moving once it gets into northern Indiana and Ohio (we call that a stationary front because, well, you probably get why), and a little wave traveling along the front bumps some rain back up into the area. Lows in the mid 60s (17 to 18 degrees Celsius).
Showers should end Wednesday morning, with some sunshine even possible by mid or late afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s (26 degrees Celsius).
Mostly clear Wednesday night, with lows in the low 60s (16 degrees Celsius).
Mostly sunny on Thursday -- this is the pick day of the week -- with highs near 80 degrees (27 degrees Celsius).
Mostly clear Thursday night, with lows in the low 60s (16 degrees Celsius).
Partly cloudy to start on Friday, then rain showers potentially develop during the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s (26 degrees Celsius).
Weekend forecast
An upper level storm system looks to approach just in time to give us a rainy Saturday. We are very conscious of the fact that this is wedding and graduation party season, so we’ll watch this scenario very closely as it unfolds through the week.
Keep in mind that, as the computer models get a better handle on things, we’ll try to get much more specific about the timing of the rain. Highs Saturday look to be pretty close to average -- near 80 degrees (27 degrees Celsius).
As long as that upper low keeps on moving, and the models suggest it will, then Sunday will be the better of the two weekend days, with partly cloudy skies and highs in the low 80s (28 degrees Celsius).
