GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — From heavy rain to high winds to even abnormal December warmth, the extended forecast around West Michigan is a rollercoaster ride.
The next storm-system will quickly arrive by the end of Friday, bringing widespread rain this evening through the overnight hours. Temperatures will warm from the 40s to near 50° overnight, meaning all precipitation will remain as rain. Total rain amounts will likely range from 0.5”-1”, but localized higher amounts are more than doable.
Along with the rain, the environment tonight will support scattered thunderstorms around West Michigan. While nearly all thunderstorms that develop will behave, there is a low risk of severe thunderstorms southward of I-96 to the Michigan border, which is denoted by the dark-green shading. In this area, the strongest storms may produce localized wind damage. The chance for thunderstorms will wane quickly by daybreak Saturday.
The largest focus of the near-term forecast revolves around widespread strong winds, not related to the above-mentioned thunderstorms. By daybreak Saturday, strengthening low pressure in the upper Great Lakes will swing a cold front through West Michigan, causing winds to rapidly increase during the morning hours. Sustained winds of 20-30 mph are expected, with gusts topping out at 45-55+ mph. A tight pressure gradient will keep wind gusts in the 40-45 mph range throughout much of Saturday before gradually relaxing by early Sunday.
Widespread winds of this magnitude support scattered power outages across the area. Make sure any holiday decorations are tightly secured as well. As of now, a High Wind Watch is in place across much of lower Michigan Saturday morning through Saturday evening. The watch will be replaced with either a High Wind Warning or a Wind Advisory.
Furthering the impacts of the strong winds, there will be a few hours of snow showers on Saturday across West Michigan. Despite snow amounts remaining an inch or less, whiteout conditions are possible in any travel.
Once this system departs, fair weather takes over Sunday into early next week. Quiet, warming temperatures are expected, with 40s for high temperatures. By the middle of next week, 50s to near 60° are possible, which is well above normal this time of year. For context, middle to upper 30s are normal for mid-December.
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