Sunny Summer Days...

Good Morning!


A fine summer weekend is on tap with warming temperatures and plenty of sunshine.  Kids and teachers should be out of school or about done, they'll have a fine weekend to kick off their summer vacation!  Rain chances look pretty low, but I can't rule out a pop-up shower or storm.  Anything we see should be widely scattered, non-severe, and mainly concentrated in the afternoon and evening hours.  One deeper dive on the way!


TEMPERATURES:  We are getting toward the end of the northwesterly flow coming out of Canada.  That's what has been holding temperatures down with dry conditions.  The ridge that we have been under for the last several days starts flattening out today, resulting in winds starting to turn more westerly.  Modeling indicates that wind shift will start tonight.  As that happens we'll see temperatures creeping up into the mid 80's by the end of the weekend with some spots making a run at 90.  Dew points and humidity also start creeping up as the air gets more moisture.  I don't expect any blistering heat like what we had Memorial Day weekend, but it'll be plenty warm for a day out on the beach, or in the pool or lake.  The new work week starts warm, then cools off.


RAIN:  The National Weather Service is predicting a more uniform rainfall now, with pretty much the entire Lower Peninsula looking to pick up between a quarter to a half-inch of rain the next five days.  I know no one wants to hear it, but the fact is we can use some rain here in South Central Michigan.  We finished May a couple of inches light on rainfall, and the total gap is growing each day.  So while the outdoor plans have a big green light, you'll need to keep the sprinklers on for the lawn to stay green.  Here's a look at the 5 day precipitation map from the NWS...

SEVERE WEATHER:  According to the Storm Prediction Center, the western part of the Upper Peninsula is the only part of Michigan where any risk is expected, and it's the "slight" risk category.  The north half of the Lower Peninsula is under a "general" risk for wet stuff.  If you look at the Day 1 map, you see the three "slight" bullseyes up north on the US/Canada border.  They match up with the flow on the trough-ridge-trough setup we have been under.  An upper disturbance is causing the fuss in MT, ND, WI and MI, and the "slight" bullseye in New England has a good deal of energy bottled up in the bottom of the trough, creating that risk bullseye.  Here's a look at the maps for Days 1 and 2, valid at 8AM EDT each day:

 Day 1

Day 2

As you can see not much regarding severe weather after today, except maybe the Upper Peninsula.


Bright blue skies in Jackson at this hour, with a few wispy clouds.  Here's the visible satellite image for you...

There's some cloud cover north of us with a solitary shower or two north of Shiawassee County, up near Saginaw and Midland.  Here's the Grand Rapids NEXRAD to look at those showers...

Here's a look at the local forecast for Jackson County:


Today, sunny, gentle breezes, some passing afternoon clouds, warm, high 83, winds turning W 7-14 MPH.


Tonight, mainly starry skies, still breezy with a few passing clouds, low 59, WSW winds 6-12 MPH.


Saturday, break out the sunscreen and cold drinks!  Abundant sunshine, maybe a cloud or two in the afternoon, not as breezy, warmer, high 85, winds SW 5-10 MPH.


Saturday night, mostly clear skies mild, nighttime lows only roll back to 61, winds SW 3-8 MPH.


Sunday, mainly sunny skies, with clouds slowly creeping in during the afternoon, very warm with a chance of an isolated shower or rogue thunderstorm, high 87.


Monday, mostly cloudy, cooler but more humid as dew points creep up to the mid 60's, a chance of showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon, high 80.


Tuesday, still cloudy, a chance at scattered showers and thunderstorms through mid-afternoon, high 82.


Wednesday, clouds and sunshine mix and match during the day, not as warm, high 75.


There's a look at your forecast for the next six days, can you believe that Father's Day is just around the corner, and here in South Central Michigan, the NASCAR invasion is spooling up as race weekend is a week away, with fans converging on Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.  We'll see what's on tap for that soon!  Have a fantastic Friday!  Blessings.