Scattered Showers & Storms, Then Cooler...

Good Morning!


The scorching heat that baked us Trolls yesterday has once again retreated back southwest for the time being, though it is still lurking nearby.  Several records fell throughout the area yesterday, with air temperature and heat index values in triple digits.  You can already feel the difference from yesterday,  most places were pushing 90 by 10AM.  As I write this today at 10AM, Hillsdale, Coldwater, Adrian and Battle Creek are the warm spots, posting 78 or 79 degrees.  We've got some ground to cover today so let's get in there and pop the hood...

TEMPERATURES:  The good news is that we shouldn't see any triple digits, either for heat index or air temperature today.  The bad news, it'll still be warm and damp for awhile.  Temperatures should return to the low or even mid 90's today, until a front that is stretched pretty much east to west across lower Michigan drops all the way through from the north.  That will cool us back into the 80's once that occurs, but for now, it's stalled out, pretty much straddling the north and south zones of the blog. (If you aren't sure what zone you're in, look at the temperature readouts on the left and find the biggest city shown near you.) We'll see mid to upper 80's after this front gets through here.


RAIN:  You can see where the air masses are right now over us, as there's some shower and thunderstorm activity on the warm side of the boundary.  The south zone of the blog is bone dry for now, with the north zone getting some good, beneficial rain that is badly needed.  Here's a look at the Grand Rapids NEXRAD radar...

Grand Rapids NEXRAD Radar

The south zone is SLOWLY starting to get in on the action, with a couple of showers and storms firing in Branch and Hillsdale counties.  These storms are pulse and scattered in nature so coverage is still fairly sparse and not the good soaking rain your lawns and fields would love and need right now.  The National Weather Service is only predicting about a half-inch of rain on the high side for the next five days...

5 Day Precipitation Forecast

That looks about right, but given the storm tracks so far this season, I'm inclined to halve that to a quarter-inch for the south zone and leave it as is north.  I say inclined because we have to talk about...


SEVERE WEATHER:  I know it may wrong, but I am GLAD to see us in a "slight" risk area for severe weather today.  A good, wet thunderstorm or two will help us out a lot.  The other side of that coin is that it's so dry, cloud to ground lightning could spark a wildfire.  Today and tomorrow we have a shot at some thunderstorms, here's a look at the forecast maps from the Storm Prediction Center, valid at 8AM as always...

Storm Prediction Center Day 1 Forecast

Storm Prediction Center Day 2 Forecast

The main threats from these storms today will be damaging wind and hail, nothing tornadic is anticipated.


Visible satellite imagery shows the front sagging through and the showers and storms riding it...

Visible Satellite Image

Here's the forecast for Jackson and surrounding communities including Parma and Leoni Township:


For today, scattered showers and thunderstorms through about 1 PM, some could possibly become severe, then partly sunny with a high near 93, winds SW turning NE 5-10 MPH.  Scattered showers and storms could re-organize and fire during or after the evening commute.


Tonight, scattered showers and thunderstorms early, with cloudy skies, nighttime lows roll back to 65, winds ENE 3-8 MPH.


Thursday, cloudy skies to start with a chance of a lingering shower or lonely thunderstorm, then becoming mostly sunny, high 82, winds becoming N 3-8 MPH.


Thursday night, clear and cooler, perhaps a couple of passing clouds, low down to 59, winds N 3-5 MPH.


Friday, partly sunny, seasonable, high 83.


Saturday, periods of clouds and sunshine, continued seasonably warm, high 85.


Sunday, partly cloudy skies, a bit warmer, a chance of an isolated or widely scattered shower or thunderstorm, high 88.


Monday, increasing cloudiness as the day progresses, widely scattered showers and a roaming thunderstorm cannot be ruled out, high 89.

There's a look at your forecast for the next six days, I do hope that you have a great hump day Wednesday!  Blessings.