Gray & Gloomy For Awhile...

Good Morning!

A damp & chilly tail end of the week is in store for Michigan - we'll start recovering early next week if everything plays out as advertised right now.  One deeper dive to talk about it all coming up below...

DAMP START TO THE DAY:  A good potion of the state awakened to rainy conditions this morning, I expect that to continue later today after the break we're in now, as most of the western half of Michigan is getting a breather from the rain, with the exception of a light shower here and there that radar may have a hard time seeing. Don't expect any change in pattern just yet though, as we'll turn the rain back on with a couple of spotty showers mid-afternoon.  Here's the current Tru-Track Doppler radar image:

Plenty of clouds, but a chance to dry out a bit if you're not in the thumb.  A fresh line of showers is across the lake and on the move, we'll see how it survives the trip over Lake Michigan.

Current short range data is telling me that the encore shower performance this afternoon should be light and widely scattered.  That being said, toss the umbrella in the car with you - I'm thinking the line shown in the radar image may hold together a bit better than the models are saying it will as it comes east.

HOW MUCH RAIN THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS?:  The main low pressure system that brought us storms and the rains today is tracking northeast as I write this.  You can pick out the center of the low and where the front is if you look at the radar/satellite composite and check the temperatures, as there's a 8-14 degree swing from warm to cold side.  Regarding rain totals, the Weather Prediction Center says that today should about do it for copious rain for awhile.  Have a look at the 5 Day Precipitation map...

Rain amounts should stay below a half-inch in Michigan if you're not in the thumb.

WELL BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES FOR AWHILE:  As we get this low pressure center, the associated cold front, and the rain through and out of here, Canadian air rolls in on northwesterly winds, keeping us about 20 degrees below normal.  Average readings in South Central Michigan are right around 72 degrees.  Nights will require a light blanket, with low temperatures flirting with the freezing mark. The forecast models aren't showing me a 70 or better daytime high until next Tuesday!

Now that you know the details, here's the forecast for Jackson and surrounding communities including Grass Lake and Parma:

And here's the extended outlook for us:

Bear in mind that there is a chance of a lone shower or two Friday, even though I didn't put a percentage on the graphic.

I hope you have a wonderful Thursday!  Blessings.