000
FXUS63 KGRR 161146
AFDGRR

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Grand Rapids MI
746 AM EDT Wed Aug 16 2017

LATEST UPDATE...
Aviation

.SYNOPSIS...
Issued at 330 AM EDT Wed Aug 16 2017

High pressure will provide pleasant weather today. Low pressure
tracking northeast through Wisconsin on Thursday will send very
humid air into the region that will help trigger numerous showers
and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could be strong and produce
torrential rainfall. Cooler and breezy weather will follow on
Friday then temperatures will moderate back to near to above normal
over the weekend into early next week.

&&

.SHORT TERM...(Today through Friday)
Issued at 330 AM EDT Wed Aug 16 2017

Not much change regarding the Thursday system. Will continue to
run with high pops as fairly impressive H5 shortwave trough for
this time of year interacts with High PWAT air around 2 inches
and sfc dew pts in the lower 70s. It appears we may have one round
of rain with the warm front/low level jet very late tonight into
Thursday morning, then perhaps a bit of a lull before the
shortwave and sfc cold front/occlusion brings another round from
mid afternoon into the evening.

The Thursday afternoon/evening storms will have the potential of
producing excessive rainfall rates given very moist air mass,
deep/warm cloud layer and low LCLs. Severe wx threat is contingent
upon how much heating/instability can develop, but progged deep
layer shear values of 30-35 kt are sufficient for organized
convection and capes could exceed 2000 J/KG if any cloud thinning
occurs. The svr wx/hvy rain threat should end by midnight Thursday
night with the frontal passage and arrival of drier/more stable
air mass from the west.

Considerable clouds and lingering showers expected Friday morning,
followed by decreasing clouds later in the day as the sfc low
lifts out.

.LONG TERM...(Friday night through Tuesday)
Issued at 330 AM EDT Wed Aug 16 2017

A trough will move across the Great Lakes Saturday bringing a chance
of showers and thunderstorms. Zonal flow aloft will push systems
quickly through the cwa. Another cold front will move through
Tuesday resulting in another chance of showers/storms. In between,
we`ll see typical summer weather with dewpoints well into the 60s,
which means humid weather. Highs will be in the lower to mid 80s. A
good amount of sunshine too can be expected outside of the
showers/storms.

&&

.AVIATION...(For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Thursday morning)
Issued at 745 AM EDT Wed Aug 16 2017

VFR weather with light southeast winds expected today and
this evening, then some showers and tstms will move in from the
southwest after 06Z tonight. Vsbys could occasionally drop into
the MVFR or IFR category if heavier showers impact the terminals
overnight.


&&

.MARINE...
Issued at 330 AM EDT Wed Aug 16 2017

Confidence is fairly high that we will need Small Craft
Advisories and Beach Hazard Statements Thursday night into
Friday. Winds are expected to increase significantly out of the
west-northwest as the sfc low tracks across ern upr MI and into
Ontario.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...
Issued at 1137 AM EDT Tue Aug 15 2017

Observations reflect 24-hour rainfall amounts of 0.25-0.50 and
locally around 1.00 inch between I-96 and I-94, stretching from
Lake Michigan, east to the Detroit area. A couple of the rivers in
this swath (e.g. Jackson) show rises, but are expected to remain
well within banks. Another area of beneficial rain fell from
Ludington to Harrison and locations to the northeast.

The midweek system is beginning to look a bit more impressive with
each update in guidance. Precipitable water values are around and
above 2 inches, especially along and south of I-96, late
Wednesday night into Thursday afternoon. It is looking more
plausible that at least locally heavy rain could result as the
best lift moves in along the warm front Wednesday night into
Thursday morning. Another round of rain could develop with the
passage of the cold front during the day Thursday. Timing could
play a role in determining thunderstorm intensity, which could
affect overall rainfall amounts. Given the anomalous moisture
values and overall potential, this system may need monitored as
the forecast evolves through Wednesday.

&&

.GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MI...None.
LM...None.
&&

$$

SYNOPSIS...Meade
SHORT TERM...Meade
LONG TERM...04
AVIATION...Meade
HYDROLOGY...JAM
MARINE...Meade