Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Detroit/Pontiac, MI

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000 FXUS63 KDTX 140401 AFDDTX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac MI 1201 AM EDT Sun Apr 14 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - There is a chance of thunderstorms late tonight, mainly north of Interstate 69. Small hail is possible with these thunderstorms. - Warm conditions expected Sunday. - The next chance of rain will be late Tuesday into Wednesday. There is a chance of thunderstorms on Wednesday. && .AVIATION...
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Significant midlevel warm air advection resulted in high static stability across Lower Michigan this evening. A weak mid to upper level trough inflection will allow for a weak area of low pressure to zip across portions of northern Lower Michigan and the southern basin of Lake Huron between 06-12Z tonight. Forecast soundings support an elevated mixed layer pushing into the state which will result in elevated instability conditional to how far southward midlevel moisture will advect. Model signal supports an area of elevated shower and thunderstorm activity developing over Northeast Wisconsin and pushing through the northern cwa between 08-10Z. Maintained the TEMPO shower group at MBS with dry conditions to the south. Will monitor guidance this evening for possible -TSRA at MBS. A dry cold front will push southward through Southeast Michigan between 15-20Z with very active subsidence progged between 6.0-14.0 kft agl. Dry VFR conditions are anticipated Sunday afternoon. .DTW THRESHOLD PROBABILITIES... * None.
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&& .PREV DISCUSSION... Issued at 317 PM EDT Sat Apr 13 2024 DISCUSSION... A fast moving mid level short wave impulse and upper jet max now over south central Canada will move across Lake Superior late tonight into Sunday morning. A strong low level jet (50-60 knots) is forecast to develop across the western Great Lakes overnight, tied to the exit region of the upper jet streak. The nose of this enhanced low level inflow will push across the thumb and Lake Huron. An elevated mixed layer (EML) will be advected from the central plains across Lower Mi overnight. Steep mid level lapse rates (700- 500mb) around 8 C/km within a respectable low-mid level moist axis will contribute to moderate elevated instability (0-3km MU Cape up to 1500 J/kg) late tonight thru Sun morning. The better chances for convective initiation will be within the nose of the low level jet axis (extending from the Saginaw Valley/Thumb regions into Lake Huron) where forcing will be maximized. A deep stable layer near the surface will lesson the risk of gusty winds with the storms. However, the degree of elevated instability does suggest a hail risk with some of the storms. Wind speeds will decrease this evening as nocturnal cooling sets in and a sfc ridge passes overhead. After the last two days of rain, sfc dewpoints today have dropped nicely (into the 30s). This will support a rapid drop in temps this evening (into the 40s around midnight) before mid level clouds and strengthening low level flow drives warmer air into Se Mi overnight, leading to warming temps toward daybreak. Sfc low pressure will track across northern Lower Mi and Lake Huron Sunday, driving a slow moving cold front across Se MI. This cold front and lake breeze boundaries will establish a healthy temp gradient across Se Mi, with highs in the 50s in the thumb to upper 60s to mid 70s inland. Daytime heating will result in the development of sfc based cape by Sunday afternoon. Despite the numerous low level boundaries across Se Mi, the strongest forcing aloft is forecast well southeast of the forecast area. Model soundings also suggest the EML overhead will maintain a stout capping inversion. This supports only a slight chance of afternoon convection at best. Sfc high pressure will expand across the forecast area Sunday night into Monday amidst confluent mid level flow, leading to tranquil conditions across Se Mi. A deep upper low is forecast to emerge from the lee of the Central Rockies on Tuesday and rotate across the Great Lakes region on Wednesday. A lead ribbon of elevated frontal forcing will provide a chance of rain late Tuesday/Tuesday night. There is reasonable model agreement that the associated occluded sfc low will track northwest of the forecast area on Wednesday. The main point of uncertainty is whether the surface instability axis remains south of the state line or is able to advect into Se Mi. The latter would result in a greater risk of strong/severe convection given the shear profiles. This system will be forced northeast of the region by Thursday as a polar low is forecast to rotate into the Northern Great Lakes by the end of the work week, supporting a trend toward cooler temperatures. MARINE... Westerly winds gusting 25 to 30 knots this afternoon across the Central Great lakes will drop off quickly toward sunset. Will allow the small craft advisories to expire at 4 PM, although there will likely be a few leftover gusts around 25 knots for an hour or two after. Winds will be light tonight as a surface ridge slides through, before a weak low tracks through lower Michigan on Sunday. This system brings chances for additional showers and a few thunderstorms late tonight into Sunday morning, mainly over Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie. No wind headlines are expected with this system as wind gusts generally top out around 20kts. The nearshore waters of Lake Erie look to be most susceptible to reach wind gusts to 25 knots for a short period on Sunday, but there is a lot of warm air streaming in which will lead to stable low level profiles over the water. Broad surface high pressure in place to start the work week will provide light winds on Monday, with easterly winds increasing on Tuesday ahead of the next low pressure system moving into the the Central Great Lakes on Wednesday. This system will bring widespread showers and possible thunderstorms. && .DTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...None. Lake Huron...None. Lake St Clair...None. Michigan waters of Lake Erie...None. && $$ AVIATION.....CB DISCUSSION...SC MARINE.......SF You can obtain your latest National Weather Service forecasts online at www.weather.gov/detroit.

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