Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Grand Rapids, MI

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866 FXUS63 KGRR 060525 AFDGRR Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Rapids MI 125 AM EDT Thu Jun 6 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Clearing this evening, then showers/storms tonight - Scattered showers and cooler Thursday - Cooler Weekend With Some Showers Possible && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 915 PM EDT Wed Jun 5 2024 - Clearing this evening, then showers/storms tonight A cold front is currently moving across Lake Michigan and will sweep across the cwa later this afternoon/evening. Ahead of it, showers and thunderstorms developed as expected within an environment characterized by SBCAPE 2500 j/kg but only 25-30 knots bulk shear. The less than robust shear is likely holding back the storms from developing further. Radar shows a well defined MCV moving northeast into southern Calhoun County. This MCV is running out of real estate to produce stronger storms and the event may be over before it gets going. Quite a bit of high clouds likely prevented further destabilization that might have otherwise overcome the weak shear. Visible loop shows the back edge of the clearing moving across the lake and we`ll likely be back in the sunshine/clearing by early evening. A strong short wave will move in from the northwest tonight around midnight. CAMs show another line of showers/isold storms developing over Wisconsin and then moving over the lake around 05z. There`s roughly 400-500 j/kg MUCAPE to work with, so we may see some isolated thunder, but most of the precipitation will be showers. - Scattered showers and cooler Thursday As the upper low settles over Lower MI, h5 temps will fall from minus 11c to minus 16c. Those cooler temps aloft will probably be enough to generate some instability showers as mid level lapse rates climb to over 7c/km across northern Lower. Areas primed for showers would be the northern cwa, closer to the higher instability. This will continue Thursday night too. Highs Thursday will range from the upper 60s near US-10 to mid 70s near I-94. - Cooler Weekend With Some Showers Possible Upper troughing with a closed upper low settles over the region late in the week and through the weekend leading to cooler than normal conditions and a few chances for light rain. 850mb temperatures fall into the low single digits late this week leading to daytime highs in the mid to upper 60s Friday and into the low 70s by Saturday and Sunday. Overnight lows fall into the upper 40s to low 50s. A few chances for rain exist through the extend as several shortwaves ripple through the parent upper trough. Moisture will be fairly limited, so mainly light rain is expected. Most notably the chances for rain exist for Saturday and Sunday where some diurnal heating supports precipitation potential with some thunder possible Saturday afternoon/evening. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z FRIDAY/...
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Issued at 121 AM EDT Thu Jun 6 2024 VFR through this TAF period. Showers will be moving through the region until about 10z. The only risk for VCTS looks to be MKG for the next couple hours or so. Will continue to monitor radar trends as there is some elevated instability around that could help produce some lightning near other terminals. After the showers move out, a breezy afternoon is in store with gusts to 25 kts or even a bit higher.
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&& .MARINE... Issued at 246 PM EDT Wed Jun 5 2024 A Small Craft Advisory and Beach Hazards Statement remains in effect from midnight through 4pm Friday. A cold front will move across the lake late this afternoon and west winds behind it will bring in cooler air and increase to 20-25 knots. Waves in the 3-5 foot range are expected, highest between Grand Haven and South Haven where they`ll be closer to 4-5 feet. && .GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...Beach Hazards Statement through Friday afternoon for MIZ037-043- 050-056-064-071. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory until 4 PM EDT Friday for LMZ844>849. && $$ DISCUSSION...04/Thielke AVIATION...Hoving MARINE...04