Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Grand Rapids, MI

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899 FXUS63 KGRR 291139 AFDGRR Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Rapids MI 739 AM EDT Wed May 29 2024 .KEY MESSAGES...
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- Lingering rain this morning, clear and cold night into Thurs - Low Chance of Weekend Showers, Mainly on Saturday - Periodic Shower/Storm Chances Early Next Week
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&& .DISCUSSION...
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Issued at 330 AM EDT Wed May 29 2024 - Lingering rain this morning, clear and cold night into Thurs The slow moving upper level trough continues to fuel a quasi stationary boundary allowing for continued rain showers through far southwest Michigan. Rain showers continue along and south of the I 94 corridor and west of Battle Creek. While the showers continue to decrease in intensity they have spread out in area. Building ridge over the the central Plains into central Canada will slowly push the upper level low and the moist boundary fueling these showers eastward this afternoon. Dry northerly flow downsloping off the building ridge will advect into the area, ending showers this afternoon as the boundary is finally pushed into the Ohio river valley and the Mid Atlantic. Lower Michigan will remain in a juxtaposition between the positively tilted upper level trough extending from the upper level low to the northeast and the building ridge to the west. This will keep dry air over the area into Thursday with persistent northerly winds. The northerly flow advecting dry air into the area will bring clear skies tonight into Thursday morning. Lows will drop tonight into the mid 30s along and north of the US 10 corridor. So patchy frost is likely, however the winds should remain strong enough for it to not become widespread. Maximum temperatures will creep back into the upper 60s to low 70s today and tomorrow though highs remain slightly below normal. - Low Chance of Weekend Showers, Mainly Saturday After a sunny/pleasant Friday with highs in the mid 70s, models are still sending a shortwave from the Central Plains through the region on Saturday. However incoming precip could struggle due to a pre- existing dry/stable air mass over MI. Generally only a 20-30 percent shower chance anticipated at this time and any thunder threat should be restricted to far srn sections. Still fairly good potential for a dry Sunday in the wake of that shortwave but a small (20) pop was maintained mainly south and east of GRR. - Periodic Shower/Storm Chances Early Next Week Flat/zonal upper flow for early next week will probably send a shortwave or two through Lwr MI but timing of such waves remains low. Currently it looks like the best wave comes through later Monday into Monday night with shortwave ridging following on Tuesday, but will have to see if that holds. Otherwise rising dew points and sfc instability in warm pattern will support a daily shower/tstm chance each day early next week, enhanced by any shortwave troughs and/or areas of sfc convergence.
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&& .AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY/...
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Issued at 739 AM EDT Wed May 29 2024 VFR weather can be expected today and tonight. Lingering light showers near and south of a BTL-LAN line will end soon, but a few isolated showers could redevelop this afternoon. A tstm is not completely out of the question either but the chance is too low to have in any of the TAFs at this time. Cloud bases today generally between 6000 and 9000 ft then skies clearing out this evening after 00Z from north to south.
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&& .MARINE... Issued at 330 AM EDT Wed May 29 2024 Bottom line up front, have expanded the small craft advisory this afternoon to include all zones due to the northerly flow. The downsloping northerly gradient will peak this afternoon into the early evening. This will lead to an increase of the flow of hazardous conditions. The northerly winds could allow brief periods of hazardous conditions along the lakeshore and while northerly beaches could be affected briefly, wave severity is marginal and short lived. && .GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...Beach Hazards Statement from noon EDT today through this evening for MIZ064-071. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory until 11 PM EDT this evening for LMZ844>848. Small Craft Advisory from 2 PM this afternoon to 8 PM EDT this evening for LMZ849. && $$ DISCUSSION...Meade/Ceru AVIATION...Meade MARINE...Ceru