Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Detroit/Pontiac, MI
Issued by NWS Detroit/Pontiac, MI
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965 FXUS63 KDTX 231705 AFDDTX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac MI 105 PM EDT Sun Jun 23 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - A cooler and less humid air mass gradually builds into Lower Michigan today and tonight. - High temperatures in the upper 70s to lower 80s Monday are right around normal for mid to late June. - Showers and thunderstorms become active again during the mid week period. && .AVIATION... The cold front has cleared the region early this afternoon ushering in a cooler airmass that has supported persistent MVFR ceilings across lower MI. Strong advection will continue to support breezier conditions with west-northwest winds gusting up to around 25kts through this afternoon. Daytime heating and a drier airmass settling into the area will gradually lift these cigs into VFR into this evening with coverage diminishing overnight as high pressure builds in. This high also results in northwest winds turning much weaker, aob 10kts, going into Monday. A few isolated showers remain possible during the daylight hours today though best potential resides east of the TAF corridor over the Thumb, so have not included mentions for any sites. For DTW/D21 Convection...No convection is expected during the forecast period. DTW THRESHOLD PROBABILITIES... * High for ceilings aob 5kft today, low this evening. * Moderate to reach crosswind thresholds from ~280-290 degrees this afternoon. Low by evening. && .PREV DISCUSSION... Issued at 353 AM EDT Sun Jun 23 2024 DISCUSSION... Cold front supported showers and thunderstorms exit eastward this morning followed by cooler and less humid air for this afternoon. A considerable cloud component follows the front across Lower MI lending some confidence to temperature guidance that offers highs only in the upper 70s most areas except lower 80s metro Detroit to the Ohio border. Surface Td projections show just a gradual decrease into the lower 60s but on breezy W-NW wind. The air mass then becomes more fully exchanged tonight as Td drops into the 50s. A northern stream mid level circulation and upper level jet max move from central Canada into the upper Midwest today and across the northern Great Lakes tonight. Agreement among the latest model runs is improved on the associated rain pattern grazing the Thumb region while affecting much of Lake Huron by late evening into the overnight hours. Mid level moisture is better than adequate judging by the structure of model 700 mb theta-e fields, and the circulation strength provides an energetic surge of DCVA to help force the pattern of showers. Scattered coverage on the west flank of the moisture pattern looks good until the system exits into Ontario by sunrise Monday. Progression of mid level wave structures continues Monday which brings a short wave ridge into the Great Lakes. The ridge builds surface high pressure across the region to reinforce a low humidity air mass. It also offers a higher than average confidence forecast of dry weather. Guidance projected high temperatures around 80 are right around normal for mid-late June. The next Plains low pressure system is close on the heels of Great Lakes high pressure Monday night into Tuesday. There is a faster trend in model timing of arrival on the leading warm advection and associated showers/storms into Lower MI late Monday night into Tuesday. Onset timing predictability is affected by the larger scale mid level pattern moving toward a more zonal configuration while confidence in development of renewed convective activity is higher than average. The setup looks like a textbook low level jet driven nocturnal MCS pattern limited by a sharp west to east instability gradient late Monday night into Tuesday morning. Low pressure tracking through northern Ontario then pulls the instability axis into Lower MI for round 2 Tuesday night into early Wednesday. The cold front trailing the mid week system moves through Lower MI by Thursday morning followed by a round of high pressure similar to Monday with the possible exception of less short wave ridging in the mid levels. This just means zonal flow persists within the larger scale pattern to keep systems progressive and convectively active across North America into next weekend. MARINE... A low pressure system over Lake Huron is pulling a cold front across the Great Lakes this morning. Widespread showers and thunderstorms will continue early this morning before the surface cold front passes east of the area later this morning. Winds will flip around to the north behind the front which will allow the small craft advisory to come to an end. A secondary cold front will then drop southward across the region tonight which may touch off a few more showers and reinforce the northerly winds. Overall wind speeds will hold below 20 knots as high pressure will be trying to push in from the west helping to weaken the gradient. High pressure becomes centered over the region Monday bringing improved conditions but the next frontal passage comes Tuesday bringing the next chance of increased southwesterly flow and thunderstorms. && .DTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...None. Lake Huron...Small Craft Advisory until 10 PM EDT this evening for LHZ421-422- 441>443. Lake St Clair...Small Craft Advisory until 10 PM EDT this evening for LCZ460. Michigan waters of Lake Erie...Small Craft Advisory until 10 PM EDT this evening for LEZ444. && $$ AVIATION.....KDK DISCUSSION...BT MARINE.......DRK You can obtain your latest National Weather Service forecasts online at www.weather.gov/detroit.