


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Grand Rapids, MI
Issued by NWS Grand Rapids, MI
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250 FXUS63 KGRR 171109 AFDGRR Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Rapids MI 709 AM EDT Tue Jun 17 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Small Chances for showers/storms through Wednesday morning - Severe weather potential increasing for Wed afternoon/evening - Storm chances Friday through Saturday; then Heat Builds && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 342 AM EDT Tue Jun 17 2025 - Small Chances for showers/storms through Wednesday morning We are going to see mainly dry conditions dominate over the area over the next 30 hours or so, but there will be multiple small chances of a shower or storm popping through Wednesday morning. These chances will be mainly focused along a weak cold front that is currently over Western Wisconsin and far SE Minnesota. There are a few showers and isolated storms over Eastern Wisconsin currently as of 0730z/3:30 am EDT this morning. These showers and storms are associated with warm and moist advection associated with the low level jet ahead of the front. These showers and isolated storms are falling apart, and will continue to do so. They may reach the lakeshore before dissipating completely by mid morning. The front will slowly push through the forecast area this afternoon, which normally would be somewhat favorable to fire a few showers/storms. We will have a less than favorable set up this afternoon, barely to justify 20 pops. As the front drops in, the flow will become more generally divergent downwind of Lake Michigan with a flow off of the lake. The front will sink south to near or just south of the I-94 corridor tonight. The chance of a few showers and storms popping tonight will be a little more favorable as a low level just out to our west will focus a warmer and more moist air mass to be advected up and over the front. This shower/storm activity does not look to feature any severe weather as it will be mainly elevated north of the front. - Severe weather potential increasing for Wed afternoon/evening We will likely see some of the shower activity linger into the morning hours of Wednesday as we see the low level jet approach the area. The showers and storms should then push north and east as the strengthening sfc low to our SW will drive the warm front north across the forecast area. This will bring the very warm and humid air mass in the warm sector up and over the area. This warm and moist air mass will then drive instability up with CAPEs forecast to increase to over 2,000 J/kg by late Wednesday afternoon for a good chunk of the area. It will be late Wednesday afternoon and evening that the strong short wave supporting the sfc low will be pushing right up over the area. The stronger and organized fashion of the short wave will likely develop an arc of storms out ahead of it that will quite supportive of damaging winds with it. Deep layer shear values are forecast to rise to around 40-50 knots at this time also. The CAMs and even synoptic models are all latching on to this idea with some small variations. Large hail will be possible, but mid level lapse rates are not that impressive with values around 6-6.5 C/km. The threat of at least a tornado or two will be there, especially closer to the sfc low where a backed wind flow in the column will support that. Any tornadoes will likely by the QLCS type with the line of storms expected. All of these factors definitely support the upgrade to an enhanced risk by the SPC. - Storm chances Friday through Saturday; then Heat Builds It is looking more likely that Thursday may just end up being cooler, less humid, and dry for the area. The upper trough does not support another short wave moving in later Thursday as it once did. It is more ridging then anything else in the wake of the stronger sfc low moving through on Wednesday. We are still looking at somewhat of an unsettled period for Friday into Saturday, then resulting in heat and humidity building for Sunday and Monday. We will see the upper ridge start to build over the region on Friday. We will be on the edge of the building warm dome that will be building northward. Being on or near the edge will put us in the transition zone with plenty of fuel/instability just south, and short wave energy with the upper jet. This scenario will result in the potential for a couple of MCS` that would ride along the jet. Confidence is starting to increase that the favored zone may be just north of the area. However, these MCS` can propagate a little further south than models try to indicate. There is good agreement however that the ridge builds sufficiently to cap our atmosphere, and heat us up. We will have a decent potential of touching 90F with this ridge. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z WEDNESDAY/... Issued at 708 AM EDT Tue Jun 17 2025 The showers that were over in Wisconsin heading toward KMKG earlier have since dissipated. With the dissipation of those, it is likely the terminals will stay dry through at least the early evening hours. There is a small chance a shower or storm pops up, but it is too small to include in the forecast at this time. We will see diurnal cumulus clouds develop by afternoon, and lingering mid level clouds. Winds will be a little gusty with gusts to 20 knots likely this afternoon. We will see shower and storm potential increase enough after 00-02z at the I-94 terminals and KLAN near a front stalled out to include a PROB30 for that. Otherwise, a good deal of uncertainty still exist with additional development after that. && .MARINE... Issued at 342 AM EDT Tue Jun 17 2025 The latest trends for winds and resulting waves are for the nearshore to stay below any Small Craft/Beach Hazards criteria until Wednesday afternoon ahead of the incoming front. Small Craft criteria is expected Wednesday afternoon ahead of the front, and Gales are possible in the wake of the front on the backside of the stronger low moving through. && .GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...Air Quality Alert until midnight EDT tonight for MIZ050-056-057- 064-071. MARINE...None. && $$ DISCUSSION...NJJ AVIATION...NJJ MARINE...NJJ