Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Marquette, MI

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045 FXUS63 KMQT 122336 AFDMQT Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Marquette MI 736 PM EDT Sat Jul 12 2025 .KEY MESSAGES...
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- Wildfire smoke from Canada will be over the area through at least Sunday night resulting in air quality concerns and reduced visibility. - Periods of showers and thunderstorms possible Tuesday into Wednesday (30-60%).
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&& .SHORT TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/... Issued at 249 PM EDT Sat Jul 12 2025 Water vapor imagery shows a shortwave trough pivoting into western WI with modest lift ahead of it. This has resulted in areas of showers and a few embedded storms across the UP thus far today. Surface analysis shows a weak cold frontal boundary across central portions of the UP moving east. A line of showers and a couple embedded storms has developed along this line, but thus far has been fairly weak. There is an area of clearing ahead of this line resulting in a narrow window of destabilization, where 12Z CAMs have favored convection becoming more invigorated. Effective bulk shear of 30-40 kt suggests organization is possible in convective storms, but thermodynamics are more marginal with HREF mean SBCAPE topping out around 1000 J/kg. Window for stronger storms is likely 3-9 pm mainly over the eastern half. HREF LPMM has an area of 1-2" of rain over portions of the east, suggesting a threat for locally heavy rainfall. The other story is the Canadian wildfire smoke mixing down to the surface behind the front, with widespread 1-5SM vsby from the western UP back into northern MN. Michigan EGLE issued an Air Quality Alert through noon Monday, starting today in the western half and tonight in the eastern half. HRRR smoke model suggests the smoke will be with us at least through Sunday night if not Monday. Any showers/storms should quickly dissipate tonight with dewpoints decreasing behind the boundary. Lows, mainly upper 50s to low 60s. On Sunday, low pressure lifts into James Bay with high pressure over the mid-Mississippi Valley. Resulting SW flow will keep temps on the mild side with highs mainly in the 80s, although humidity will not be a factor in most areas, and precipitation is not expected. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... Issued at 249 PM EDT Sat Jul 12 2025 A few showers or perhaps a thunderstorm will be possible Sunday night as a weakening boundary tries to move through from the west. For early next week, zonal midlevel flow initially will become more amplified with time over the northern tier of the CONUS as troughing digs into the northern Plains, resulting in SW flow over the local area. At the surface, an area of low pressure will develop over the Rockies/central Plains, with a warm front extending NE into the northern Plains or upper Great Lakes. After a dry and seasonably warm day Monday (highs mainly in the 80s), precipitation chances enter the picture again Tuesday/Wednesday as impulses in the SW flow team up with diurnal instability to generate areas of showers and thunderstorms. There is still uncertainty with timing and placement of the front upon which most of the activity should be focused, so general broad-brush chance to low-likely (30-60%) PoPs will suffice, with Wednesday having relatively higher probabilities for precipitation over most areas. With relatively more ensemble members having the front north of our area on Tuesday, another warm day in the 80s looks likely, with a cool- down becoming more likely Wednesday on the back side of the front. Gradually trending drier and seasonably cool for the end of the week as high pressure builds over the northern Plains/Great Lakes. && .AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z MONDAY/...
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Issued at 735 PM EDT Sat Jul 12 2025 Primarily VFR cigs are expected during the 0Z TAF period, but Canadian wildfire smoke will continue to yield varying levels of vis restrictions the entire TAF period at all sites. Mainly MVFR to IFR levels are anticipated with the next few hours as well as Sunday morning/early afternoon being the periods of lowest vis. That said, confidence in exact vis restriction timing is still low. Otherwise, W to SW winds will hold around 10 kts with gusts up around 25 kts at CMX this evening and again on Sun. Elsewhere W to SW winds settle to around 5-8 kts overnight, increasing to around 10 kts by Sun afternoon.
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&& .MARINE... Issued at 249 PM EDT Sat Jul 12 2025 A weak boundary will bring a chance of thunderstorms mainly over the eastern half through this evening. Behind this line, visibility will likely be reduced in areas of fog and wildfire smoke into Sunday. Winds will increase tonight into Sunday with west-southwesterly gusts to 20-25 kt through Sunday, mainly over the western half. Winds diminish early in the week, but could increase to near 20 kt from the north late in the week behind a frontal boundary. Unsettled weather returns Tuesday/Wednesday with additional rounds of showers and thunderstorms possible, plus the potential for fog where rainfall occurs. && .MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Upper Michigan... Air Quality Alert until noon EDT /11 AM CDT/ Monday for MIZ001>005-009>011-084. Air Quality Alert from midnight EDT /11 PM CDT/ tonight to noon EDT /11 AM CDT/ Monday for MIZ006-007-012>014-085. Lake Superior... None. Lake Michigan... None. && $$ SHORT TERM...Thompson LONG TERM...Thompson AVIATION...Jablonski MARINE...Thompson