DETROIT – There's no arguing with the fact that it was a very hot day today -- most areas approached 90° for a high.
Tomorrow will be equally hot on the thermometer. But for us humans (and our pets), it'll feel hotter because the humidity will be higher, and you know the ol' saying: "It's not the heat, it's the humidity." Fortunately, this won't be an extended stretch of steamy weather.
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Tonight will be mostly clear, although some of those high, thin cirrus clouds may approach the area later at night. Lows in the mid to upper 60s (19° Celsius for you Canadians). Once again, calm air means no breeze coming through those bedroom windows.
Wednesday should start mostly sunny, and temperatures will rise quickly through the morning. We'll be in the mid 80s (29° Celsius) by lunchtime, and soar to a high near 90° (32° Celsius), although you'll definitely notice a much stickier feel to the heat than it felt Monday and today. An approaching cold front will trigger scattered thunderstorms by mid (far western suburbs) to late (eastern suburbs) afternoon. Not everybody will necessarily see any beneficial rain tomorrow. "Scattered" means just that: individual areas of thunderstorms, with space between them where there's no rain. Just think back to this past Saturday afternoon, when some of us got a nice little downpour, and others didn't get a drop. It'll probably be the same scenario, although I think we'll see a bit more coverage than we saw Saturday. Southwest wind at 8 to 13 mph by afternoon.
Severe weather potential Wednesday
The next thing to talk about is the severe weather potential Wednesday afternoon. Ingredients will be in place that promote both a severe and non-severe scenario. Favorable parameters include the hot and humid air mass that will be overhead, and perfect timing for the approaching front (late afternoon). Unfavorable parameters include dynamics aloft weakening and shifting a little farther north (i.e., those dynamics won't be in a favorable position to enhance our storms). It's a real close call but, IF any storms do become severe, the primary threat is severe or near-severe straight-line wind gusts. I do not see large hail or tornadoes as a threat in this situation.
The Storm Prediction Center has us in the "Marginal" risk area for severe weather tomorrow, and I consider this highly appropriate. If you have outdoor plans tomorrow afternoon, I strongly suggest frequently checking the awesome radar page on the FREE Local4Casters weather app that you can download from the app store right onto your phone (search under WDIV). Also, don't forget to follow me on Twitter, as I tweet updates and radar images when important weather is in the area.
You can find me at @PGLocal4. Finally, if you manage to SAFELY photograph or video any storms or damage, make sure to pin your photos on Storm Pins (also downloadable for free from the app store...also found by searching for WDIV). Not only can we get those photos on TV, but you also help out the National Weather Service, which monitors Storm Pins and uses your photos to help verify severe weather. And remember that you can all see each other's photos in the Storm Pins photo gallery on the app!
Wednesday's sunrise is at 6:23 AM, and Wednesday's sunset is at 8:56 PM.
Mostly clear Wednesday night, with lows in the mid 60s.
Mostly sunny and less humid on Thursday, with highs in the mid 80s.
Mostly clear Thursday night, with lows in the low to mid 60s.
Mostly sunny on Friday, with highs in the mid 80s.
Here's a change to the forecast:
Some of today's models project a weak cold front swinging through the area Friday night, and generating a few scattered showers with it. Lows in the mid 60s.
The Friday night cold front should clear the area just before dawn Saturday, which means that Saturday should end up mostly sunny, with highs in the mid 80s.
Mostly clear Saturday night, with lows in the mid 60s.
Partly cloudy on Sunday with a chance of scattered thunderstorms as another cold front crosses the area. This front's timing and dynamics are highly uncertain right now…I'll update you on this as I get a better handle on things this week. Highs in the mid 80s.
The Sunday cold front may end up hanging around for a couple of days, which would keep thunderstorm chances in the area on Monday and Tuesday. I don't think it will be all day rain…just a period of storms each day. Once the front moves south of us and ushers in some cooler air, we'll see highs drop to near 80° by Tuesday, and possibly into the 70s Wednesday and Thursday.