Severe storm threat tonight, Wednesday in metro Detroit

However, spectacular holiday weekend ahead!

DETROIT – I am closely watching for development of a big batch of severe storms in Wisconsin this evening that could reach southeast Michigan late at night or during the morning rush hour.

As of the time I am writing this (5:45 p.m.), no storms exist. This particular type of storm is special (it even has a name -- Mesoscale Convective System, or MCS), because it blows up at night and weakens during the day. Since it doesn't exist yet, I can only project what the computer models suggest, which is late-night timing and a highest risk across the southwestern part of our area (Lenawee, Monroe and Washtenaw counties).

Some models bring it farther north, and some take it farther south -- so those of us south of M-59 all need to be aware. I'll tweet any updates this evening at @PaulGrossLocal4 if I can fine tune this forecast any better.

After any early morning storms move out, some sunshine could develop. Then, scattered strong storms are possible once again by mid-to-late afternoon as a cold front swings through. Highs in the upper 70s to near 80. Southwest wind at 8 to 13 mph.

Partly cloudy Wednesday night, with lows in the mid 50s.

Thursday and Friday forecast:

Becoming partly cloudy both Thursday and Friday, with highs in the mid to upper 60s, and overnight lows in the upper 40s.

Weekend forecast:

Then, here we go with the start of an awesome holiday weekend! Look for a ton of sun on Saturday, with highs in the low 70s. Clear Saturday night, with lows in the low 50s.

Sunday will indeed be a "sun-day," with highs in the mid 70s. Clear Sunday night, with lows in the mid 50s.

Memorial Day is still not a slam dunk but, after a good long look at the afternoon computer models, I'm sticking with yesterday's reasoning: the upper level ridge of high pressure that will dominate during the weekend should remain close enough to squash any thunderstorm development.

So right now, expect a partly cloudy day, with highs near 80! Remember to fly your flag as we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. If you don't have a flag, think about going out and buying one -- they're not that expensive.

Let's drape the area with a red, white and blue tribute to our fallen soldiers. I'll proudly fly my flag on Memorial Day. In fact, I just may have it out all weekend since it's not going to rain.