DETROIT – After a weekend with very comfortable temperatures, the heat roared back into southeast Michigan, with temperatures at Metro Airport officially hitting 90 degrees (32 degrees Celsius) for the fourteenth time this year.
This now doubles the number of 90 degree days (7) that we had all of last year, and is above our long-term average of twelve. And it’s only the second week in July. And more 90s are in the forecast.
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Also of note is our lack of rain. Even though we are well above average for precipitation since January 1st, the devil is in the details: over the past fourteen days, Metro Airport has received almost no rain…just one-tenth of an inch. That’s 1.38 inches below average for those two weeks. And it’s been very hot during that stretch. And unwatered lawns around town are turning brown. And there is very little rain in the forecast through the end of the week.
Our one chance of rain through Friday is late tonight, when a cold front crosses the area and brings some scattered showers before dawn in the Thumb, and between 6:00 and 10:00 a.m. farther south.
Unfortunately, the timing is such that the atmosphere won’t be unstable enough to generate thunderstorms with much-needed downpours. The best we can hope for is that some of us get enough of a shower to help for a day or two, but most of the showers won’t give us enough rain to make much of a difference. Lows tonight should drop into the mid 60s to near 70 degrees (18 to 21 degrees Celsius), with a very light southwest wind not bringing much of a breeze in the windows to help us sleep.
After the scattered Tuesday morning showers clear the area, sunshine returns for the rest of the day. Highs in the mid 80s (30 degrees Celsius). Wind will shift to the north at 8 to 13 mph after the cold front passes by. Something you’ll notice Tuesday is the humidity increasing noticeably ahead of that front, then dropping dramatically behind the front.
Tuesday’s sunrise is at 6:06 a.m., and Tuesday’s sunset is at 9:11 p.m.
Mostly clear Tuesday night, with lows in the low 60s (16 degrees Celsius), and even cooler than that in rural locations.
Mostly sunny on Wednesday, with very comfortable humidity. Highs in the mid 80s (29 degrees Celsius).
Mostly clear and still very comfortable Wednesday night, with lows in the low 60s (17 degrees Celsius).
Mostly sunny on Thursday, with the temperature and humidity starting to ramp up once again. Highs in the mid to upper 80s (30 to 31 degrees Celsius).
Mostly clear Thursday night, with lows in the upper 60s (20 degrees Celsius).
Mostly sunny on Friday, with highs near 90 degrees (32 degrees Celsius).
The Weekend
It appears that a very weak front will cross the area on Saturday, and hopefully will generate a few thunderstorms. This is by no means guaranteed…we’ll keep you updated through the week. But at this point, it’ll be a struggle between those who desperately need rain, and those with weddings and graduation parties planned. Humid highs will be near 90 degrees (32 degrees Celsius), and it’ll be another warm, muggy, uncomfortable sleeping night Saturday night.
Sunday looks to be partly cloudy, with highs in the low to mid 90s (33 to 34 degrees Celsius).
Relief?
When do we finally get some relief? Be patient…it’s a few more days away.
Monday should be partly cloudy, hot and humid, with highs in the mid 90s (34 degrees Celsius).
A “real” cold front should finally push through the area on Tuesday, with (hopefully) some much-needed thunderstorms. Highs ahead of this front will still be near 90 degrees (32 degrees Celsius).
Finally, next Wednesday, we get back to a mostly sunny and much less humid day, with highs in the mid 80s (29 degrees Celsius), and today’s long range computer models (called ensembles) suggest that we’ll stay in this comfortable summer temperature / humidity regime for a while.