DETROIT – Didn’t that sun feel great Wednesday afternoon?
A cold front actually came through the area, but former Local 4 Chief Meteorologist Mal Sillars’ rule No. 1 came true once again about getting sneaky warm if a cold front comes through during the day: More often than not, we tend to warm up more than expected since the core of the incoming colder air mass really doesn’t arrive until several hours later. Of course, this doesn’t work with an Arctic front -- we’ve seen those drop our temperatures immediately. But not yesterday!
Now it’s back to reality, and highs will remain not too far from our long-term average high of 41 degrees (5 degrees Celsius) for the next few days. Then, as you’ll read in a moment, another big warm-up arrives!
This morning will feature mostly cloudy skies for the Thumb down into the Metro Zone, with the South and West Zones seeing more clear sky than the rest of us. Clouds will tend to start breaking up by mid-afternoon, and I think we’ll end the afternoon partly cloudy. Highs in the mid-to-upper 30s (3 degrees Celsius) -- but only in the low 30s (0 degrees Celsius) in the Thumb. North-northwest wind at 7 to 13 mph will add a bit more chill to the air.
Today’s sunrise is at 7:03 a.m., and today’s sunset is at 6:27 p.m.
Becoming mostly clear Thursday night, with lows in the upper teens (-8 degrees Celsius). Northwest wind at 4 to 8 mph.
Mostly sunny on Friday, although it will become breezy. Highs in the upper 30s (4 degrees Celsius) -- but mid 30s (2 degrees Celsius) in the Thumb.
Mostly clear Friday night, with lows in the upper teens to near 20 degrees (-8 to -7 degrees Celsius).
Weekend update
It still looks like a splendid late winter / early spring Pure Michigan weekend, with mostly sunny skies and highs in the upper 30s (4 degrees Celsius) on Saturday and in the low 40s (6 degrees Celsius) on Sunday.
Next week warm-up
Monday and Tuesday will be dry, with mostly cloudy skies Monday morning becoming partly cloudy, and then remaining partly cloudy through Tuesday. Highs Monday rebound into the low 50s (11 to 12 degrees Celsius), and into the mid-to-upper 50s (14 degrees Celsius) on Tuesday.
And then comes Wednesday. Clouds will increase, and we may remain dry through late afternoon (the ECMWF model has been consistent on this, while the GFS brings in the rain midday).
I’m sticking with the ECMWF on this one and, by keeping things dry longer, I think we can hit 60 degrees (15 to 16 degrees Celsius)!
However, rain comes in with the approaching cold front Wednesday night, and we’ll have showers into the day on Thursday. Then it’s back to reality again next Friday into that weekend.