I’m rarely surprised by the weather, but Tuesday’s sunshine developed much earlier than anticipated -- there was not one shred of data that suggested we would see any sunshine before mid-afternoon. I’m never happy with a forecast going awry but, if it’s going to happen...getting more sunshine than expected is the way to go.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day
And on this one day when we’re all Irish, the Luck of the Irish will be with us!
Expect partly cloudy skies overall (parts of the northern Thumb could remain mostly cloudy) and mild conditions Wednesday, as highs reach the mid to upper 50s, with the warmest temperatures expected near the state line. What’s even nicer: we’ll have light wind today, generally flopping around between northeast and east at 4 to 8 mph -- although, even that light wind coming off the cold lakes will keep things cooler near those lakeshores.
Wednesday’s sunrise is at 7:41 a.m., and sunset is at 7:42 p.m.
Increasing clouds Wednesday night with some light rain possible late at night. Lows in the upper 30s (3 to 4 degrees Celsius). North wind at 7 to 12 mph.
The rest of the week ahead
Put simply, Thursday will not be a nice day. Rain is likely, with the most rain falling south of 8 Mile Road where we need it most -- soil conditions are currently categorized as abnormally dry or in moderate drought. It will be a windy day and this, combined with the rain and highs in the mid 40s, means that you may not want to plan on any outdoor activities. In fact, some high-resolution computer models even suggest rain may mix with snow, or even a changeover to snow…I’ll need to keep an eye on that.
Rain ends Thursday evening, followed by clearing skies. Lows will be in the mid 20s.
It will be mostly sunny, breezy and chilly on Friday, with highs in the low to mid 40s.
We’ll have clear skies Friday night, with lows in the mid 20s.
Upcoming weekend forecast
The weekend continues to look amazing, with lots of sunshine both days, and highs Saturday rebounding to near 50 degrees, and into the upper 50s to near 60 degrees on Sunday. And for a St. Patrick’s Day bonus prize: We’ll keep the nice weather at least into Monday, where highs should reach the low 60s!
St. Patrick’s Day weather in Ireland
On Tuesday, I was in touch with my good friend Karina Buckley, a TV meteorologist in Ireland. She told me that it’s going to be an unusually nice St. Patrick’s Day there on the Emerald Isle. The day will start with fog in some areas, and then the sun will come out and highs should get to near 60 degrees (15 to 16 degrees Celsius)! She also tells me that, like here, there will be no parades due to the pandemic. I can’t even imagine a subdued St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland…
Back in 1973, Detroit wasn’t so Lucky!
On St. Patrick’s Day in 1973, Detroit received 8.4 inches of snow! That’s the heaviest St. Patrick’s Day snowfall in recorded Detroit weather history. But the snow was still white…not green.