DETROIT – TGIF!
The heat is on. And on. And on.
Friday’s sunrise was at 6:07 a.m.
Expect high, thin clouds to make for a pretty sky today that will allow plenty of sunshine through, boosting temperatures into the upper 80s this afternoon. South winds will move at 7 to 12 mph.
Friday’s sunset is at 8:54 p.m.
The combination of light wind, sunshine, and the heat means that today has been declared our first “Ozone Action Day” of the season. What that means is that conditions are such that low-level pollution will be turned into ozone, which is bad for our health. There are some very simple things you can do that actually make a huge difference:
- Wait to fuel your car until Friday evening, and don’t top it off.
- Avoid using gas-powered lawn equipment until evening.
- Reduce energy use to reduce emissions from our coal burning power plants.
Oh, the Irony
Given the hot day we’ll have Friday, how ironic is it that, on this date and tomorrow in 1883, Detroit received a five-inch snowfall! That’s right, we were digging out in the third week of May. I’m happy to also report that this is the latest measurable snow in Detroit weather history.
Alright, back to our regularly scheduled forecast.
Clouds will increase Friday night, and what a beautiful evening to barbecue or eat out at your favorite restaurant! Lows by the next morning will be in the mid 60s. Southwest winds blow at 3 to 6 mph.
Warm, possibly rainy weekend
Saturday starts mostly cloudy, and there could be a morning shower, but the best chance for any of this liquid gold is across the northern third of the region -- generally north of M-59. I know it’s a weekend, but we desperately need any rain we can get.
Skies should become partly cloudy Saturday afternoon, which will allow temps to recover into the mid to upper 80s. Saturday night will be partly cloudy with lows in the mid 60s.
Sunday morning will be partly cloudy, then there’s a chance for thunderstorms Sunday afternoon. Depending upon the storms’ timing, we could see a strong storm. Highs will be in the upper 80s.
Shower chances will continue into Sunday night, with lows in the low 60s.
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Next week preview
Monday will be mostly cloudy with a chance of showers, and highs dropping back into the mid 70s -- but keep in mind, there may be a large temperature gradient across the area if a front stays hung up here. This could be a situation where those of you near the state line reach 80 degrees, while those in the Thumb are only around 70 degrees.
That front roars back to the north on Tuesday, likely giving us some morning showers before the sun returns. The heat will return, as well, with highs in the upper 80s.
Wednesday will be partly cloudy with a possible thunderstorm and highs in the low 80s.
Thursday will be mostly sunny and very comfortable with highs in the mid 70s.
Clouds will increase on Friday, with highs near 80 degrees.
Memorial Day weekend
It’s obviously too early to get specific about the holiday weekend but, right now, it appears that there is at least a chance for showers or thunderstorms during part of the days on Saturday and Sunday, and then a mostly sunny Memorial Day itself. But don’t get too hung up yet on the weekend rain chance -- it may turn out not so bad.
Remember: The devil is always in the details, and I’ll be able to flesh those out next week to help you plan. Highs through the weekend will generally be in the upper 70s to near 80 degrees.