DETROIT – Our first 90 degree day of the year arrives Saturday, and it won’t be our last in this forecast either.
Expect an unseasonably mild night with temperatures dropping only to the mid 60s in the Metro Zone. With mostly sunny skies expected Saturday, temperatures will have no trouble reaching the upper 80s. But some spots, like Detroit, will touch 90. Humidity will be barely noticeable this weekend. So heat index readings won’t be a factor just yet.
Related: How to keep cool amid Metro Detroit heat wave
With plenty of sunshine and heat plus relatively light winds, this is a perfect setup for ground-level ozone. That’s why an Air Quality Alert has been posted for most of southeast Michigan. Ozone is very beneficial in the upper levels when it acts as a shield against harmful effects of the sun’s rays. But when it forms near the surface, it can make breathing difficult for people with respiratory issues. If you’re in that group, take it easy outdoors on Saturday.
That alert is in effect for Saturday, but it will likely be issued for Sunday as well. There isn’t much change in the forecast. Temperatures will be a degree or two higher on both the high and low end. And there will be plenty of sunshine for both days. Humidity may creep up a bit, but we won’t be muggy territory until next week.
Next Week
Summer is still two weeks away, but next week’s forecast really has all the hallmarks of a mid-season stretch.
Temperatures will be very warm, although just a couple degrees cooler than the weekend. Humidity will be higher, putting heat index readings in the 90s, even though air temperatures will be in the 80s, outside of Monday afternoon. And we start dealing with pop-up thunderstorm threats every single day of the work week.
Right now, Tuesday looks like the most likely day to see those p.m. storms.