DETROIT – Scattered thunderstorms will develop this afternoon, with the threat extending into the late afternoon/early evening hours.
Based upon the dynamics and thermodynamics aloft, the primary severe threat from these storms is strong wind gusts -- this is because rain and already strong wind aloft will fall into a drier layer of air closer to the surface. This will cause some of the rain to evaporate, which causes cooling (same reason why you feel cold after getting out of a pool or the shower -- water is evaporating off your skin).
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Since cool air is more dense than warmer air, this causes the air being dragged down by those raindrops to accelerate, which translates to stronger wind gusts out ahead of the storm. As of the time I am writing this, severe storms have already developed north of the Bay City/Saginaw area, with more pop-ups just initiating farther south.
Stay alert for potential storms with strong wind gusts this afternoon (and even some hail isn’t totally out of the question, although the wind gusts are the main threat). Monitor the developing weather on our free Local4Casters weather app – just search under WDIV in the app store if you don’t already have it. A lot of people tracked the weather at Comerica Park and the Grand Prix this past weekend on our app, and this gave them the ability to plan and prepare.
Also remember to follow me on Twitter at @PGLocal4 and @Local4Casters -- I’ll tweet updates when necessary. Ben Bailey will have the latest starting on Local 4 News First at 4, which you can watch live at work on ClickOnDetroit.com/weather.
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Storms should end this evening, with quiet conditions settling in for the balance of the night. Lows in the mid 50s (that’s 13° Celsius for our Canadian friends). West wind shifting to the northwest at 8 to 12 mph. Sunset this evening is 9:07 PM, for those of you observing Ramadan.
Tuesday forecast
Mostly cloudy, breezy and cooler on Tuesday with scattered afternoon showers developing. Highs in the upper 60s (20° Celsius). West-northwest wind at 10 to 20 mph, with higher gusts during the afternoon.
Tuesday’s sunrise is at 5:57 AM, and Tuesday’s sunset is at 9:08 PM.
Showers end early Tuesday evening, with skies becoming partly cloudy later at night. Chilly lows in the mid 40s (8° Celsius).
Wednesday forecast
Mostly sunny on Wednesday, with highs in the upper 60s (20° Celsius).
Mostly clear Wednesday night, with lows in the upper 40s (9° Celsius).
Thursday forecast
Mostly sunny to start Thursday, then becoming partly or mostly cloudy during the afternoon. The computer models disagree on whether or not we’ll see an afternoon shower. Highs in the low 70s (21° Celsius).
A chance of showers Thursday night, with lows in the mid 50s (14° Celsius).
Friday forecast
Partly cloudy on Friday -- even though a warm front will be crossing the area (“never trust a warm front,” I always say). But right now, the models suggest that we’ll stay dry. Highs in the upper 70s (26° Celsius).
Weekend forecast
Saturday looks partly cloudy, warmer, and more humid -- with a chance of thunderstorms (not an all-day event, just a chance for part of the day). Highs in the mid 80s (30° Celsius).
Partly cloudy on Sunday, with highs in the low 80s (27° Celsius).