Good morning! We’ve made it to the middle of the week without too much trouble. We’ve had some inclement weather over the last 24 hours, with some light freezing drizzle and even a quick burst of snow last night.
A beautiful start along the lakeshore this morning, with a few breaks in the clouds. Some ice is starting to build up there, however, and it will solidify overnight with temps falling in the teens.
That ice will be short lived, however, as we’re expecting a warm front to move into the area on Friday, bringing us the warmest day of the year throughout West Michigan!
With frontal systems entering the frame, precipitation often does as well. This image via WeatherBell shows the NAM Model at about 10 PM tomorrow. Green is obviously rain by the pink shade is a mix of wintry precipitation. This will be an interesting setup as we fight off the colder air during the daytime before our temps actually warm up going into the night!
Temps around that time hover around 3 degrees above the freezing mark, so impacts from freezing rain and sleet will be limited, but keep this in mind if you’re traveling late Tuesday night.
Notice how temperatures overnight gradually warm up above the freezing mark, with our daytime low temperature just after 12 AM!
By the afternoon, warmer air surges into the region, bringing temps into the 50s! In case you’re wondering, most areas not likely to see records broken. The record in Grand Rapids is 59 degrees set back in 1930! Kalamazoo’s record is 61…set back in ’61.
With temperatures like this in February, it comes at a price. Very windy conditions are expected for the entire day Friday. Gusts over 40 mph are possible, with sustained winds over 30 mph in many areas.
The next three days have a mix of everything, as we’re expecting temps in the low 50s on Friday and mid 40s lingering into Saturday with no precipitation. I would expect there will be a lot of snow melting going on, and those cameras in Muskegon and Grand Haven will show a totally different picture. Are you ready for the milder air and springtime? It sure is getting closer. Until then, keep the heavy layers ready for tomorrow morning, and then prepare the light jacket for the weekend!
– Garry
