As it feels like summer this week with highs in the upper 70s and low to mid 80s and elevated humidity, that sets the stage for strong to severe storms as a cold front moves in Thursday night.
West Michigan is already highlighted as an area to watch for severe storm potential from the Storm Prediction Center (above).
While this is several days away, there is confidence that the atmospheric ingredients will come together to produce scattered severe storms with damaging straight line winds as the main threat. Heavy downpours and lightning will come along with any storms as well.
TIMING
Initially, Thursday will be dry. Clouds will be increasing along with the breeze, but rain and any thunderstorms will stay out of our hair until the early afternoon. See below for the European model at 1 p.m.
As the cold front gets closer, additional showers and thunderstorms will pop up through late evening. These could occasionally be on the stronger side, especially toward late evening.
The front will be approaching West Michigan between 10 p.m. and midnight, which is when the best chance of severe storms is. Damaging winds will be the primary threat, but quarter size hail and a brief spin-up tornado can't be ruled out.
Heavy downpours are also expected with any storm, severe or not.
By early Friday morning the front will be east of West Michigan, ending the severe weather threat.
If the cold front stalls for a few hours, isolated showers and thunderstorms could form near the I-94 corridor later on Friday. Some of those storms could be strong at times, but the overall severe weather threat will be lower for Friday across Michigan.
Make sure to check the forecast at least once per day to get updates on this system's timing and threats. Expect some tweaks to the forecast as Thursday gets closer!
For the latest details on the weather in West Michigan, head to the FOX 17 Weather page.
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