757 FXUS63 KGRR 231150 AFDGRRArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Rapids MI 750 AM EDT Tue Sep 23 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Unsettled Weather into Thursday
- Drying Out Friday Through the Weekend
- Near Normal Temperatures Trending to Above Normal
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.DISCUSSION... Issued at 404 AM EDT Tue Sep 23 2025
- Unsettled Weather into Thursday
Unsettled weather will continue today through Thursday as an upper trough digging into the Great Lakes today closes off overhead for Wednesday into Thursday. At the surface, a front off to our north this morning will sag southward through the forecast area as we head through tonight. Wednesday into Thursday we will be in a northerly flow regime and dew points will correspondingly drop.
SPC has us in a general thunder outlook for both today and Wednesday, but the better chance for storms will be today. The reasoning is that we will have the front for forcing and our highest dew points/instability will be today. Given weak flow/shear we are not expecting severe weather which is in line with SPC. Any storms on Wednesday will be more isolated. PWAT values today into tonight will peak in the 1.25 to 1.50 inch range so where storms persist some locally heavy rain is possible. Per the HREF we expect the highest concentration of thunderstorms to occur between 1pm and 9pm.
We will need to keep an eye on model trends to see if other models come in line with a deeper low Wed/Thurs. The ECMWF is deeper as it brings a low into the southern Great Lakes and therefore puts down a heavier swath of rain into our area. 1-2 inches of rain would fall in our southeast CWA towards Jackson in this scenario.
- Drying Out Friday Through the Weekend
Models have been consistent in showing a dry period of weather Friday through the weekend as high pressure becomes dominant both at the surface and aloft. CAPE values become non existent in the ECMWF ensembles and PWAT values dip towards 0.60 inches. So a change in airmass occurs as we get behind the mid week low.
- Near Normal Temperatures Trending to Above Normal
Near normal temperatures are expected today through Thursday with normals and forecast highs in the lower 70s. Moving forward, normal lows trail off into the middle 60s by early next week while temperatures will be rebounding. With mid level ridging building in we should see temperatures rise into the middle to upper 70s late in the weekend.
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.AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z WEDNESDAY/... Issued at 750 AM EDT Tue Sep 23 2025
A cold front is situated from Central Lower Michigan at 12z, southwest across Lake Michigan into Northern Illinois. A moist airmass is in place on both sides of the weak boundary and therefore morning fog and stratus is occurring across the area. The fog will lift through the course of the morning giving way to partly cloudy skies and some building instability. After we get by the morning fog the focus shifts to showers and thunderstorms that will build in the heat of the day. The first showers will likely get going around and after 16z, with storms possible after roughly 18z. Given this time range into the forecast with what will be scattered activity feel VCSH and VCTS is the prudent way to go for now. Shower and thunderstorm activity will likely continue into the evening hours before fading. Fog and stratus are expected again tonight, likely more widespread. By daybreak on Wednesday MVFR and IFR conditions should prevail at all TAF sites.
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.MARINE... Issued at 404 AM EDT Tue Sep 23 2025
Marine concerns remain on the low side this week. Waves of 2 feet or less are expected today and tonight with a weaker pressure gradient in place. Wednesday into Thursday northerly flow increases as low pressure slides northward through the Eastern Great Lakes. At this point we are expecting 10-20 knot winds and waves of 1-3 feet. That said, we will be keeping an eye on model trends as the ECWMF has a fairly strong low (999mb) over Southwest Ontario at 12z Thursday. If the ECWMF verifies winds and waves will need to be increased from current forecast values.
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.GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...None. MARINE...None.
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DISCUSSION...Duke AVIATION...Duke MARINE...Duke
NWS GRR Office Area Forecast Discussion