675 FXUS63 KGRR 210002 AFDGRRArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Rapids MI Issued by National Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac MI 802 PM EDT Sat Sep 20 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Scattered showers and Storms this evening into Sunday morning
- Showers and Storms Sunday afternoon, some could be strong to severe
- Continued chances for showers and storms through at least midweek
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.DISCUSSION... Issued at 340 PM EDT Sat Sep 20 2025
- Scattered showers and Storms this evening into Sunday morning
As the saying goes, drought begets drought, until it begets flood. While we are not expecting flooding, a period of tumultuous weather is ahead. A positively tilted upper level ridge will be advected to the East as a deepening trough drives through the upper Midwest and into the Great Lakes. As that trough pushes east, it will bring scattered showers this evening and overnight into Sunday morning. There remains enough instability for isolated storms this afternoon and evening, though that threat will be mainly along the lakeshore.
Scattered showers will continue early Sunday morning. The best areas of rainfall will be along and West of US 131 with streaks of 1 to 1.5 inches possible. East of US 131 precipitation this evening into tomorrow becomes sparser, however a quarter of an inch rainfall to the US 127 corridor is possible.
- Showers and Storms Sunday afternoon, some could be strong to severe
There will be a flow shift from the current southeasterly winds tomorrow. Winds will shift to the southwest by tomorrow afternoon. That flow will bring in unstable air that will coincide with halfway decent shear through the mid-levels. While the LLJ is not overly strong, it should be strong enough to sustain storm development.
The above features along with potentially 7 to 8 C/km Lapse Rates and upwards of 1500 J/KG of CAPE will create an environment for storms tomorrow afternoon. While the best shear should move fairly quickly to the east, there is a window Sunday afternoon into early evening for strong to possibly severe storms. Due to this SPC has most of Lower Michigan in a marginal risk for tomorrow. While scattered storms will be possible across southwest Michigan, the best chance will be south of the I 96 corridor, especially along the I 94 corridor.
- Continued chances for showers and storms through at least midweek
A positively tilted low should continue to move along the Canadian border through the first half of the week. This will bring a ribbon of moisture that will stretch across Michigan bringing periods of showers, along with cooler temperatures through midweek. Best chances for precipitation will be through southern Lower Michigan. Models begin to diverge mid week on passage of the low. EC keeps it to the south, with the GFS bringing it further north. Some Ensemble runs of the EC bringing it further north, so a chance for showers and storms will be possible Thursday into Friday.
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.AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z MONDAY/... Issued at 754 PM EDT Sat Sep 20 2025
Scattered showers and thunderstorms spreading across terminals early this evening may bring reductions in CIGS and VSBYs down to MVFR and possibly IFR at times from heavy rain. Thunderstorm activity should wane into tonight, but isolated to scattered showers likely to linger across majority of terminals through much of the night with the nearby warm front. Outside of shower activity tonight, ceilings will be predominately VFR at around 5-7kft and winds out of the east to southeast to 10 knots or less. Increasing coverage of showers and thunderstorms redevelop after 12Z tomorrow morning.
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.MARINE... Issued at 340 PM EDT Sat Sep 20 2025
Scattered thunderstorms are expected over Lake Michigan through this evening. Some could produce small hail and wind shifts with gusts over 30 knots. An isolated thunderstorm over the lake also cannot be ruled out on Sunday. Waves outside of thunderstorms are expected to be around 1 to 3 feet Sunday and Monday with generally south/southwest winds.
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.GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...None. MARINE...None.
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DISCUSSION...Ceru AVIATION...CAS MARINE...CAS/Thomas
NWS GRR Office Area Forecast Discussion