Weather

Actions

Wind on Tuesday…rain for Christmas?

Posted at 5:52 PM, Dec 19, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-19 18:24:08-05

WEST MICHIGAN –Monday marked the coldest day of the next several for West Michigan. Most morning low temperatures dipped in to the single digits above and below zero, with places like Three Rivers falling to -12 with no Lake Michigan modified air mass.

Look for the winds to ramp-up by Tuesday sustained from the southwest at about 20 to 30 mph. Expect gusts at/near the lakeshore around 50 mph…inland around 40 mph. WIND ADVISORIES have been posted for some of our lakeshore counties. Click here for more. While temperatures on Tuesday will warm to 30 degrees or better, it may not feel warmer due to the strong winds. The graphic below shows the counties under the wind advisory.

fox17_2013

The next graphic below shows (from our forecast model) what wind speeds and gusts may look like around noon on Tuesday. The larger, white numbers are two-minute sustained wind speeds in miles per hour, and the “G” number represents the wind gust in mph.

rpm_wind-speed_gust_direction

The warming trend will continue the remainder of the week with temperatures mainly in the 30s all week. Our next chance of light snow occurs Wednesday night in to Thursday morning as a weak low pressure system slides through the state.

Our forecast models are showing the development of a strong low pressure system by the end of the week in the Rocky Mountains (out west). That storm system appears that it will track in to the northern Plains (keeping us on the warm side). That means temperatures are expected to warm in to the 40s on Christmas Day and rain may develop. We may still hang on to temperatures near 40 early Monday before the cold front moves through the state and drops us back a few degrees. Take a look at our forecast model below…valid on Sunday morning. Note the “L” or low over northeast Colorado. The image attached to this story also shows the location of the low on Sunday morning. Note also the warmer tones or air mass that moves in to the Great Lakes.

gfs

Make sure to stay up on later forecasts by going to www.fox17online.com/weather.