WEST MICHIGAN -- Ingredients are coming together for what could be a widespread severe weather event on Tuesday.
All forms of severe weather will be possible. This includes damaging wind, large hail and even isolated tornadoes. Heavy rain and vivid, dangerous lightning will likely accompany any storm that develops.
After a morning round of non-severe showers and thunderstorms, the sun is expected to come back out in the afternoon and evening. Temperatures by late evening will likely be pushing into the upper 70s and lower 80s, plenty warm for strong thunderstorms.
If rain and clouds are able to linger into the afternoon and evening, it would limit how warm we get. The severe threat with cooler temperatures would then be marginal, but not zero.
While the cooler temperatures are a possiblity, it is more likely that we are able to see some sunshine and warm back up. Humidity will also be in place throughout the day. It will feel pretty tropical with dew points well into the 60s.
As a strong cold front approaches West Michigan in the evening, thunderstorms are expected to quickly develop in our warm and humid environment.
West Michigan is currently in a slight risk for severe thunderstorms on Tuesday.
Strong winds just above the surface could be brought down as heavy rain falls, causing potential damage to homes, trees and power lines. The winds as you travel up in the atmosphere will also be turning with height, meaning rotating thunderstorms called supercells are possible. This is where the large hail and tornado threats would come from if a few were able to develop.
As with any severe weather event in Michigan, conditions can change quickly, leading to a more significant event or a minor/nonexistent event. There is still uncertainty in the timing of the cold front and how much sun we will see. If the cold front comes in sooner than the evening or closer to midnight, the severe threat would be reduced. We would also see less of a threat if we have more clouds than sun, preventing warmth that is needed in this case for significant severe weather.
The FOX17 Meteorologists will be watching this scenario very closely and will have any additional updates live on-air, here on fox17online.com and on social media.
