WEST MICHIGAN - After what has seemed like several weeks of dull, gray, cloudy, wet days, we are finally breaking out into a period of dry, pleasant, sunny weather to start this week. High pressure has cleared our lake-effect cloud cover and we expect plain sunny skies today, Monday, and perhaps partly cloudy for Tuesday and Wednesday. Each day we expect to gain a few additional degrees and may be pushing near 70 for Tuesday and Wednesday. Winds will stay up today into early Monday morning. That, coupled with the cooler air mixing down to the Lake Michigan water surface is generating four to six foot waves today with Small Craft Advisories and a High Beach Hazard risk. Make sure to stay out of the water and off piers/jetties. See our Lake Michigan forecast below.
We expect to thicken the cloud cover gradually on Wednesday with shower chances increasing and perhaps arriving by the evening hours and into the overnight. Because of an area of low pressure traversing the Great Lakes at that time, the shower chances carry into Thursday with briefly cooler temperatures in the 50s to follow on Friday and Saturday. See image below of our forecast model valid for 6 P.M. on Wednesday.
Normal highs for this time of year has us at 60 degrees. While we may only be in the 50s on Friday and Saturday, the Climate Prediction Center is putting the Great Lakes in a 50 to 60 percent chance of above normal temperatures from October 24 through October 30. See image below. That would mean we could possibly finish off this month warmer than normal with somewhat mild conditions leading into Halloween. We'll see!
You can get the complete West Michigan forecast by going to www.fox17online.com/weather. You'll also find a variety of resources like maps, temperatures, and radar available too. Make it a good weekend! I'll bet apple cider mills will be booming this weekend...enjoy!
