WEST MICHIGAN — It has finally warmed up across West Michigan this week and is feeling like spring! Friday will be the warmest day yet, with highs in the low 70's, a mix of clouds and sun, and gusty southerly winds. A strong low pressure system coming out of the Plains states and running in to the warm, humid air sets the stage for strong and even a few isolated severe thunderstorms to West Michigan early Saturday morning.
This low pressure has been several days in the making, and will create a large area of widespread severe weather across the Plains, Mississippi Valley, and Eastern Seaboard Friday and Friday night(below). Areas in the orange (Enhanced Risk) and red (Moderate Risk) are likely to have the worst of the severe weather.
We are on the edge of the best energy of the system, in the green Marginal Risk. This is the lowest risk category, a level 1 out of 5. There is some energy to work with in our area, and some storms could become briefly severe, but the strongest storms will be isolated at best and likely short lived.
The main threats with any storms are 60 mph damaging wind gusts with a secondary threat of small hail. Tornadoes are not expected, but there is enough low level wind shear (spin in the atmosphere) for a brief spin-up especially south/west between 3 - 5 AM. The important thing to remember is that wind is wind, and will be able to do damage whether it is straight line wind or rotating wind.
With the overnight/early morning nature of the storms, make sure to have a way to get weather alerts that can wake you up if you're asleep and that everyone in your household knows the severe weather plane!
TIMING
Storms will move in from Lake Michigan in the early morning hours Saturday, between 2 and 3 AM. Storms will have heavy rain, lightning and gusty wind potential.
The first round of storms will quickly move east of the 131 corridor by 5 AM, at the same time a second round of strong to severe storms moves in off of Lake Michigan.
By 7-8 AM, the storms should be exiting West Michigan. While there is the chance of a few additional storms in the afternoon from St. Joseph, Branch, Calhoun and Eaton counties, most of the energy will be east toward Lansing and the Eastside.
Rain totals will not be much, generally a quarter to a third of an inch, but locally higher totals are possible upwards of half an inch where there are heavier downpours.
Are you curious on what the difference is between strong and severe thunderstorms? Click here for information on what makes a thunderstorm severe.
For the latest details on the weather in West Michigan, head to the FOX 17 Weather page.
Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube
