WEST MICHIGAN — COVERAGE: Meteorologists Reece Cole and Haleigh Vaughn track overnight storms.
CURRENT: Watches and Warnings
After rounds of severe weather on Wednesday in West Michigan, another active day is in store for Friday! A well-defined cold front is expected to pass over West Michigan Friday night, firing up the chance for strong to severe storms. All ingredients are lining up that parts of West Michigan could see damaging wind gusts, heavy downpours, and hail.
The Storm Prediction Center has upgraded West Michigan's threat for severe storms.
Until 7 a.m. Saturday morning, most of West Michigan falls under a SLIGHT RISK of severe weather. This is a level 2 out of 5 risk for severe storms to develop, represented by the color yellow. Parts of southwest Michigan have now been upgraded to an ENHANCED RISK for severe storms. (Represented by the color orange, a 3 out of 5 risk for severe storms to develop.) This includes parts of Allegan, Van Buren, Kalamazoo, Berrien, Cass, and St. Joseph counties. In order for a thunderstorm to be considered severe, it needs to meet one of two thresholds. It needs to have wind gusts at least 58 mph and/or hail at least 1" in diameter (the size of a quarter).
The main threats on Friday include wind gusts exceeding 60 mph and heavy rain. Hail over 1" in diameter is possible. An isolated tornado can't be ruled out, however the threat remains low. All of West Michigan could see heavy downpours and frequent lightning.
As of now, storms are expected to develop late Friday evening and overnight. Models are suggesting storms developing after 10 p.m. Friday. Localized flooding will be a concern on Friday as many locations could pick up over 2" of rain rapidly. As a reminder, never drive through flooded areas.
Stay tuned with FOX 17 News for your latest forecast updates. You can receive immediate severe weather alerts by downloading our FOX 17 Weather App, following us on social media, and by watching FOX 17 News.
