Waterford, Michigan 7 Day Weather Forecast

Wx Forecast - Wx Discussion - Wx Aviation

787
FXUS63 KDTX 180826
AFDDTX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac MI
326 AM EST Sat Jan 18 2025

.KEY MESSAGES...

- A transition from rain to a rain/snow mix and eventually snow
expected through the morning hours for ongoing precipitation.

- Snow accumulation totals of a half-inch up to an inch and a
half. The higher-end totals will be confined to the Irish Hills.

- The coldest temperatures of the winter thus far arrive early next
week. Dangerous wind chills of -15 to -25 likely for the morning
hours, with little relief for the afternoon, centered Monday through
Wednesday.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

An impressive surge of Gulf derived moisture for winter standards
has filled in across SE MI, ahead of an arctic cold front, which
will traverse over the area this morning. The insurgence of higher
theta-e air is responsible for this initial coverage of
precipitation, which will further gain support from forcing along
the front itself, leading into the late morning hours. Morning
temperatures have increased several degrees early this morning, up to
+3 to +4, tied to the warm air advection. This has supported all
rain with onset precipitation. It wont be until the front catches up
with this higher theta-e air until the transition to rain/snow and
eventually all snow takes place, which looks to be closer to 5-7AM
for the north Metro region up through Flint and portions of the
Thumb, and closer to 7AM-9AM for the Metro region and the lower
terrain through Monroe-Wayne-Macomb. There will be a narrow 1-3 hour
window where the front does intersect with higher moisture quality
that brings some accumulating snow potential. These warmer
temperatures will cut into snowfall potential, however, there remains
the possibility to see a wet inch to inch and a half for higher
terrain within the Irish Hills, citing earlier passage of the
frontal coupled with the cooler microclimate that comes with terrain
heights. Locations southeast of the Irish Hills may see a wet half-
inch, up to inch in a high-end scenario, prior to frontal passage.
Little to no accumulation for the Tri-Cities, with some re-
invigoration of precip chances along the front bringing some light
snow chances for the Flint area up into the Thumb over the next
several hours.

Temperatures will decrease through the day in the wake of the front,
causing the warmest temperatures to be felt this morning.
Temperatures fall below the freezing mark across the Tri-Cities
through the mid-morning hours and through the Metro region and the
remainder of SE MI by the late morning. Residual moisture on
roadways from rain or snow that melts on contact, may freeze on
untreated roadways, leading to some slick spots. The continued caa
will push temperatures in the teens by late this evening with wind
chills in the single digits.

Passage of this front will mark the beginning of the advertised
arctic outbreak, with the coldest air settling over the state
through early next week. The polar jet will drive south into the
Plains which will dislodge polar air south through the Midwest and
Great Lakes on Sunday. By Monday morning, h850 temperatures of -25C
expand over the state, and continue to plunge to a notable -28C to -
30C by Tuesday morning and afternoon. If these values verify, this
will equate to .5th to 1st percentile w.r.t CFSR climatology, or
about a 1 day every 10 year event when strictly looking at model
climatology per the GEFS. This airmass will drop temperature lows to
near 0 early Monday morning with wind chills in the negative single
digits. No relief will be felt Monday into Wednesday morning, where
both Monday and Tuesday feature highs in the single digits and lows
in the negative single digits. Factoring in wind chills, apparent
temperatures stay in the negatives even through the afternoon hours.
Wind chills drop to around -15 Tuesday morning, rise slightly by
Tuesday afternoon, and drop further to around -20 Wednesday morning.
One of the slight changes noted in the latest output was the coldest
air lingering on longer through Wednesday morning, especially
through the Metro region, which may end up being the coldest morning
of the week. The issuance of at least a cold weather advisory will
likely be leveraged through the early week period.

Advent of well below normal temperatures will activate Lake Michigan
and will bring sporadic lake effect snow chances through the early
week. But as it typical with arctic airmasses, DGZ values well below
the cloud layer will make for poor snow production and very high
SLRs. Moisture depths will be shallow up to 5-7kft, but strong lapse
rates will support sustainment of flurries or light snow showers
across SE MI.

&&

.MARINE...

A cold front tracks across Lake Huron this morning, bringing a shift
in wind direction to northwest and areas of rain and snow through
the early afternoon. Drier, cold air works into the area through the
day with northwest wind peaking in the 20 to 30 knot range this
afternoon before weakening slightly tonight. Lake effect snow
showers and periods of freezing spray will ensue Sunday through mid
next week as a frigid arctic air mass takes residence over the Great
Lakes. Prevailing wind direction will hold out of the northwest
through this period, but may fluctuate locally at times as a lake
aggregate surface trough develops over Lake Huron. At this time wind
speeds are favored to remain below headline criteria.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION...
Issued at 1159 PM EST Fri Jan 17 2025

AVIATION...

Plume of deeper moisture will arrive early this morning, resulting
in a steady increase in precipitation potential through the morning
with an accompanying reduction in both ceiling and visibility. The
milder temperatures at onset will support primarily rain initially,
with a transition toward a rain/snow mix and then straight snow from
northwest to southeast as precipitation rates increase. This will
afford a window of IFR conditions, with a brief period of LIFR
possible. Passage of an arctic front will bring a wind shift to
northwest by early afternoon, with a rapid decline in coverage of
snow. Cold northwest flow with some gustiness and lingering MVFR
stratus through the remainder of daylight period.

DTW...Precipitation arrives as rain early this morning. Snow will
begin to mix in late tonight, before turning to all snow during the
latter half of the morning Saturday. Wind shift to northwest occurs
around 14z.

DTW THRESHOLD PROBABILITIES...

*   Low for ceiling aob 5000 feet this evening. High after 06Z
    tonight through Saturday.

*   High for a precipitation type of rain at onset 07z-09z, then
    transitioning to a rain/snow mix before ending as snow 12-17z
    Saturday morning.

*   Low for crosswind threshold exceedence Saturday afternoon.


&&

.DTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MI...None.
Lake Huron...Gale Warning until 4 AM EST early this morning for LHZ362-363-421-
     441-462>464.

Lake St Clair...None.
Michigan waters of Lake Erie...None.
&&

$$

DISCUSSION...AM
MARINE.......TF
AVIATION.....MR


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