762 FXUS63 KDTX 110712 AFDDTXArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac MI 312 AM EDT Thu Sep 11 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Dry today and Friday with above normal high temperatures, but areas of fog appear likely tonight.
- Chance of showers and slight chance of thunderstorms Saturday.
- Warm and dry Sunday through Wednesday.
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.DISCUSSION...
The upper-level ridge axis over the Western Great Lakes will extend into the Central Great Lakes this evening, with 500 MB heights reaching 584 DAM and holding through Friday. This should ensure dry conditions with a modest warming in the low levels each day as 850 MB temperatures are expected to reach around 12 C Thursday, and then reach and slightly exceed 13 C on Friday. Thus, temperatures in the low to mid-80s seem reasonable on Friday (assuming morning fog burns off in a timely fashion).
A strong PV anomaly/upper level low is on track to move through Hudson Bay on Friday and into Quebec on Saturday. Southeastern Michigan will be on the western fringe of the large trough that will sink south through New England and eastern Great Lakes on Saturday. A tight baroclinic zone is setting up with compressional warming on the lee side of the Rockies ejecting northeast from the Central Plains. There is a chance for showers and possible thunderstorms on Saturday as a shortwave moves out of the northern Rockies and tracks through the region. However, the exact track, position, and amount of instability and steepness of mid level lapse rates remain in question. The NAM is one most aggressive solutions, with not a whole lot of support from other solutions. NBM pops is still indicating only a chance of precipitation.
The summer-like upper level ridge axis is still on track to move overhead for Sunday and Monday. 500 MB heights are projected to reach 590 DAM (supported by Euro ensembles), and center of the ridge may hold in place through mid week, leading to dry and warm conditions Sunday-Wednesday.
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.MARINE...
High pressure drifts from Ontario to New England today and tomorrow, ensuring dry and calm marine conditions to end the work week. Light NE winds gradually veer to the SW by Friday as the high departs. SW flow advects elevated portions of a warm front into the area Friday afternoon, introducing low end shower chances Friday night into Saturday although better rain chances stay over Lake Michigan. High pressure then builds back into Ontario early next week, complemented by ridging aloft, to continue the stretch of favorable marine weather.
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.PREV DISCUSSION... Issued at 1157 PM EDT Wed Sep 10 2025
AVIATION...
Mixed coverage of high clouds drift through the upper air pattern above diffuse surface pressure across the Great Lakes. VFR is maintained in an otherwise dry boundary layer over the region. Light and variable to calm wind becomes NE at 10 knots or less as larger scale high pressure builds from northern Ontario into Quebec during the day into Thursday evening.
For DTW/D21 Convection... No thunderstorms during the late week period.
THRESHOLD PROBABILITIES...
* None.
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.DTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...None. Lake Huron...None. Lake St Clair...None. Michigan waters of Lake Erie...None. &&
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DISCUSSION...SF MARINE.......MV AVIATION.....BT
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NWS DTX Office Area Forecast Discussion