We have another perfect day in store for SW Michigan with high temperatures in the mid-70s, low humidity, and light winds. Yesterday we had a high of 72 after a morning low of 53. Tomorrow we have a chance of showers then we will enter another dry spell right on through Labor Day with slowly rising temperatures. Long term, the CPC has us with above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation through the second week of September.
Tropical Storm Updates
TS Irwin (east Pacific)
Hurricane Franklin
TS Idalia
U.S.A and Global Events for August 28th:
1973: An F4 tornado touched down near Canaan, New York, and moved to western Massachusetts. Three people were killed in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts when a truck stop was destroyed, and another person died in a ruined house nearby.
1990: Between 3:15 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. a devastating F5 tornado ripped a 16.4 mile-long path through portions of Kendall and Will counties in northern Illinois. A total of 29 people were killed, and 350 more were injured. An estimated $160 million in damages occurred. The tornado’s path width ranged from 200 yards to half a mile. A total of 470 homes were destroyed, and another 1000 homes were damaged. Sixty-five thousand customers lost power.
2005: Hurricane Katrina attained Category 5 status on the morning of August 28 and reached its peak strength at 1800 UTC that day, with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph and a minimum central pressure of 902 mbars (26.6 inHg).
Grand Rapids Forecast
[pdf-embedder url=”https://michigan-weather-center.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/8-28-grr.pdf” title=”8 28 grr”]
Forecast Discussion
.SHORT TERM...(Today through Tuesday) Forecast concerns deal with a cold front moving through the cwa Tuesday. Prior to then, we`ll see mainly clear skies again today. Temperatures will be a few degrees higher today compared to Sunday; mid 70s. Lows tonight under mainly clear skies will be in the mid 50s. A cold front will move south Tuesday. Models are in pretty good agreement on the timing of the front through the cwa mid day Tuesday. QPF on the ECMWF has ramped up a bit, but nothing major. The GFS is still fairly dry with this system, while the ECMWF is suggesting around a quarter of an inch. The latest HREF 48 hr local probability matched mean points toward 0.05-0.1 inches in the southwest cwa and perhaps closer to a quarter inch over the northeast cwa. Instability, while present, isn`t overly impressive; certainly nothing like we saw last week. Model consensus suggests 500-1k j/kg SB/MUCAPE Tuesday afternoon ahead of the front and around 25 knots bulk shear. While severe storms are not anticipated, dry air below 800 mb noted on forecast soundings points toward the possibility of some gusty winds. The most likely time frame for storms will be from 20z-24z Tuesday. .LONG TERM...(Tuesday night through Sunday) Positive height anomalies are shown for the long term period as upper trough/northwest flow aloft departs Wednesday and the southwest CONUS upper high begins to build back toward the center of the nation again. The very dry air mass which arrives midweek on the heels of northerly winds/advancing sfc high lingers through the rest of the week as surface ridging prevails. After a coolish day on Wednesday with highs only near 70, a slow moderation in temperatures is forecast with highs reaching the lower 80s by week`s end in the return flow around the surface high. Thermal troughing may promote some cloudiness on Wednesday, otherwise generally clear skies can be expected Thursday and Friday. Somewhat higher PWAT air and an H8 thermal ridge around 20C pokes in over Labor Day weekend, but model/ensemble QPF remains quite limited due to lack of deeper moisture and easterly flow prevailing over the Gulf of Mexico. Most of Labor Day weekend currently appears dry, with above normal temps almost a certainty.
CPC sure looks very warm for the Great Lakes to kick off the first week of September. Steamy kick of to meteorlogical fall
Fall colors are popping early we keep getting thsese cool nights its going to be a steller look this year love Fall ….INDY
What a week! One below normal temp day after another! Slim will GR end up with another below normal temp month this month?
The official H/L yesterday was 73/52 there was no rain fall and 100% of possible sunshine. The highest wind gust was 21MPH out of the NE. It was a rather cool day state wide. The as is common with a east wind the state high of 78 was recorded at Muskegon. Across the UP there was a touch of fall with the state low at a major location a frosty 30 at Ironwood. It was also in the 30’s at Houghton and Marquette with 38 and Iron Mountain with 39.
Slim
It’s hard to believe that Katrina was 18 years ago. Now they’re saying that Idalia may become a Category 3. Yikes.
I hate to say this but you have to wonder how long it will be before Tampa gets a direct hit with a hurricane.
Slim
It will happen at some point. If the storm surge plows up into Tampa Bay, it would be catastrophic.