187 FXUS63 KDTX 102302 AFDDTXArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac MI 702 PM EDT Fri Oct 10 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Scattered light showers this evening across the Tri-Cities and Thumb, with coverage more isolated toward Metro Detroit. Additional isolated light showers are possible on Saturday.
- Milder conditions through this weekend into early next week.
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.AVIATION...
Narrow axis of higher moisture to precede and accompany a cold frontal passage across the region early tonight. Upstream observational trends continue to confirm expectation for mainly VFR cigs with minimal visibility reduction within pockets of light shower activity during this time. Noted clearing with a wind shift to northwesterly within the immediate wake of this frontal passage set to occur from northwest to southeast between 02z and 06z. This will leave a window of clear sky for the overnight period, before ensuing deep layer cold air advection supports an expanding coverage of lower stratus late tonight and early Saturday. Forecast will highlight a period of MVFR during this time, with daytime mixing working to lift cloud bases into lower VFR Saturday afternoon. Clearing potential improves mid afternoon into the evening as drier air arrives with emerging northeast low level flow.
For DTW/D21 Convection...Thunderstorms are unlikely tonight or Saturday.
DTW THRESHOLD PROBABILITIES...
* Moderate for ceilings at or below 5000 feet tonight and Saturday morning.
* Low for thunder tonight.
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.PREV DISCUSSION... Issued at 336 PM EDT Fri Oct 10 2025
DISCUSSION...
A stacked low over Lake Superior this afternoon will drop southeastward along Lake Huron tonight before stalling over Lakes Erie and Ontario on Saturday. Though the compact mid level low remains strong, many of the other features of this system are either not very impressive or not lining up in terms of producing precipitation across SE MI.
A narrow corridor of moisture in advance of the cold front will push through lower MI the latter half of the day bringing increased clouds and isolated showers to the area, with the showers mainly north of M59 due to the positive tilt to the prefrontal boundary moving through. SPC mesoanalysis shows the 700mb moisture ridge quickly drying out and retreating to the south as it pushes across Lake MI. Still some remnants of the southwesterly 850mb jet around 30 knots which has been holding back to the NW but should slide through Mid MI and the Thumb to accompany the actual cold front this evening into tonight. Narrow axis of surface convergence along the front with a brief increase in PWATs to around 0.75 inches and some lower level forcing should help bring about a better coverage of light showers between 00-06Z. The airmass quickly dries out in the wake of the cold front with PWATs dropping to less than a half inch.
The strong upper low stalls over the eastern Lakes while the surface low continues to weaken to around 1019mb by Saturday afternoon. We will still be under the cyclonic flow in the mid levels under the upper low with 850mb temps around 5C holding over MI. Upper level ridging will be building into MI from the west compressing the moisture to the lowest 10kft or so. Expectations are for diurnally driven scattered light showers to develop Saturday under the upper low before it gets pushed east by the ridge. POPs remain capped around 20-25 percent for low confidence in coverage and low potential to actually measure precipitation.
Ridging will carry us through Sunday and into the new week as the upper low shifts to the east coast and stalls again as it phases with another low lifting up the coast from FL. Temps will slowly moderate toward 70 through this time before the next cold front arrives Tuesday bringing back highs around 60 for the mid week.
MARINE...
Southwest winds gusting around 25 knots across Central Lake Huron this afternoon ahead of a cold front. A Small Craft Advisory remains in effect for Saginaw Bay and around the tip of the Thumb into the evening. A cold front triggering scattered showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms/waterspouts will track south through the Central Great Lakes tonight. Northerly winds behind the front will slowly diminish and become easterly on Saturday as a ridge of high pressure builds in, holding into Monday. Even with the east winds on Saturday, with wind speeds predominately around 15 knots, waves expected to remain mostly below 4 feet.
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.DTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...None. Lake Huron...Small Craft Advisory until 10 PM EDT this evening for LHZ421-422- 441.
Lake St Clair...None. Michigan waters of Lake Erie...None. &&
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AVIATION.....MR DISCUSSION...DRK MARINE.......SF
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NWS DTX Office Area Forecast Discussion