532  
FXUS63 KDTX 021046  
AFDDTX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI  
546 AM EST MON MAR 2 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- POTENTIALLY WET WEEK AHEAD WITH SEVERAL CHANCES FOR RAIN IN THE  
FORECAST.  
 
- THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR A COUPLE PERIODS OF FREEZING RAIN  
TUESDAY MORNING AND TUESDAY NIGHT.  
 
- WARMING TREND THIS WEEK WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE 40S ON TUESDAY  
AND WEDNESDAY BEFORE 50S AND 60S ARRIVE THURSDAY THROUGH THE  
WEEKEND.  
 
 
   
AVIATION  
 
HIGH PRESSURE DRIFTS INTO NEW ENGLAND TODAY, MAINTAINING LIGHT  
SOUTHEAST FLOW LOCALLY. A FEW BANDS OF HIGH CLOUD ARE PRESENT ON  
SATELLITE AT ISSUANCE, BUT WILL BE THE ONLY MOISTURE PRESENT TODAY  
AND TONIGHT TO SUPPORT WIDESPREAD VFR CONDITIONS. WINDS BEGIN TO  
BACK TO THE EAST EARLY TUESDAY MORNING AS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE LIFTS  
IN FROM THE SOUTH. THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR CIGS TO DROP BELOW 5.0 KFT  
AGL BY 12Z.  
 
FOR DTW...LOW LEVEL MOISTURE LIFTS INTO THE TERMINAL EARLY TUESDAY  
MORNING, WITH POTENTIAL FOR PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE BETWEEN 11Z AND  
15Z BEFORE TEMPERATURES CLIMB ABOVE 32 DEGREES AND TRANSITION  
PRECIPITATION TYPE TO RAIN.  
 
DTW THRESHOLD PROBABILITIES...  
 
* MEDIUM FOR CEILINGS AT OR BELOW 5000 FEET TUESDAY MORNING.  
 
* LOW FOR PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE TUESDAY MORNING.  
 
 
   
PREV DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 337 AM EST MON MAR 2 2026  
 
DISCUSSION...  
 
STRONG SURFACE RIDGE SLIDING THROUGH THE AREA OVERNIGHT HAS RESULTED  
IN NEARLY CLEAR SKIES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SOME MID/HIGH CLOUD  
STREAMING ACROSS THE MI/OH BORDER ASSOCIATED WITH A LOW PRESSURE  
SYSTEM PASSING THROUGH. COMBINED WITH A THERMAL TROUGH ALOFT WITH  
850MB TEMPS AROUND -15C HAS RESULTED IN ANOTHER NIGHT WITH FAVORABLE  
RADIATIONAL COOLING. LOW HAS DROPPED TO THE LOW TEENS INTO THE  
SINGLE DIGITS LEADING TO A CHILLY START TO THE NEW WEEK.  
 
AS THE HIGH PASSES TO THE EAST, WE'LL BEGIN TO TURN WINDS TO THE  
SOUTHEAST ALLOW SOME WARM AIR ADVECTION INTO THE REGION AIDED BY  
INCREASING HEIGHTS ALOFT AS FLOW PIVOTING TO ZONAL ALLOWS HIGHER  
HEIGHTS INTO THE REGION. WITH ANOTHER DAY OF UNIMPEDED MARCH SUN ON  
TOP OF THAT, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO WARM BACK INTO THE MID 30S ACROSS  
THE AREA.  
 
NEXT PERIOD OF POTENTIAL WEATHER ARRIVES TUESDAY MORNING AS WEAK  
SOUTHERN STREAM ENERGY BEGINS TO REACH THE REGION WITHIN THE ZONAL  
FLOW ALOFT. SURFACE FRONT STALLED TO THE SOUTH OF THE STATE WILL TRY  
TO LIFT NORTHWARD INTO OUR SOUTHERN COUNTIES BUT THE ELEVATED  
PORTIONS OF THE FRONT WILL BE RIGHT OVERHEAD. MODELS HAVE BEEN  
CONSISTENT ON KEEPING THE BULK OF THE RAIN FOCUSED SOUTH OF THE  
STATE TIED MORE ON THE SURFACE BOUNDARY BUT ACKNOWLEDGING THE FACT  
RIBBONS OF FORCING ALOFT COULD PRODUCE SOME RAIN/DRIZZLE FURTHER  
NORTH. EASTERLY FLOW INTO SE MI KEEPS A FEED OF DRY AIR INTO THE  
REGION HELPING EVAPORATE ANY ATTEMPT FOR ELEVATED PORTIONS OF THE  
FRONT FROM ACTIVATING. MODEL SOUNDINGS HAVE OFFERED LITTLE IN THE  
WAY OF SATURATION IN THE BL WITH DEEP LAYER OF DRY AIR ABOVE IT  
REDUCING THE CHANCE OF SATURATING FROM TOP DOWN. THIS IS NOTABLE AS  
THE DAY WILL START OFF SUB FREEZING WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE UPPER 20S  
SO ANY PRECIP COULD BE FREEZING RAIN/DRIZZLE FOR A FEW HOURS BEFORE  
TEMPS WARM UP HEADING TOWARD HIGHS IN THE LOW 40S. LOCAL PROBS HAVE  
BEEN FALLING FOR THE LAST 24 HOURS IN TERMS OF CHANCES OF PRECIP  
OCCURING AND CHANCES OF FREEZING RAIN/DRIZZLE. WILL STILL ADVERTISE  
FOR NOW CENTERED AROUND THE MORNING COMMUTE. BETTERN CHANCES FOR  
RAIN COME IN THE AFTERNOON AS WE GET THE LEAD EDGE OF BROAD MID  
LEVEL WAVE RACING THROUGH THE AREA. COULD LEAD TO ENOUGH MID LEVEL  
SATURATION TO SURVIVE THROUGH THE 6-7KFT OF DRY AIR BELOW IT. AS THE  
RAIN CHANCES COME TO AN END WEDNESDAY MORNING, TEMPS COOL AGAIN DOWN  
TO AROUND FREEZING WHICH COULD BRING FREEZING DRIZLE BACK INTO THE  
PICTURE FOR A COUPLE HOURS.  
 
WEAK SOUTHERN STREAM REMAIN ACTIVE THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK WITH  
A POSSIBLE LULL IN ACTIVITY LOCALLY WEDNESDAY BEFORE THE NEXT  
STRONGER COMPACT WAVE EJECTS OUT OF THE WEST AND TRACK ACROSS  
SOUTHERN MI WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. ADDITIONAL ENERGY LOOKS  
TO TARGET THE REGION THIS WEEKEND. COULD ALL LEAD TO A FEW DAYS IN A  
ROW OF PERIODS OF RAIN. THE NATURE OF ZONAL FLOW WAVERING ABOUT FROM  
RUN TO RUN LEADS TO LOW CONFIDENCE AT THIS POINT BUT CHANCES ARE FOR  
A WET END OF THE WEEK. THE FLOW WILL ALSO LEAD TO A WARMING TREND  
WITH 50S AND 60S IN THE FORECAST FROM THURSDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND.  
 
MARINE...  
 
STRENGTHENING SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL BRING MILDER AIR INTO THE GREAT  
LAKES REGION TODAY AS STRONG HIGH PRESSURE MOVES OFF THE EAST COAST  
LATE IN THE DAY. WITH THE INCREASE IN LOW LEVEL STABILITY, IT  
APPEARS WINDS WILL TOP OUT JUST AROUND 25 KNOTS OVER LAKE HURON. A  
WEAK LOW TRACKING THROUGH THE NORTHERN OHIO VALLEY BRINGS MOSTLY  
RAIN OVER LAKE ST. CLAIR AND LAKE ERIE, WITH DRY WEATHER AND LIGHT  
WINDS RETURNING WEDNESDAY MORNING, AS HIGH PRESSURE BRIEFLY RETURNS.  
ANOTHER WARM LOW PRODUCING RAIN LOOKS TO BE ARRIVING ON THURSDAY.  
EASTERLY WINDS AHEAD OF THIS LOW OVER THE NORTHERN HALF OF LAKE  
HURON LOOK TO BE AT LEAST MODERATE (POTENTIAL GUSTS TO 25 KNOTS),  
BUT THE INCREASING LOW STABILITY SHOULD KEEP WINDS FROM GETTING MUCH  
STRONGER.  
 
LITTLE IF ANY COLD ADVECTION BEHIND THE LOW THURSDAY NIGHT WILL  
RESULT IN LIGHT WINDS, WITH ENOUGH LINGERING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE  
AROUND TO POTENTIALLY SUPPORT LOW CLOUDS AND DRIZZLE.  
 
 
   
DTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
MI...NONE.  
LAKE HURON...NONE.  
LAKE ST CLAIR...NONE.  
MICHIGAN WATERS OF LAKE ERIE...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
AVIATION.....MV  
DISCUSSION...DRK  
MARINE.......SF  
 
YOU CAN OBTAIN YOUR LATEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECASTS ONLINE  
AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/DETROIT.  
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
The Nexlab MI Page
Main Text Page