300  
FXUS63 KGRR 182016  
AFDGRR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI  
316 PM EST WED FEB 18 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- LIGHT RAIN THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY  
 
- TURNING COOLER WITH SOME LIGHT SNOW THIS WEEKEND  
 
- FAIRLY QUIET WEATHER EARLY NEXT WEEK  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 316 PM EST WED FEB 18 2026  
 
- LIGHT RAIN THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY  
 
WARM FRONTAL PRECIPITATION MOVED OFF TO THE EAST THIS MORNING AND  
MUCH OF THE AREA IS NOW SITUATED IN THE WARM SECTOR OF THE SYSTEM.  
TEMPERATURES HAVE SURGED INTO THE LOWER 60S ACROSS SOUTHERN LOWER  
MICHIGAN. WE LOOK TO REMAIN DRY TONIGHT INTO INTO THURSDAY  
MORNING. SOME RAIN WILL DEVELOP ON THURSDAY WITH THE CHANCE OF  
EVEN A FEW THUNDERSTORMS AS HINTED BY HREF GUIDANCE. A LOW WILL  
BE LOCATED IN SOUTHEAST IOWA BY THURSDAY EVENING, ADVANCING INTO  
EASTERN WISCONSIN THURSDAY NIGHT. 850MB MOISTURE TRANSPORT  
INCREASES ON THURSDAY, BUT IS STRONGER THURSDAY NIGHT. 850MB LIS  
BECOME NEGATIVE THURSDAY AND CONTINUE SO THURSDAY NIGHT. AT POINT  
WE START THUNDER THURSDAY EVENING IN THE FORECAST, BUT THAT MAY  
NEED TO BE BROUGHT FORWARD INTO THURSDAY AFTERNOON. AT THIS POINT  
OUR CHANCES ARE CONFINED TO THE STRONGER 850MB MOISTURE TRANSPORT  
THAT OCCURS AFTER DARK. WE ARE LIKELY LOOKING AT AROUND A QUARTER  
OF AN INCH OF RAIN AT MOST LOCATIONS WITH THIS SYSTEM, SO NOT  
SIGNIFICANT RAIN TO CHANCE MUCH WITH ICE IN AREA RIVERS.  
 
- TURNING COOLER WITH SOME LIGHT SNOW THIS WEEKEND  
 
WE TURN COOLER THIS WEEKEND BEHIND TOMORROW'S SYSTEM. WE SET UP AN  
UPPER TROUGH THIS WEEKEND WITH AIR AT 850MB THAT GETS PROGRESSIVELY  
COLDER. BY SUNDAY INTO MONDAY 850MB TEMPERATURES ARE COLD ENOUGH  
FOR LAKE EFFECT SNOW. WE LOOK TO HAVE LIGHT SNOW SATURDAY INTO  
SUNDAY WITH AN INVERTED SURFACE TROUGH. THE PRECIPITATION/SNOW  
THIS WEEKEND LOOKS ON THE LIGHT SIDE SO NO SIGNIFICANT  
ISSUES/IMPACTS WITH SNOW. HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE 40S AND 50S  
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY COOL BACK INTO THE 30S THIS WEEKEND WHICH IS  
NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR.  
 
- FAIRLY QUIET WEATHER EARLY NEXT WEEK  
 
EARLY NEXT WEEK LOOKS TO BE QUIET WITH MAINLY DRY WEATHER FOR  
MONDAY AND TUESDAY. MODEL DISCREPANCIES SHOW UP MID NEXT WEEK WITH  
THE TIMING OF A SHORTWAVE. IT LOOKS LIKE MODELS ARE TRYING TO  
CONVERGE ON WEDNESDAY BEING OUR NEXT CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION.  
HIGHS ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY IN THE 30S WARM TO AROUND 40 ON  
WEDNESDAY.  
 
OVERALL THE 7 DAY FORECAST IS FAIRLY BENIGN WITH NO MAJOR SYSTEM  
TO DEAL WITH. TEMPERATURES TRENDING BACK TOWARDS NORMAL.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 1247 PM EST WED FEB 18 2026  
 
AVIATION CONDITIONS HAVE IMPROVED SINCE THIS MORNING AS DRYER  
MOVES INTO THE REGION. LATEST VIS LOOP SHOWS CLEARING SKIES MOVING  
FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST ACROSS LOWER MI; WE'LL SEE SKIES  
SCATTER OUT BY WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR OR TWO AT LOCATIONS THAT  
HAVEN'T YET.  
 
WINDS WILL KICK UP WITH THE CLEARING DUE TO BETTER MECHANICAL  
MIXING, BUT WILL DIMINISH WITH SUNSET. AS THE WINDS DIMINISH, THE  
WET GROUND WILL HELP TO DEVELOP MVFR FOG OVERNIGHT. THE FOG WILL  
DECREASE THURSDAY MORNING.  
 
 
   
GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
MI...NONE.  
MARINE...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...DUKE  
AVIATION...04  
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