020  
FXUS63 KGRR 030816  
AFDGRR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI  
416 AM EDT FRI JUL 3 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- THUNDERSTORM CHANCES CONTINUE THROUGH THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND  
 
- WARM AND HUMID CONDITIONS TO PERSIST  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 415 AM EDT FRI JUL 3 2026  
 
- THUNDERSTORM CHANCES CONTINUE THROUGH THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND  
 
THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL CONTINUE EACH DAY FROM TODAY THROUGH  
SUNDAY ACROSS SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. WE ARE IN A  
MARGINAL/SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER TODAY AND A GENERAL  
THUNDER RISK FOR SATURDAY/SUNDAY VIA THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER.  
A DIFFUSE STATIONARY BOUNDARY REMAINS IN PLACE ACROSS THE  
SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES THIS MORNING WHICH IS BEING AUGMENTED BY  
THUNDERSTORM OUTFLOW. RICH BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE REMAINS IN  
PLACE WHICH WILL AID MODERATE INSTABILITY ONCE AGAIN TODAY AND  
OVER THE WEEKEND AS WELL. IT IS NOT UNTIL WE GET INTO SUNDAY NIGHT  
AND MONDAY BEFORE WE GET INTO LESS HUMID/UNSTABLE AIR.  
THUNDERSTORMS TODAY WILL BE DRIVEN BY WEAK SHORTWAVES MOVING  
THROUGH THE UPPER FLOW AND LOCALIZED CONVERGENCE AT THE SURFACE.  
THE SPC HREF SHOWS A LULL DURING THE MORNING HOURS IN THE WAKE OF  
THE CURRENT ACTIVITY WITH A DIURNAL BOOST TO THE ACTIVITY THIS  
AFTERNOON AND EVENING, ESPECIALLY FOR AREAS NEAR AND SOUTH OF  
I-96. MACHINE LEARNING OUTPUT VIA NADOCAST SHOWS WIND AS THE CLEAR  
MAIN THREAT.  
 
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY THE THUNDERSTORM CHANCES CONTINUE WITH  
SATURDAY'S THREAT BEING DRIVEN BY CONVECTIVE VORT'S AND SUNDAY'S  
BY A STRONGER WAVE MOVING THROUGH. INSTABILITY IS STILL FAIRLY  
SIGNIFICANT BOTH DAYS WITH THE GFS SHOWING NORTH OF 2,000 J/KG OF  
MUCAPE. CANNOT RULE OUT SEVERE WEATHER EITHER DAY, ESPECIALLY ON  
SUNDAY WHEN CONVECTION WILL GET MORE OF A SYNOPTIC BOOST FROM A  
MID LEVEL WAVE AND A SURFACE COLD FRONT.  
 
HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL WILL EXIST TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY AS WELL WITH  
PWAT VALUES NEAR 2 INCHES ALL THREE DAYS. THE FLOODING THREAT  
WOULD BE SHORT TERM EXCESSIVE RAIN WHERE STORM DRAINS WILL NOT BE  
ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE VOLUME OF WATER.  
 
- WARM AND HUMID CONDITIONS TO PERSIST  
 
850MB TEMPERATURES REMAIN WARM TODAY AND ON THE FORTH. HIGHS TODAY  
WILL STILL REACH THE 90S OVER MUCH OF THE AREA. 80S WILL BE MORE  
COMMON ON SATURDAY. WE WILL MAINTAIN THE CURRENT HEAT ADVISORY AS  
IS.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 216 AM EDT FRI JUL 3 2026  
 
VFR WEATHER IS IN PLACE ACROSS MOST OF THE REGION AT 06Z. THE  
EXCEPTION IS IN SOME VERY LOCALIZED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY ACROSS  
THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES STRETCHING FROM NORTHERN ILLINOIS INTO  
SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE  
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN THE REST OF  
THE NIGHT IMPACTING THE I-94 TAF SITES. THE I-96 TAF SITES WILL  
LIKELY REMAIN NORTH OF THE ACTIVITY. A LULL IN THE SHOWERS/STORMS  
WILL LIKELY OCCUR DURING THE MORNING HOURS OF FRIDAY AFTER  
SUNRISE. DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING WE EXPECT ANOTHER ROUND  
OF SHOWERS AND STORMS TO MAINLY AFFECT THE I-94 TAF SITES BETWEEN  
ROUGHLY 20Z AND 03Z. WINDS WILL BE SOUTHWEST AT 5-15 KNOTS TODAY  
WITH SOME GUSTS TO AROUND 20 KNOTS IN THE AFTERNOON.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
ISSUED AT 415 AM EDT FRI JUL 3 2026  
 
A FAIRLY LIGHT WIND REGIME IS EXPECTED FOR THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND.  
WINDS FOR THE MOST PART WILL BE IN THE 5 TO 15 KNOT RANGE FROM  
TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THERE IS A BRIEF WINDOW THIS EVENING WHERE  
SOUTHWEST WINDS INCREASE ALOFT AND SOME OF THIS WIND COULD MIX TO  
THE SURFACE. ON SATURDAY WE MAY SEE A SOUTHWEST WIND OF 10 TO 20  
KNOTS DEVELOP. OVERALL THOUGH IT LOOKS LIKE WAVES OF 1-3 FEET OR  
LESS THROUGH THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND GIVEN THE LIGHTER WINDS. WE  
THEREFORE ARE NOT EXPECTING ANY WIND/WAVE EVENTS TO ADVISORY  
LEVELS. WE WILL SEE OCCASIONAL THUNDERSTORMS TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY,  
SOME MARINERS AND BEACH GOERS ALIKE (BOTH OF WHICH WILL BE  
PLENTIFUL THIS WEEKEND) WILL NEED TO KEEP AN EYE TO THE SKY FOR  
THE THREAT OF LIGHTNING.  
 
 
   
GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
MI...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR MIZ046-051-052-  
056>059-064>067-071>074.  
MARINE...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...DUKE  
AVIATION...DUKE  
MARINE...DUKE  
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