774  
FXUS63 KGRR 200638  
AFDGRR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI  
238 AM EDT MON JUL 20 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT WITH DAMAGING WINDS POSSIBLE  
 
- DRY AND COOLER MID TO LATE WEEK  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 237 AM EDT MON JUL 20 2026  
 
- THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT WITH DAMAGING WINDS POSSIBLE  
 
PRIMARY CONCERN WITH THIS FORECAST PACKAGE IS FOR THE POTENTIAL OF  
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT. A COLD FRONT LOOKS TO TRIGGER STORMS  
ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST THIS AFTERNOON WHICH PROGRESSES EASTWARD  
MONDAY EVENING. QUESTIONS REMAIN AS TO THE STRENGTH OF ANY  
CONVECTION, WITH TIMING FAVORED TO BE LATE THIS EVENING INTO THE  
EARLY OVERNIGHT HOURS.  
 
EVALUATION OF FORECAST PROFILES SUGGESTS THE POTENTIAL FOR AN MCS ON  
THE NOSE OF A 40 KT LLJ, WITH STRONG LOW-LEVEL AND DEEP LAYER SHEAR.  
THIS LENDS ITSELF TO A PRIMARY THREAT OF DAMAGING WINDS, WITH LARGE  
HAIL IN ANY DISCRETE CONVECTION GIVEN STEEP MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES.  
INSTABILITY LOOKS TO BE SUFFICIENT AS WELL (ALBEIT WANING WITH  
EASTWARD EXTENT), SO EVEN WITH UNCERTAINTIES AS TO CONVECTIVE  
STRENGTH, THE ENVIRONMENT WARRANTS THE SLIGHT (LEVEL 2/5) RISK IN  
PLACE ACROSS MOST OF THE CWA. THE THREAT ENDS TUESDAY MORNING AS THE  
COLD FRONT EXITS THE CWA.  
 
- DRY AND COOLER MID TO LATE WEEK  
 
TUESDAY THROUGH LATE WEEK WILL FEATURE A RELATIVELY STABLE PATTERN  
WITH PERSISTENT UPPER-LEVEL TROUGHING AND SURFACE RIDGING ACROSS THE  
AREA. COMBINED WITH THE DRY AIRMASS, DRY CONDITONS ARE FAVORED AT  
THIS POINT. LOOK FOR HIGHS IN THE 70S MID-WEEK CLIMBING BACK INTO  
THE LOW 80S BY THE WEEKEND.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z TUESDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 104 AM EDT MON JUL 20 2026  
 
SMOKE CONTINUES TO SUPPORT MVFR CONDITIONS AT AZO/MKG AND IFR AT  
GRR. GIVEN PERSISTENCE FORECAST FROM PREVIOUS DAYS, ESPECT  
CONDITIONS TO REMAIN THE SAME THROUGH THE NIGHT IF NOT DETERIORATE  
SLIGHTLY NEAR DAYBREAK. MIXING THEN INCREASES FAVORING VFR  
CONDITIONS AT ALL TERMINALS BEGINNING MID TO LATE MORNING. A LINE  
OF STORMS POTENTIALLY ARRIVES FROM THE WEST AFTER 00Z TUESDAY,  
HOWEVER EXISTENCE OF TIMING AND STORMS REMAINS UNCERTAIN. GIVEN  
THIS HAVE ELECTED TO GO PROB30 AT GRR/MKG TO START AND CAN RE-  
EVAUATE WITH FUTURE PACKAGES. GUSTY WINDS FROM THE SOUTH TO AROUND  
20 KNOTS ARE EXPECTED TODAY, WITH LOCALLY HIGHER WINDS AND MFVR  
AND LOWER CONDITIONS POSSIBLE IN ANY STORMS TONIGHT.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
ISSUED AT 237 AM EDT MON JUL 20 2026  
 
WINDS AND WAVES INCREASE THIS MORNING AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT WITH 3-6  
FOOT WAVES BUILDING BY THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS VEER NORTHWESTERLY  
TUESDAY BEHIND A COLD FRONT WITH WAVES TO 5-8 FEET. WINDS OF 20-30  
KNOTS ARE EXPECTED WITH A 40% CHANCE OF GALE FORCE GUSTS TUESDAY  
EVENING. HAZARDOUS WINDS AND WAVES CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING.  
WILL HOIST A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY AND BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT FOR  
THIS MULTI DAY HAZARDOUS WIND AND WAVE EVENT. IN ADDITION,  
THUNDERSTORMS, THE STRONGEST OF WHICH MAY HAVE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 34  
KNOTS, ARE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING ACROSS THE NEARSHORE AND OPEN  
WATERS.  
 
 
   
GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
MI...AIR QUALITY ALERT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT FOR MIZ037>040-  
043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074.  
BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT FROM 11 AM EDT THIS MORNING THROUGH  
WEDNESDAY EVENING FOR MIZ037-043-050-056-064-071.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 11 PM EDT  
WEDNESDAY FOR LMZ844>849.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...THOMAS  
AVIATION...THOMAS  
MARINE...THOMAS  
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