729  
FXUS63 KGRR 201020  
AFDGRR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI  
620 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 /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z TUESDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 620 AM EDT MON JUL 20 2026  
 
MVFR CONDITIONS DUE TO SMOKE (IFR AT GRR) WILL CONTINUE FOR THE  
NEXT FEW HOURS BEFORE IMPROVING LATE MORNING AS MIXING INCREASES.  
GUSTY WINDS TO AROUND 20 KNOTS THEN ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE  
EVENING. SHOWERS AND STORMS OVER WISCONSIN THEN ARRIVE AFTER 00Z  
TONIGHT WITH MVFR AND LOWER CONDITIONS AND GUSTY WINDS POSSIBLE.  
GIVEN LOW CONFIDENCE IN COVERAGE AND STRENGTH OF STORMS, HAVE  
MAINTAINED PROB30S WITH THIS PACKAGE. POST STORMS, LOW CEILINGS  
ARE THEN FORECAST TO DEVELOP WITH MVFR CONDITIONS LIKELY.  
 

 
   
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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