713  
FXUS63 KGRR 161028  
AFDGRR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI  
628 AM EDT WED SEP 16 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- PATCHY DENSE FOG POSSIBLE THIS MORNING  
 
- SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT  
 
- HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE THIS WEEKEND  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 229 AM EDT WED SEP 16 2026  
 
- PATCHY DENSE FOG POSSIBLE THIS MORNING  
 
AREAS OF FOG HAVE DEVELOPED UNDER BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS THIS MORNING  
AS LIGHT WINDS FAVOR ENHANCED RADIATIONAL COOLING. AT TIMES WE'VE  
SEEN SOME OBS SUCH AS FREEMONT, CHARLOTTE, AND MARSHALL GO DENSE FOG  
WITH SUB 1/4SM VISBYS. THIS IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE THROUGH SHORTLY  
AFTER DAYBREAK WHERE WE GET POCKETS OF CLEARING. THE GREATEST FOG  
POTENTIAL LOOKS TO BE AREAS EAST OF US131, ESPECIALLY NEAR AND  
SOUTH OF I96.  
 
- SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT  
 
A FRONTAL BOUNDARY NEARBY WILL LEAD TO PERIODS OF SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT, WITH HIGH PWATS FAVORING THE  
POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN. THE BEST CHANCE WILL COME TONIGHT WITH A  
LOW-LEVEL JET INTERACTING WITH THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY TO OUR SOUTH.  
THIS WILL BEING THE BEST SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL ALONG AND  
SOUTH OF I96, ESPECIALLY NEAR I94. DRIER CONDITONS THEN TAKE HOLD  
FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AS THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS SHUNTED SOUTH,  
THOUGH ISOLATED SHOWERS/STORMS CANNOT BE RULED OUT.  
 
- HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE THIS WEEKEND  
 
ATTENTION THEN TURNS TO THIS WEEKEND AS A MID-LEVEL WAVE SLOWLY  
DRIVES A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM ACROSS THE REGION. RAIN STARTS FRIDAY  
NIGHT CONTINUING INTO SATURDAY. THE SLOW NATURE OF THIS SYSTEM IN  
ADDITION TO HIGH (AOA 2") PWATS SUPPORTS A HEAVY RAIN THREAT.  
PROBABILISTIC DATA SHOWS A 70-80% CHANCE OF OVER 1" OF RAIN ACROSS  
MUCH OF THE AREA WITH A 40-50% CHANCE OF EXCEEDING 2" MAINLY ACROSS  
THE SOUTHERN HALF. THIS ALIGNS WELL WITH THE SLIGHT (2/4) EXCESSIVE  
RAINFALL OUTLOOK FROM WPC WHICH WE AGREE WITH. MARGINAL INSTABILITY  
WILL SUPPORT SOME THUNDER RISK, ALBEIT LOW GIVEN THE BEST  
INSTABILITY REMAINS SOUTH.  
 
THE FORECAST BECOMES MORE NEBULOUS INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS SOUTHWEST  
FLOW WITH EMBEDDED SHORTWAVES DEVELOPS ACROSS THE AREA AS LARGER  
SCALE TROUGHING ARRIVES UPSTREAM. DEPENDENT ON PLACEMENT AND TIMING  
OF KEY FEATURES, ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 628 AM EDT WED SEP 16 2026  
 
INTERMITTNENT FOG AND LOW CLOUDS HAVE DEVELOPED AT LAN/JXN, AND  
ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD EXPANDING INTO AZO/BTL IN  
THE COMING HOURS. MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. AZO/BTL/JXN  
THEN STAY MVFR ALL DAY BEFORE CRASHING TO IFR/LIFR TONIGHT AS  
SHOWERS DEVELOP IN AN ALREADY MOIST ENVIRONMENT. FURTHER NORTH,  
LOWER COVERAGE WILL SUPPORT VFR THIS AFTERNOON (BORDERLINE MVFR AT  
LAN) FALLING TO MVFR TONIGHT.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
ISSUED AT 229 AM EDT WED SEP 16 2026  
 
WINDS AND WAVES HAVE FALLEN BELOW HAZARDOUS LEVELS, AND ARE EXPECTED  
TO REMAIN THERE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS WITH A WEAKER GRADIENT. THE  
NEXT CHANCE FOR HAZARDOUS WINDS AND WAVES ARRIVES FRIDAY INTO EARLY  
NEXT WEEK AS A STRONG SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS THE REGION INCREASING THE  
GRADIENT. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT SOUTH OF  
HOLLAND.  
 

 
   
GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
MI...NONE.  
MARINE...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...THOMAS  
AVIATION...THOMAS  
MARINE...THOMAS  
 
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