Kalamazoo, Michigan — Weakening thunderstorms to our west and the associated cloud cover may limit our potential for severe weather tonight.
Obviously, this is great news. But, we’re not out of the woods just yet.
The Storm Prediction Center maintains a ‘slight risk’ or 15% risk of damaging wind gusts from Holland to Kalamazoo to Three Rivers, and westward to Dowagiac and Niles.
The rest of West Michigan remains under a 5% risk of damaging wind gusts.
The risk of large hail is less. and mainly confined to locations west of U.S. 131.
Here’s the latest update from the Storm Prediction Center: “At least isolated severe storms capable of severe hail/damaging winds may occur near the eastward-advancing cold front pending the degree of air mass recovery/destabilization.”
Basically, if we’re able to cobble together some sunshine in the late afternoon to early evening time frame, we might be able to restore enough ingredients for strong to severe storms in our local atmosphere.
Severe weather or not, the forecast has some positive developments moving forward for your Holiday weekend plans. Saturday is mainly dry after an early morning shower. Not only are we dry, we’ll trend sunny and be rather comfortable with lower 70s. We increased the amount of sunshine for Memorial Day itself although it will be cool with lower and middle 60s.
The next item to address is another window for strong to severe storms Sunday. Right now, the Storm Prediction Center portrays a 15% risk of damaging wind gusts along the MI/IN line Sunday afternoon and evening. In future updates, this risk area may shift northward. There is, however, a greater risk of severe weather, including tornadoes, in the lower Ohio Valley.
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