Outlook for this week looks very good with cool April conditions holding through Friday morning with the risk of frost and/or freezes through that time period as temperatures drop into the mid 20s to mid 30s. Daytime high temperatures will recover first from today's coldest of weather with more abundant April sunshine expected Wednesday through Friday. Highs will push back up closer to normal; into the 50s to around 60, Wednesday into Friday. Look for warmer weather over the weekend but with the risk of showers and thunderstorms. Normal or average highs for the second week of April run from the mid 50s to around 60; while lows dip into the mid 30s to lower 40s.
Original Blog 4/6/12
After weeks of unseasonably warm, sometimes summer-like weather in mid to late March; April's weather has been (and will continue to be) a bit more fickle. An upper wind pattern change expected to commence after Easter will bring a longer below normal temperature pattern to the Great Lakes and Southeast Lower Michigan.
While much of the country was enjoying that taste of late spring and summer weather in March; mother nature was busy recharging the Polar Regions with some late season blasts of cold air. In other words; the freezer door on the proverbial meteorological freezer is again, about to be opened! All model indications point to a rather robust Arctic to Great Lakes region jet stream trajectory during the second week of April. In addition, these latest upper wind pattern projections show a very broad and potent cold air mass diving along for the ride.
500 MB /18k - ft/ Jet - Tuesday Morning 4/10/2012
850 MB /5k-ft/ Jet/Temps- Tuesday Morning 4/10/2012
As with this past week, the risk of frost and freezes will be with us during portions of the upcoming week along with even the possibility some rain and snow showers or flurries. While temperatures will average below normal during the week; this is not extraordinarily atypical for this time of year - like March's heat proved to be. It was this summer-like heat that was responsible for bringing out the vegetation at such a rapid pace. That early warmth is mainly responsible for initiating these colder late March and April morning headaches. All nursery and gardener interests should keep abreast of local temperature forecasts in the the near future.
Making weather fun while we all learn,
Bill Deedler -SEMI_WeatherHistorian
