Cool & breezy for the first day of fall

SAGINAW, Mich. (WNEM) - The last full day of summer saw severe storms in the morning and a blast of heat with some humidity in the afternoon. Conditions have turned cooler on this first day of fall, and we’re expected to consistently stay cooler to ring in the new season. In fact, lake-effect kicks up today (surely a sign fall is here!) before drier conditions on Friday.

Today

Out the door this morning there is a light breeze from the northwest. This is ushering in cooler air with lower 50s already up north. By bus stop time, expect to see temperatures down into the middle to lower 40s up north, and right around 50 for the Tri-Cities and Flint. There are a few lake-effect clouds and sprinkles too, so although many are dry, some may encounter some drizzle or a few light rain drops. The trend for today is continued lake-effect, the best chances to see any rain will be the eastern Thumb along M-25 and in our typical lake-effect belts up north. Elsewhere in Mid-Michigan, expect clouds to fill in through the morning with a mostly cloudy afternoon. We could see some clearing before sundown this evening.

Temperatures are also a big point in the forecast today. Highs will be anywhere as much as 20 degrees cooler than Wednesday afternoon. Expect to stay in the 50s for most of the day, with a few lucky locations possibly touching 60 degrees.

Today’s breeze is also going to be strong out of the northwest. Expect a sustained wind from 10 to 15 mph, but gusts could be as high as 30 mph. Make sure any loose outdoor objects are secure! See how this affects wave heights on the Saginaw Bay in your Marine Forecast.

Tonight

Sky conditions will vary depending on your location tonight. The wind will start to turn more north northwest, even northerly, with a speed of 5 to 15 mph. This will keep more clouds over the Thumb, keeping lows in the lower 40s there. Isolated showers are also still possible in the Thumb.

Elsewhere, skies will turn mostly clear allowing for even more cooling. Lows should easily fall to the upper 30s tonight and by sunrise Friday, and out northern counties will fall well into the lower 30s. Some locations (Houghton Lake, Rose City, West Branch, Hale, Whittemore) will wake-up right near freezing. Frost is going to be a concern with those temperatures, so if you have agricultural interests up north, you might need to make efforts today to take precautions. The National Weather Service has not issued any frost or freeze alerts yet, but if they do, check in to our Weather Alerts section this afternoon.

Friday

After a surely cold start Friday, skies will be bright with sunshine lasting through much of the afternoon. Cloud coverage will increase starting near dinnertime, but conditions are expected to stay dry. Highs will reach up to around 62 degrees by the afternoon. Expect a lighter wind shifting from the northwest to the southwest at 5 to 10 mph.

There are rain chances featured this weekend, give those a check in your full 7-Day Forecast!

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