045 FXUS63 KAPX 232040 AFDAPXArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Gaylord MI 440 PM EDT Tue Sep 23 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Continued showers and dreary weather into early Thursday
- Patchy dense fog possible again the next couple nights
- Mild weather returns for the weekend
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.SHORT TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Issued at 439 PM EDT Tue Sep 23 2025
PATTERN SYNOPSIS/FORECAST:
Convoluted pattern across the CONUS...with positively tilted ridge axes flanking both sides of the continent...resulting in broadly nebulous/slow-moving flow across the central US. Rex block just off the West Coast...with high pressure largely in control of the western US and central Canada, save for a strand of energy resulting in a stationary boundary from the Dakotas through Manitoba. Bubble of ridging over eastern Manitoba/Ontario to our north resulting in troughing getting pinched off over the Upper Midwest/Great Lakes. Southern stream punch of energy across the southern/central Plains where most of the action is located today... loosely connected to aforementioned closed low centered over the Soo...and allowing for a subtle SW-NE oriented boundary from the Mid MS Valley up into Quebec, stretching across Mid MI attm, just to our south. Best moisture exists over the eastern half of the CONUS, particularly across the Mid MS Valley with that southern punch of energy tapping return flow off the Gulf.
Expecting the squished upper low to slowly sink southward over the region through Wednesday...dragging a subtle trough through the area. This will keep things on the dreary and foggy side through the night...with continued light, nebulous flow overall. Another warm- ish night in the 50s.
Primary Forecast Concerns through Tonight:
Diurnal showers to continue through this afternoon as the upper low swings overhead, though do not expect anything nearly as vigorous/exciting as yesterday...but certainly possible we will have a few rumbles of thunder as the PV max rotates through this afternoon/evening. Not impossible we end up with some shower/drizzle activity overnight...noting some potential for low-level instability to hang on as the upstream lobe over western Lake Superior swings down across the region into Wednesday morning...and as the primary PV max swirls down from the Soo area toward the Straits with time.
Continued nebulous flow overall with this moist environment suggests we will look for another night of patchy dense fog and low stratus across the area...though do wonder if that PV max swinging through, combined with the signals for some low-level instability, indicates a better threat of low stratus vs actual fog. Either way...it will be another dreary but mild night.
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.LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... Issued at 439 PM EDT Tue Sep 23 2025
Days 2-3 (Wednesday-Thursday)...
PV max to drop southward across the area Wednesday...as the entire squashed upper low slowly begins to pivot out of the region. Expect this will lead to development of a surface low to our southeast over the OH Valley Wednesday night/Thursday. Overall, another showery fall day on tap for Wednesday, likely the coolest of the next few, as the PV max pivots overhead. Think there could be an uptick in northerly flow along the Lake Michigan coast Wednesday...and looking at some signals for better convergence (likely lake breeze related) across NW Lower MI Wednesday afternoon. Not a ton of signals for convective instability overall but still think isolated/scattered showers are on tap...followed by another foggy night Wednesday into Thursday morning.
Some potential for us to see an inverted trough pivot through Thursday, which if it comes to fruition, could lead to an uptick in better convective activity across parts of the area again, at least early in the day...though rising heights with time should lead to some improvements overall. Potential for a col region Thursday/night suggests we may not yet be done with the dreary/foggy nights.
Days 4-7 (Friday-Monday)...
Ridging builds in Friday, likely leading to some improvements overall, including potential for a slightly warmer day. Another PV max digs into Ontario/Upper Midwest going into the start of the weekend, which could lead to some unsettled activity over the region...though the BCZ associated with this could stall out near/north of the region for the weekend. Beyond this...ridging builds back into the Midwest to wrap up the weekend and go into early next week...with signals for a cut off low to drift over the SE US...potentially setting up a Rex Block over the eastern US for early next week...and we could be on the warm side of this. Watching potential for tropical disturbances to develop toward the end of the period, and will have to keep an eye on this to see if it causes any upstream problems in the flow over us.
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.AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY/... Issued at 132 PM EDT Tue Sep 23 2025
Conditions look to continue to be a mixed bag of MVFR/ VFR this afternoon before trending to IFR/ LIFR tonight as fog/ mist/ stratus are expected to redevelop. A few showers and thunderstorms possible, but confidence remains low regarding timing and overall coverage. Light winds continue through the period.
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.APX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...None. MARINE...None.
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SHORT TERM...FEF LONG TERM...FEF AVIATION...NSC
NWS APX Office Area Forecast Discussion