443
FXUS63 KMQT 130544
AFDMQT

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Marquette MI
144 AM EDT Sun Jul 13 2025

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Wildfire smoke from Canada will be over the area through at
  least Sunday night resulting in air quality concerns and
  reduced visibility.

- Periods of showers and thunderstorms possible Tuesday into
  Wednesday (30-60%).

&&

.SHORT TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/...
Issued at 249 PM EDT Sat Jul 12 2025

Water vapor imagery shows a shortwave trough pivoting into western
WI with modest lift ahead of it. This has resulted in areas of
showers and a few embedded storms across the UP thus far today.
Surface analysis shows a weak cold frontal boundary across central
portions of the UP moving east. A line of showers and a couple
embedded storms has developed along this line, but thus far has been
fairly weak. There is an area of clearing ahead of this line
resulting in a narrow window of destabilization, where 12Z CAMs have
favored convection becoming more invigorated. Effective bulk shear
of 30-40 kt suggests organization is possible in convective storms,
but thermodynamics are more marginal with HREF mean SBCAPE topping
out around 1000 J/kg. Window for stronger storms is likely 3-9 pm
mainly over the eastern half. HREF LPMM has an area of 1-2" of rain
over portions of the east, suggesting a threat for locally heavy
rainfall. The other story is the Canadian wildfire smoke mixing
down to the surface behind the front, with widespread 1-5SM
vsby from the western UP back into northern MN. Michigan EGLE
issued an Air Quality Alert through noon Monday, starting today
in the western half and tonight in the eastern half. HRRR smoke
model suggests the smoke will be with us at least through Sunday
night if not Monday.

Any showers/storms should quickly dissipate tonight with dewpoints
decreasing behind the boundary. Lows, mainly upper 50s to low 60s.
On Sunday, low pressure lifts into James Bay with high pressure over
the mid-Mississippi Valley. Resulting SW flow will keep temps on the
mild side with highs mainly in the 80s, although humidity will not
be a factor in most areas, and precipitation is not expected.

&&

.LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/...
Issued at 249 PM EDT Sat Jul 12 2025

A few showers or perhaps a thunderstorm will be possible Sunday
night as a weakening boundary tries to move through from the west.
For early next week, zonal midlevel flow initially will become
more amplified with time over the northern tier of the CONUS as
troughing digs into the northern Plains, resulting in SW flow
over the local area. At the surface, an area of low pressure
will develop over the Rockies/central Plains, with a warm front
extending NE into the northern Plains or upper Great Lakes.
After a dry and seasonably warm day Monday (highs mainly in the
80s), precipitation chances enter the picture again
Tuesday/Wednesday as impulses in the SW flow team up with
diurnal instability to generate areas of showers and
thunderstorms. There is still uncertainty with timing and
placement of the front upon which most of the activity should be
focused, so general broad-brush chance to low-likely (30-60%)
PoPs will suffice, with Wednesday having relatively higher
probabilities for precipitation over most areas. With relatively
more ensemble members having the front north of our area on
Tuesday, another warm day in the 80s looks likely, with a cool-
down becoming more likely Wednesday on the back side of the
front. Gradually trending drier and seasonably cool for the end
of the week as high pressure builds over the northern
Plains/Great Lakes.

&&

.AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY/...
Issued at 144 AM EDT Sun Jul 13 2025

Primarily VFR cigs are expected during the 6Z TAF period, but
Canadian wildfire smoke will continue to yield varying levels of vis
restrictions most of the period. Mainly MVFR vis is anticipated;
this morning/early afternoon is expected to be the worst period
where some IFR may mix in before some gradually improvement is
anticipated into this evening/tonight, possibly to VFR at all sites.
That said, the improvement tonight likely won`t last long as another
batch of wildfire smoke looks to arrive from the NW for Mon. Exact
timing of vis restrictions remains a low confidence point of the
forecast as model near-sfc smoke does not necessarily correlate to
sfc vis. Also FU/HZ particulates may impact FG/BR late tonight...
not captured well by model guidance but chances remain low (~25% or
less). Will continue to monitor and update TAFs with trends and
observations.

Otherwise, W to SW winds will hold around 10 kts with gusts up to 20-
25 kts at CMX. Elsewhere W to SW winds settle to around 5-8kts
through early this morning, increasing to around 10 kts by this
afternoon. Some gusts at IWD may push near 20 kts in the afternoon.

&&

.MARINE...
Issued at 249 PM EDT Sat Jul 12 2025

A weak boundary will bring a chance of thunderstorms mainly over the
eastern half through this evening. Behind this line, visibility will
likely be reduced in areas of fog and wildfire smoke into Sunday.
Winds will increase tonight into Sunday with west-southwesterly
gusts to 20-25 kt through Sunday, mainly over the western half.
Winds diminish early in the week, but could increase to near 20 kt
from the north late in the week behind a frontal boundary. Unsettled
weather returns Tuesday/Wednesday with additional rounds of showers
and thunderstorms possible, plus the potential for fog where
rainfall occurs.

&&

.MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Upper Michigan...
  Air Quality Alert until noon EDT /11 AM CDT/ Monday for
     MIZ001>007-009>014-084-085.

Lake Superior...
None.
Lake Michigan...
None.

&&

$$

SHORT TERM...Thompson
LONG TERM...Thompson
AVIATION...Jablonski
MARINE...Thompson