4Warn Weather – Metro Detroit is getting a bit of everything this week: from freezing temperatures to summerlike heat.

Mixed in are rain chances.

Tuesday night will feature scattered showers and a chance of a few thunderstorms as a cold front moves through Southeast Michigan.

The strongest storms Tuesday night are not expected to be severe, but a few downpours and gusty winds will be possible before the rain tapers off overnight.

Overnight temperatures will settle into the 40s and 50s in most locations.

Cooler air will arrive first across the Thumb and northern communities, with lows dipping into the mid- to upper 40s near Lapeer, Port Huron, and Sandusky.

Detroit and Downriver communities will be in the lower 50s.

Wednesday

Wednesday will feel noticeably cooler and breezy behind the front. High temperatures may struggle to climb much beyond the mid-50s in Metro Detroit, while communities farther north could remain even cooler at times under mostly cloudy skies.

A stray shower cannot be ruled out during the day, but much of Wednesday looks dry.

That cooler air will greet fans heading downtown Wednesday evening for Game 5 between the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers at Little Caesars Arena.

Temperatures around tipoff at 8 p.m. will hover near 50 degrees with cloudy skies. By the time fans leave the arena later Wednesday night, readings may slip into the upper 40s.

Anyone heading downtown may want a jacket, especially with a lingering breeze making it feel a little cooler outside.

After the chilly midweek stretch, temperatures will rebound quickly heading into the weekend.

Looking ahead

Friday evening looks comfortable for the Detroit Tigers’ series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays at Comerica Park.

First-pitch temperatures around 6:45 p.m. should be near 60 degrees under partly cloudy skies.

Saturday may end up being one of the nicest days Metro Detroit has seen in a while. Temperatures are expected to surge into the lower 80s.

Plenty of sunshine and warm conditions should make for ideal baseball weather and a busy day across parks, patios, marinas, and outdoor events across southeast Michigan.

Sunday remains warm, with highs in the upper 70s and approaching 80 degrees, though the atmosphere may become more unsettled later in the day.

Flower Day at Eastern Market in Detroit should still feature decent weather for shoppers and visitors during the morning and early afternoon, but a few showers and isolated thunderstorms could develop later Sunday as moisture increases again across the Great Lakes.

That means people heading to Eastern Market may want to keep an umbrella nearby, especially if spending several hours outdoors later in the day.

Even with the chance of rain, temperatures will remain warm and pleasant for browsing flowers, plants, and outdoor vendors.

The warming trend continues into early next week, with highs climbing into the 80s again on Monday with additional rain chances.

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DETROIT, Mich. (WNEM) – A new federal report has found the U.S. Border Patrol’s Detroit Sector led all northern border sectors in drug seizures since 2019.

A General Accountability Office report looked into seven years of data from the U.S. Border Patrol’s northern border sectors, which includes Spokane, Blaine, Havre, Grand Forks, Detroit, Buffalo, Houlton, and Swanton. The eight sectors cover 4,000 miles of the U.S. border with Canada across 13 states.

From 2019 through March 31, the report said the Detroit Sector conducted 681 narcotics seizures, more than any other northern border sector. According to the data, Detroit agents averaged 150 narcotics seizures per year over the last two years.

“Ours is a challenging environment, with both narrow waterways and the expansive Great Lakes, as well as high traffic corridors near major population centers and transportation routes that are attractive to smuggling and criminal organizations,” said Detroit Sector’s Acting Chief Patrol Agent Javier Geronimo Jr. “No matter the challenge, Detroit Sector agents continue to collaborate with our local, state, and federal partners to safeguard our communities and uphold the security of the United States. Their dedication and vigilance are unwavering, and I am proud of the professionalism and resolve they demonstrate in protecting our nation’s northern frontier. This commitment is shared across all northern border sectors, where teams work tirelessly every day to keep America safe.”

The Detroit Sector covers 863 maritime miles of the Northern Border and includes stations in Detroit, Gibraltar, Marysville, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and Port Clinton, Ohio.

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Metro Detroit is in for another cold night, with frost and near-freezing temperatures possible early Tuesday morning before a wetter pattern arrives Tuesday afternoon and evening.

Alerts

A Freeze Warning will go into effect at midnight and remain in effect until 8 a.m. Tuesday for Sanilac, Lapeer, St. Clair, and Macomb counties, where temperatures could drop to 27 degrees.

A Frost Advisory will blanket the remainder of Southeast Michigan, including Genesee, Livingston, Oakland, Washtenaw, Wayne, Lenawee, and Monroe counties during the same time span.

The coldest temperatures are expected north and west of Detroit.

Even if your thermometer reads 35 or 36 degrees, frost can still form on grass, rooftops, decks, and vehicles.

That is because surfaces cool more quickly than the air several feet above the ground.

Under clear skies and light winds, heat escapes rapidly from the ground overnight through a process called radiational cooling.

Cold air also sinks and settles into lower spots, allowing temperatures near the surface to briefly reach freezing while official air temperatures remain a few degrees warmer.

That means the temperature at ground level where plants are located can be colder than the temperature reported by a standard thermometer mounted several feet above the surface.

Sensitive plants and vegetation could be damaged or killed by the cold.

How to protect plants

Gardeners are encouraged to protect tender plants overnight by covering them with lightweight fabric sheets, blankets or frost cloths.

Bringing potted plants indoors or into a garage can also help prevent damage. Experts recommend avoiding plastic coverings directly on plants because plastic can trap moisture and transfer cold temperatures to leaves.

Flowers, vegetables, herbs and newly planted annuals are especially vulnerable this time of year.

Tomatoes, peppers, basil, petunias and other warm season plants are among those most sensitive to freezing temperatures.

The chilly pattern will not last long.

Clouds increase Tuesday morning, followed by scattered showers developing during the afternoon.

Temperatures rebound into the upper 50s and lower 60s with a gusty south breeze developing during the day.

Rain becomes more widespread Tuesday evening and Tuesday night. A few thunderstorms and rumbles of thunder are also possible overnight as a stronger weather system moves through the Great Lakes.

Severe weather is not expected, but brief downpours, gusty winds and small hail cannot be ruled out in a few stronger storms Tuesday night.

Behind the system, cooler air returns Wednesday with highs mainly in the 50s to around 60 degrees and gusty west winds.

Sunshine and milder weather return later in the week, with temperatures climbing into the 60s Thursday and around 70 degrees Friday.

This weekend

By the weekend, Southeast Michigan will get a taste of early summer.

Temperatures are expected to surge into the upper 70s and lower 80s Saturday through Monday, although there will be occasional chances for showers during the weekend.

That includes Flower Day on Sunday at Eastern Market in Detroit, one of the city’s most beloved spring traditions.

Thousands of people are expected to visit the market to shop for flowers, plants, herbs and garden supplies as growers from across the region fill the sheds with color.

Right now, the forecast calls for warm temperatures near 80 degrees Sunday with a chance of scattered showers.

While it may not be a completely dry weekend, it will feel dramatically different compared to the frosty start to the week.

For now, though, gardeners across Southeast Michigan will want to focus on protecting sensitive plants from one more cold Michigan night.

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