We can expect some scattered showers this morning as the last of the soggy weather moves across Michigan. But then a high-pressure system will be moving in.

This will bring dry weather and a chance for daytime temperatures to warm up a little bit for the weekend.

Some areas of the state could brush 60 degrees by Sunday.

Here are the forecast highlights from the National Weather Service offices across Michigan:

Rain showers will persist across eastern and northern Michigan through Friday afternoon, with some wet snowflakes possibly mixing in over the high terrain of the Upper Peninsula.

Temperatures will remain cool statewide with highs in the 40s to low 50s.

The most persistent shower activity will be in the eastern Upper Peninsula and northeastern Lower Peninsula, particularly in western Alger County where up to 0.40 inches of rainfall is expected.

Northwest winds of 15-25 mph will gradually diminish through the day as high pressure builds across the region.

Frost and freeze conditions are likely Friday night, especially away from the lakeshores, with temperatures falling into the upper 20s to mid-30s across most of Michigan. The growing season has already been declared over for all Michigan counties, so no additional freeze warnings are anticipated.

The weekend will bring improving conditions statewide as high pressure settles overhead. Saturday will feature diminishing clouds and temperatures in the low to mid-50s. Sunday looks even milder with highs reaching the mid to upper 50s across most of Michigan, with some areas approaching 60 degrees.

The extended forecast shows continued mild temperatures into early next week, with highs near 60 degrees on Monday. Dry weather will prevail through Monday before precipitation chances gradually increase by midweek as a complex weather pattern develops.

TROY, Mich. (FOX 2) – The backbone of Michigan’s economy has and continues to be manufacturing, which is why two times a year the state sends 10 small businesses overseas only to return with new customers.

Big picture view:

It’s all thanks to Troy’s Automation Alley and it has worked to the tune of $2.3 billion in new business.

This story starts in the middle with, well, the middle man.

“We want to see our children stay here like everybody,” said Tom Kelly, the CEO of Automation Alley. “And we have to create vibrant communities. One of the backbones of Michigan is manufacturing.”

Kelly leads the team at Automation Alley in Troy. Think of them as the bridge that brings Michigan manufacturers directly to the customers.

“There are 12,000 manufacturers in Michigan, we have 4,000 as members,” he said.

He says they have a formula that is proven – and works.

“We take them to these foreign countries, we set up appointments with companies that want to buy their products, and we help them close the deals,” he said. “Since we started, we have generated over $2.3 billion dollars for small manufacturers.”

The two trips coming up with take ten of these small businesses to Querétaro, Mexico in February and Paris, France in June of next year.

“By the way, here’s the kicker, it’s actually subsidized by the State of Michigan,” Kelly said. “So we can cover up to half of your travel expenses on these trade missions because guess what? It’s a huge win for the State of Michigan if you become a net exporter of your product to other countries.”

For those who may be thinking this is only a free trip – think again. Automation Alley has been putting on these trade missions for years.

“We have the relationships, we know who they should be meeting with, and people are people all over the world,” Kelly said.

Those relationships usually lead to lasting relationships, he added.

Automation Alley is an non-profit funded through donor businesses who know the value of Michigan manufacturing.

While the trade missions are important, it’s not all the only thing that happens here.

“Trade missions are only twice a year,” Kelly said. “We have programming all year long that helps you understand Artificial Intelligence,  help you make a choice  on what robot should I buy. What kind of systems do I need to consider, what are my peers doing in manufacturing that I can emulate and be successful like them.

“All of these things are available free of charge to all 12,000 manufactures in the State of Michigan.”

If you’d like to find out how to sign up your business to take advantage of the trade missions or other programs, just visit automationalley.com