Details on the storm period from today through Saturday night in Michigan

Two thunderstorms are expected today through early Sunday morning. Here’s a look at what’s in store for Michigan.

Today’s thunderstorms will likely only be anything notable in the Saginaw Valley and the Thumb. Our best data shows an evening round of strong thunderstorms throughout. These storms could briefly produce severe 60 mph gusts and hail up to two inches in diameter. It would be a situation like yesterday afternoon when thunderstorms became severe for a couple of hours in an area the size of several counties.

Here’s the radar forecast for late afternoon through midnight, showing the clusters of thunderstorms that should form in the Thumb. The rest of Michigan could see a brief thunderstorm, but widespread severe storms should not occur.

There will be a much more extensive thunderstorm front on Saturday and into Saturday night. The risk for severe thunderstorms is higher. The first half of Saturday will see lots of rain showers with some less severe thunderstorms in the northern half of Michigan. In the evening, a front of severe thunderstorms will move from Wisconsin and Illinois into western Lower Michigan. The storms could be moderate storms in Wisconsin and weak to less severe storms in west and northwest Lower Michigan late Saturday night. As the thunderstorm front moves southeastward across the rest of Lower Michigan, the storms should weaken below the severity level.

The radar forecast below shows that a stormy area will move across Michigan on Saturday and Saturday night.

The Storm Prediction Center’s severe weather forecast gives you the sense that the severe storms in Wisconsin will weaken Saturday as they move into Michigan Saturday night. The yellow area below has a 15 to 29 percent chance of severe wind gusts in thunderstorms. Our brown area across most of Michigan has a five to 14 percent chance of severe wind gusts.

The wind shear is so strong that one or two tornadoes are expected in the green areas of north-central Michigan on Saturday and Saturday evening.

Get ready for a stormy period. It’s a strong storm system trying to push out a heat wave. This basic scenario leads us to believe that severe thunderstorms are quite possible.

Use common sense on Saturday and Saturday night. If the weather becomes too stormy for your activities, go indoors and stay away from windows and exterior walls.

Stay up to date on the latest storms today and Saturday here.