Wet and colder Wednesday, bring out the jackets and umbrellas

Rain will spread in from the west, beginning this evening. Then it’s going to stay wet through most of Wednesday. A few limited breaks are possible midday, in between rounds of rain.

Many areas will get a needed soaking. Rainfall amounts will total close to 1 inch, except possibly less south of M-72. We still could see a few showers lingering early Thursday.

Wednesday’s forecast has a high chance of rain all day, and more showers possible at night. Thursday, the chance of rain will gradually drop off. Then Friday looks drier and brighter.

High temperatures Tuesday warmed to 89 degrees in Alpena and 88 degrees in Traverse City, Michigan before winds picked up out of the north. Later in the day, temperatures began to drop. Notice the colder temperatures over the U.P., where highs were in the 60s, that colder air will move into our area.

Wednesday: Wet, cold and breezy, have your umbrella and jacket ready to go. Predawn temperatures will be in the upper 50s. Temperatures will barely rise to 60 degrees. Temperatures will drop to the 50s in the afternoon.

Thursday: Possibly a shower early to midday, then drying out with some late-day sunshine. Early-morning lows will head down to around 53 degrees. Afternoon highs will reach only about 65 degrees. Evening temperatures will be near 60 degrees or the upper 50s.

Friday: Bright and getting warmer. Early-morning temperatures will begin close to 53 degrees. Afternoon highs will get up to around 75 degrees. Evening temperatures will head into the 60s.

Elsa has strengthened to a hurricane and hurricane warnings have gone into effect along parts of Florida’s western coast. Impacts include floods, wind gusts over 70 mph and storm surge several feet high.

Elsa is forecast to make landfall along the western coast of Florida early Wednesday as a category 1 hurricane. Elsa will then travel north and weaken to a tropical storm. The storm will head up the Eastern Seaboard Thursday and Friday.