A long period of steady - and at times heavy - rain is going to fall across the southeast half of Lower Michigan today through Thursday. The rest of Michigan will get rain, but amounts will remain below flood potential levels.
A strong cold front moving in from the northwest will latch onto a storm system coming straight from the south. The two weather features will meet over southeast Lower Michigan, slowing the movement of both weather systems. After the rain starts across the southeast part of the state this afternoon, it will continue at a nearly steady pace through Thursday night.
Here’s a good way to see the large-scale nature of this storm system.
It’s going to take two and a half days for the storm system to move out of Michigan.
Here is the total rainfall forecast through late Thursday.
The southeast third of Lower Michigan could have a total of 3 to 5 inches of rain over the next few days. This is the reason for the flood watch in effect for southeast Lower Michigan. Bad Axe, Flint, Lansing, Ann Arbor, Detroit and the Thumb are in the heaviest rain forecast area.
As we move into western Lower Michigan, the rain will still be a solid soaker, but not a flood-maker. Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek should have at least one inch of rain and up to 2.5 inches of rain.
The flood watch is in effect late today through at least Thursday morning.
Three to 5 inches of rain over the next few days will cause flooding on some of the major highways with poor drainage in the Detroit area. If your roads usually close down on flooding rains, you should anticipate that problem in the next few days. Wednesday will be the most likely problem road flooding day.
Check your sump pump, and make sure your gutters aren’t filled. Also make sure the downspouts that take water away from your foundation are hooked up.
Stick with MLive on weather coverage. We will be able to see where the very heaviest rain will fall once the heavy rain area develops.
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