Forecast Details for Grand Rapids, MI

Recent Locations: Worcester, MA Mesa, AZ Grand Rapids, MI

Current Alerts for Grand Rapids, MI: Flood Watch

Overnight: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Patchy fog. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. Southwest wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.

Wednesday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Patchy fog between 8am and 9am. High near 72. Southwest wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Wednesday Night: Showers and thunderstorms before 2am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 2am and 5am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5am. Low around 60. West southwest wind around 7 mph becoming south after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 8am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69. South wind 6 to 9 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Thursday Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm, then a slight chance of showers between 8pm and 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. West wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 75.

Friday Night: A chance of showers, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2am. Low around 55. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Saturday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 2pm, then a chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 66.

Saturday Night: A chance of showers before 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 35.

Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 45.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 29.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 54.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 40.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 66.

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Current U.S. National Radar--Current

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National Weather Forecast--Current

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National Weather Forecast for Tomorrow

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North America Water Vapor (Moisture)

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Weather Topic: What is Sleet?

Home - Education - Precipitation - Sleet

Sleet Next Topic: Snow

Sleet is a form of precipitation in which small ice pellets are the primary components. These ice pellets are smaller and more translucent than hailstones, and harder than graupel. Sleet is caused by specific atmospheric conditions and therefore typically doesn't last for extended periods of time.

The condition which leads to sleet formation requires a warmer body of air to be wedged in between two sub-freezing bodies of air. When snow falls through a warmer layer of air it melts, and as it falls through the next sub-freezing body of air it freezes again, forming ice pellets known as sleet. In some cases, water droplets don't have time to freeze before reaching the surface and the result is freezing rain.

Next Topic: Snow

Weather Topic: What are Stratocumulus Clouds?

Home - Education - Cloud Types - Stratocumulus Clouds

Next Topic: Stratus Clouds

Stratocumulus clouds are similar to altocumulus clouds in their fluffy appearance, but have a slightly darker shade due to their additional mass.

A good way to distinguish the two cloud types is to hold your hand out and measure the size of an individual cloud; if it is the size of your thumb it is generally an altocumulus cloud, if it is the size of your hand it is generally a stratocumulus cloud.

It is uncommon for stratocumulus clouds to produce precipitation, but if they do it is usually a light rain or snow.

Next Topic: Stratus Clouds