A busy night

http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/radar/displayRad.php?icao=KMKX&prod=n0r&bkgr=black&endDate=20110410&endTime=-1&duration=0 (Regional radar image, this images includes Green Bay, Toledo, Detroit and Fort Wayne...they are the biggest concerns for overnight tonight. Copy and paste the above given site address to your search bar to view the radar image).

First we're going to type about Green Bay here for two paragraphs, and then I'll get to everybody else in the region and I'll give you a timeline of what I expect tonight.

Storms have really fired up just to the west of the Green Bay area and they are looking rather organized and structured nicely across their existance. In fact when I started writing this post, they were nothing more than light rain showers and now they are literally full blown storms. Most of them will have severe thunderstorm warnings, and a few could get tornado warnings, but in general all of the tornado warnings have been because dopplar radar is showing some signs of rotation...but so far I haven't gotten any reports of tornadoes nor funnel clouds from any of these storms.

A fairly nice sized storm is more than likely going to be heading your way here pretty soon over in the Green Bay area. It does have tornado warnings on it, however there have been no reports of tornadoes or funnels being produced. The warning is dopplar indicated, so basically it just means that somebody at the NWS decided to issue a tornado warning to stay safe. If you're in Green Bay and this storm holds out long enough...make sure you bring you bring your plants indoors because they could get blown away or drowned in the heavy rains and gusty winds.

However once these storms roll through, those watches will start to be hacked away and once you get the storms you're pretty much done for the storm activity for the rest of the night...and possibly the rest of the system.

Ok, now lets type about everybody else in the region and what they can expect for tonight...

Storms are going to be likely across the region overnight tonight, however most of those storms will not arrive until around 3 a.m. in the Fort Wayne and Toledo areas and possibly just a little bit later in the Detroit area. We do have a tornado watch up for the areas to west of Chicago, and if things go according to plan, the SPC will probably extend a severe thunderstorm watch over to the western part of the forecast area later tonight. In general, tonight I believe that storms will mostly contain brief gusty winds, heavy downpours, small hail (usual) and a nice lightning show if we get the storms when it is still dark outside.

Part of the reason for this is because when that warm front pushed through earlier, it has really jacked those temps up, and they are still sitting in the upper 70's and lower 80's across a good portiion of the region right now. Tonight, the lows wont even get down past the mid 50's for most of us (and mid 50's is the lowest it could possible get) so that will really help these storms out as they move our way.

So, Toledo, Fort Wayne and Detroit will more than likely see their chances of storms increase after midnight tonight, however I am thinking that the storms will not really arrive in the area until late tonight (like around 3 a.m. or so). Cleveland, more or less you will not see those storms until the sunrise hours at earliest, and Erie and Buffalo will not see their storms until probably mid morning tomorrow.

Now, if we do get these storms before the regular update hours, then of course I will update you in that event, just because I sign off that doesn't mean that I wont be updating you. If we do get placed under a watch tonight, do not fret, it is typical ahead of systems like these. Most of the storms appear to be right ahead of the cold front, so wherever that cold front is really where those storms are going to be. Again, biggest concern for the Toledo, Fort Wayne and Detroit area when these storms come will be small hail, heavy downpours, brief gusty winds and the occasional great lightning view.

So overnight tonight, those storms are going to be making their way into the region, we'll will more than likely see some warnings (mostly severe thunderstorm warnings) come from these storms as they enter Toledo, Fort Wayne and Detroit. Remember, overnight tonight the biggest concern will be in the above mentioned places and it'll be mostly after midnight tonight, with the biggest chances any time after about 3 a.m.

If we do get a watch issued, I am not going to update you on the condition of the watch...I think you all know how to handle a watch by now, we've been seeing them all day across the region...but if we do start to get those warnings then of course I'll jump in and update you all on what is going on. So just play it cool, put those ear plugs in if you dont like thunder while you're sleeping, and if we start getting warnings in the region then of course you can check back for updates because I'll give you full details on the storms if and when they come.

So keep it here to GLWX if things start to get iffy in your neck of the woods...obviously, the less updates the less there is to be concerned about. I'll keep you updated as always however, but for now, I am Timmy Albertson and that's the weather! Keep checking back for updates because I'll have them for you as always.