A First Alert Weather Day remains in place for Tuesday evening and tonight as severe thunderstorms are expected to move in around 8 to 9 p.m. The storms could bring strong wind gusts, large hail and an isolated tornado, with heavy rainfall also a concern.
Some areas between Saginaw and Flint could pick up another two inches of rain, adding to flooding worries on rivers and streams and in low-lying spots where water is already ponding. Road closures are expected, and the Tittabawassee River is forecast to crest in a manner similar to Easter Weekend.
The storms are expected to be over by 2 a.m., if not earlier, but rain showers could linger in periods into Wednesday morning. Thursday is expected to bring scattered showers, while Friday should be the driest day of the week before more rain arrives Saturday.
The day will start wet, with rainy conditions expected to end by 8 to 9 a.m. before sunshine and mild temperatures around 73 degrees take over in the afternoon. Winds will stay light through the day at 15 to 20 mph, with gusts up to 30 mph, but the break will be brief before the evening round of storms returns.
For people watching the rivers, the concern is not just the rain that falls Tuesday night but where it goes next. The forecast calls for more water moving into already stressed waterways, and the question now is how quickly the Tittabawassee rises once the heaviest rain passes.
