Houghton Lake, MI 48629 Weather

Key Messages

- Intermittent light rain over eastern upper as weak cold front slowly moves through the state today and tonight

- Brief cool down Monday and Tuesday, then mild temperatures return with rain chances late in the week

Discussion

Issued at 200 AM EDT Sun Oct 25 2026

Current satellite and radar depict a line of scattered weak rain showers/virga decaying over central Lk MI this morning. Water vapor satellite shows that this is the leading edge of moisture aloft moving up and over an upper ridge (axis is currently over eastern MI and Lk Huron). The northern stream upper trough in CAN is pushing against this upper ridge, slowly trending heights down over MI this morning. Some weak upper divergence and the washed out/weakening boundary aloft is resulting in these weakening showers. Little to no precipitation is expected from these as this continues to weaken and move across northern lower this morning. However, cloud cover will continue to increase as the aforementioned upper trough continues to break down the upper ridging over MI today. Although sub-tropical moisture will flow over northern MI today, very little forcing will be present. The upper wave in CAN tracks east, which will only assist in 30kts of a southwest LLJ over eastern upper and near the tip of the mitt around midday. This paired with a weakening surface boundary will yield areas of stratiform light rain starting around mid morning for eastern upper. Off and on light rain chances linger through much of the day as these features are slow to progress and continue to weaken throughout the day. Most CAM guidance agrees in a couple tenths of an inch of rain in total across eastern upper by late today. A window of weak instability is possible midday, and could lead to an embedded shower or two. Low to no chances for thunder. Breezy southwest winds and continued WAA will be present over northern lower, while clouds and a cold front slowly creep across eastern upper.. which leads to a 15 degree temperature gradient across the area today. Temperatures will remain in the high 50s to low 60s over eastern upper, while parts of NE lower see temperatures warm into the 70s thanks to some light down sloping and that WAA.

As the near surface boundary seeps southward late today into tonight, winds will turn north and slight chances for light rain will be seen along it over northern lower. Best chances at this time reside along and north of M-32, reaching the southern extent early Monday morning. Forecasted rain amounts remain at a couple hundredths up to a tenth of an inch at most for northern lower. Cloud cover persist into Monday with high temperatures remaining in the 40s and 50s. A 1035mb surface high will slide to the east over Ontario CAN Monday and Tuesday, turning winds east and keeping temperatures cooler.

Upper ridging will return to MI mid week, with another system riding up and over it towards the Great Lakes region. WAA will return mild temperatures to northern MI for mid week. Global deterministic guidance hints at the system returning more widespread rain chances to northern MI for late in the workweek, however ensembles continue to remain spread on rain amounts and coverage. Temperatures continue to be mild through the end of the month.

Aviation

Issued at 1046 PM EDT Sat Oct 24 2026

Largely VFR. Exception will be CIU, which will see clouds increase most tonight, and will likely see a dip firmly into MVFR, perhaps touching IFR at times late Sunday morning through the afternoon. In addition, there is potential for some showers near CIU. Elsewhere, CIGs to hold firmly in VFR... perhaps nearing MVFR at CIU Sunday afternoon. High clouds for most through the day will get a touch lower into the evening. Any SHRA activity likely holds away from TAF sites, and even if it does impact PLN or APN late in the afternoon, anticipating it to be high based with limited VSBY reductions. SW winds building tonight will turn NW Sunday.

Apx Watches

MI...None. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory until 10 AM EDT this morning for LMZ341- 342.