Tuesday expected to be more than blustery. Lightning, straight-line winds a concern

LANSING – Tuesday is expected to be more than the typical blustery spring day.

Forecasters said storms beginning early Tuesday will bring straight-line winds, lightning and potentially brief tornado conditions.

“Tuesday will be windy all day, with frequent gusts 35 to 45 mph,” the National Weather Service station in Grand Rapids posted on social media. “Scattered thunderstorms moving through Lower Michigan during the afternoon may boost the winds to locally damaging 60 mph. Can't rule out a brief tornado, but the main hazards are straight-line winds and lightning.”

There were no weather watches or warnings issued by the NWS as of about 8 p.m. Monday night. Forecasters said the risk of a tornado was small.

The worst of the storms are expected from noon to 7 p.m.

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The rain is expected to begin by 4 a.m. with an 80% chance of precipitation, although it is expected to be all rain, rather than snow like late last week, because the overnight low is forecast at 45 degrees.

Up to a quarter inch of rain is possible early, with conditions growing windier through the daytime hours, when another quarter to half inch of rain could fall. Winds are expected to increase to gusts as high as 40 mph, with sustained southwest winds of 21-25 mph.

Tuesday evening, thunderstorms are possible before 8 p.m. with rain until 2 a.m. Wednesday. Winds are expected to die down late in the day.

Tuesday’s high is expected to be 60, with temperatures cooling overnight to 34, with a high of 42 Wednesday. Temperatures are expected to warm as the week goes on, with a high of 53 degrees forecast for Friday and highs near 50 degrees this weekend.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Lansing weather: Lightning, damaging winds expected, tornado possible