Detroit, Michigan – Residents across Michigan should prepare for a prolonged stretch of wet weather March 5-11 as repeated rain systems raise the risk for flooded roadways and rising rivers from the Upper Peninsula to the Ohio border.
According to the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center, Michigan falls within a 60 to 70 percent chance of above-normal precipitation during the March 5-11 period. The wet corridor stretches from the Upper Midwest into the Great Lakes and south toward the Gulf Coast, signaling multiple rounds of rainfall. Temperatures are also favored to trend above average across much of the state, especially in southern Lower Michigan.
In Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing and Ann Arbor, most precipitation will fall as rain, with periods of moderate to heavy downpours possible. Across Marquette, Sault Ste. Marie and parts of the Upper Peninsula, cooler air may allow for a rain-snow mix at times, particularly during overnight and early morning hours.
Heavier rainfall could lead to ponding along I-75, I-94, US-131 and low-lying roads near rivers and creeks. Saturated ground may increase runoff into the Grand, Kalamazoo and Saginaw river systems.
Residents should clear drains, check sump pumps and avoid driving through water-covered roads. The unsettled pattern continues through March 11, and additional flood advisories could be issued if rainfall totals increase.
