Frost is possible tonight in cold areas of interior Michigan

It will be a cold Thursday morning for all of us, but freezing for some. Here’s a look at where frost could set in Thursday morning.

This is not a rarity this May. I wouldn’t call it extremely cold air either. Tomorrow morning’s frost is a pretty normal occurrence year after year here in Michigan. There are two large cold pocket areas in Michigan: the interior areas of the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Michigan. However, Thursday morning there is even a slight chance of light frost in the cold, low-lying areas of Michigan’s thumb.

Here is the National Weather Service’s low temperature forecast for Thursday morning, May 30. An official low temperature of 35 degrees will produce frost. How can that be if the freezing point is 32 degrees? Remember a couple of things. Official thermometers are 6 feet off the ground. Just a few meters above the ground, the temperature can be a couple of degrees colder. Furthermore, if an official thermometer reads 35 degrees, there are lower points that read 32 degrees.

Look at the map and see where it is forecast to be 35 degrees or lower. Much of the Upper Peninsula should see frost, except for a few miles of Lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron.

In northern Lower Michigan, look for frost in many inland locations within 10 miles of Lakes Michigan and Huron. Traverse City will likely escape a freeze due to its proximity to water. As you move inland, frost will be common in the interior areas of northern Lower Michigan. Interlochen, Fife Lake, Cadillac, Kalkaska, Mancelona, ​​Grayling, Gaylord and inland areas of Charlevoix, Emmet, Cheboygan, Montmorency, Oscoda and Ogemaw counties will see frost Thursday morning.

Note the colder forecast in part of the thumb. Therefore, parts of Lapeer, Sanilac and St. Clair counties are forecast to fall into the upper 30s.

But our best computer model for forecasting low temperatures for the next day actually shows a bit colder in the southeast Thumb area. The forecast below shows northeastern Lapeer County, southern Sanilac County and western St. Clair County falling to 35 degrees.

This means even light, spot frosts are possible around Sandusky, Marlette, North Branch, Peck and Capac could see some frost.

For the rest of us in Michigan, we simply have a cold morning for this time of year, and Thursday morning starts in the 40s for most of us.

If you are in areas with frost forecast, you should probably cover your outdoor garden plants. Any hanging planters or baskets you have in your home should be fine.

We can also see from this morning’s temperatures that the waters of the Great Lakes are warming and keeping coastal areas warmer.

If you’re wondering where Thursday morning’s cold air is coming from, look just north of the U.S. border this morning.

We won’t see any more frosty mornings in the near future, so this should be the last frost of spring.