U.P. heat wave ends

The Marquette area just set an all-time five-day temperature record, with an average reading for those 120 hours of higher than 77 degrees.

But the heat wave has now ended abruptly.

Thursday morning saw thunderstorms and a cooling rain, but the muggy conditions returned to much of the U.P. by the early afternoon. Temperatures climbed back into the mid-to-upper 80s.

They won’t be around for the weekend, though.

“The big cold air push (is) coming in Saturday,” National Weather Service observation program leader David Petrovich said. “Saturday’s high temperatures, we’re looking at (going) back down into the 60s for the northern U.P. and low 70s for the south. Saturday night, we’re looking for overnight lows in the upper 40s for a good portion of the U.P.”

Sunday should be more of the same as Saturday but slightly warmer, with lows staying in the 50s.

Showers and thunderstorms are likely overnight tonight and for Friday morning. Some of the storms could bring hail and heavy rain.