Hold Onto Your Hat! Metro Detroit Under Wind Advisory Tuesday

DETROIT (WWJ) - It's going to be a windy day in Metro Detroit Tuesday.

Wind gusts of 45 to 50 miles per hour have already been felt at Metro Airport this morning. A Wind Advisory remains in effect for all of Southeast Michigan until 7 p.m. tonight.

A Wind Advisory means that sustained wind speeds of at least 30 mph or gusts of 45 mph or more are expected. Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution.

The National Weather Service says southwest winds will increase to 25 to 35 mph with gusts of 45 mph in the wake of a cold frontal passage this morning. Wind gusts will peak closer to 50 mph in the Saginaw Valley and downwind of Saginaw Bay over Huron and Tuscola counties. Wind gusts will diminish slowly below advisory levels this evening.

High winds are causing problems elsewhere across the state as well. There's a partial closure of the Mackinac Bridge, where winds are blowing across the bridge surface in excess of 50 miles per hour. The bridge has been closed to all vehicles except passenger cars, passenger vans, and empty pickup trucks. Consumers Energy says more than 71,000 customers in western Michigan also don't have power because of high winds -- and they expect that number to grow. They say winds have been above 50 miles per hour at times , knocking down power lines and trees.

Here's a look at the local forecast from the CBS Detroit weather team:

Tuesday -- Chance of a morning shower. Windy and becoming cloudy during the afternoon. Morning high of 45F with temps falling to near 35F. Low 27F.

Wednesday -- Mostly sunny skies in the morning will give way to mostly cloudy skies in the afternoon. A few flurries or snow showers possible. High 39F. Low 25F.

Thursday -- More clouds than sun. High in the low 30s and lows in the low 20s.

Friday -- A few clouds. High 31F. Low 22F.

Saturday -- Cloudy. Highs in the low 30s and lows in the upper teens.

Know before you go: Keep it tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 for the latest forecast during traffic and weather, every 10 minutes on the 8s. See the live, local radar now at this link.