GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Fourth of July weekend is what many consider the apex of summer and many celebrate by spending time at the beach. This long holiday weekend will be ideal for that — once we get beyond Friday.

If you’re lucky enough that your weekend begins Friday, great, but the weather will not be ideal. Showers are expected with a weak cold front. Sunshine will return late in the day.

Saturday, with a mostly sunny sky, warm temperatures and a gentle wind, is my pick day of the weekend.

An uptick in the clouds along with a stray shower is possible Sunday and Fourth of July Monday.

You can see the European model has a large complex of storms in Iowa Fourth of July. That is a possibility anywhere in the Central and Northern Plains. If this is the case, expect high and mid clouds to overspread much of Michigan Monday.

WIND AND WAVES

Thankfully, wind and waves will calm considerably compared to Thursday. Waves will still be a bit choppy Friday, with a chance of showers. Expect the wind to shift from a southerly direction to more westerly Friday.

A small craft advisory persists through Friday morning along with hazardous swimming conditions.

Wave heights will be rather tame through the remainder of the weekend, hovering around a foot.

Air temperatures at the beach will max out in the upper 70s to near 80 degrees.

Water temperatures may take getting used to with readings from the low 60s to low 70s. By comparison, the buoy at Sleeping Bear Dunes is recording a 48-degree water temperature.

As we approach mid-summer, average temperatures are at their warmest, with an average low of 62 and high of 83 degrees. The latest 8-to-14-day temperature outlook has the heat persisting and that means more great beach days ahead.

The Lake Michigan Beach and Boating forecast is sponsored by Michigan State University Federal Credit Union and Serra Honda Grandville.