Blossoms, sunshine are in weekend forecast

BY SHERI McWHIRTER
smcwhirter@record-eagle.com

May 24, 2008 04:00 am

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LELAND -- Orchard blossoms will bloom under rays of sunshine through much of the holiday weekend, a welcome shift away from several days of chilly weather.

Locals and visitors will have warmer temperatures, more sunshine and spring-like conditions for Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial kick-off to the summer season in northern Michigan.

"Since the cold weather is happening, the bloom hasn't been moving very fast, so there should be plenty of blooms for people to see," said Leelanau County grower Jim Bardenhagen, who lives east of Leland.

Some types of cherries already passed their peak flowering, but tart cherries will be in full bloom and apples will be coming along shortly, he said.

"Pretty white blooms all over the trees, with the green sod centers -- it really makes a pretty picture," Bardenhagen said.

Weather forecasters are calling for a gradual warm-up and plenty of sun today through Sunday, with a return of wetter conditions to the region by Monday.

The pleasant weather should help lure weekend motorists into the countryside to take in the orchard views, said Rob Sirrine, director at the Michigan State University Extension in Leelanau County.

"Folks will want to get out and enjoy it and perhaps stop at a winery or two on the way home," he said.

Organizers of the Petoskey Stone Festival in Antrim County also are grateful for favorable weekend weather forecasts.

"As long as it's not 50 and raining, I'm happy," said Joe Meyers, one of the festival organizers. "It's been freezing out."

The third annual event on Saturday will begin with a stone-skipping contest at 9 a.m. at Barnes Park in Eastport and will continue all day with Petoskey stone hunts, polishing demonstrations, other activities and plenty of vendors, Meyers said.

Today will be mostly sunny with high temperatures in the lower 60s, which is still about 10 degrees below normal, said Andy Sullivan, meteorologist at the National Weather Service station in Gaylord.

"It looks like it's definitely warming up," he said. "More spring-like."

Tonight will be cool with low temperatures in the upper 30s, although Saturday temperatures will climb to near 70 under mostly sunny skies. Saturday night will be mostly clear with temperatures in the lower 40s, Sullivan said.

Sunday is expected to be mild and sunny with high temperatures in the mid-70s, although clouds will roll in across the region in the afternoon and bring a chance of rain and thunderstorms overnight. Monday will be mostly cloudy with continued chances of rain and thunderstorms, but temperatures will remain in the 70s, Sullivan said.

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