12 Decades
Weather records have been kept by the NWS office at Grand Rapids since 1892 but between 1892 and 1898 there is data that is missing. But starting in 1898 there is good data. This week I will look at the annual mean average temperature for each decade from 1900 to 2019. I also took a look at the seasonal snow fall for the same decades.
I will start with 1900 to 1909 the mean annual temperature for the 10 year period was 47.7. The mean snow fall was 43.7”. The decade from 1910 to 1919 the mean was 48.0 for a increase of +0.3. That decade the average snow fall at GR was 52.2 for a increase of 4.9”. The 1920’s seen a average 10 year mean of 48.3 for another increase of 0.3°. For snowfall the 10 year average mean 51.8” for a decrease of 0.4” In the dust bow years of the 1930’s the mean at Grand Rapids shot up to 49.8° that was a increase of +1.5° for snow fall the average in the 1930” at Grand Rapids was 56.0” for a increase of +4.2” During the 1940’s the mean temperature at Grand Rapids was 47.8° that was a drop of 2.0° from the 1930’s as for snow fall the mean for that decade was 54.6” that was a decrease of 1.4”. The 1950’s the mean temperature was 47.9 and that was just 0.1° warmer then the 1940’s BUT something changed in the 1950’s for the mean snow fall at Grand Rapids and the mean that decade increased to 77.6” and so far has held up from the lower amounts from between 1900 to 1950. In the 1960’s the mean annual temperature was 47.3 that was a drop of 0.6 form the 1950” and the annual snow fall was now up to 80”. In the 1970’s the average annual mean was 47.0° that was a decline of 0.3° from the 1960’s and became the coolest decade at Grand Rapids. The average snow fall at Grand Rapids was 78.5” In the 1980’s rapid warming started with a mean of 47.8 and that was 0.8° warner then the 70’s. The mean average snow fall fell to 60.5” The 1980’s was not a good decade for some winter lovers. In the 1990’s the warming continue with a mean of 48.2 that was a increase of +0.4 over the 1980’s as for snow fall that increased to 75.0° The start of the 21st century seen a mean of 48.7° or a increase of +0.5° to go along with the warmer temperatures that 10 years had a mean snow fall of 86.6” and thus the snowiest decade so far at Grand Rapids. And now for the last 10 years the mean in the 2010’s was 49.7 and that is a whopping +1.0 warmer then the 2000’s and the average snow fall total dropped to 73.8” So while the period of 1930 to 1939 has been the warmest decade so far the last 40 years have seen a steady increase of temperatures here at Grand Rapids and the next 30 averages will go up even more. Below is a recap of the (12) 10 years means at Grand Rapids.
1900’s mean temperature 47.7 mean snow fall 43.7”
1910’s mean temperature 48.0 mean snow fall 53.7”
1920’s mean temperature 48.3 mean snow fall 51.8”
1930’s mean temperature 49.9 mean snow fall 56.0
1940’s mean temperature 47.8 mean snow fall 54.6
1950’s mean temperature 47.9 mean snow fall 77.6
1960’s mean temperature 47.3 mean snow fall 80.1
1970’s mean temperature 47.0 mean snow fall 78.5
1980’s mean temperature 47.8 mean snow fall 60.5
1990’s mean temperature 48.2 mean snow fall 75.0
2000’s mean temperature 48.7 mean snow fall 86.6
2010’s mean temperature 49.7 mean snow fall 73.8.
As you can see this past 10 years have been one of the warmest of record here at Grand Rapids and it has been rising for the last 40 years.
Slim
After a cloudy start the sun came out and it has turned out to be a great October day. 74 and sunny here at this time.
Slim
The sun is out and it’s not raining. Turned out to be a beautiful Fall day!!
Gorgeous sunny day this afternoon! Kind of odd some are stuck under a dark rain cloud when the sky is clear in all directions.
Cloudy and 68 here at this time. My wife and me went on a little road trip yesterday to Houghton Lake. The color is very good along 131. I got off at US 10 and went east to M 66. The color is not a good east of 131 but there is still a lot of color. West of Houghton Lake there are areas the look like it has gotten very cold and the leaves show it. We bought a couple of Subways and had lunch at a little park on the lake. It was too windy and cool outside… Read more »
Locals off today didn’t they say sunny and 80* degrees currently 65* degrees and cloudy matter fact it looks like rain could fall at anytime ….Must be a Fall thang lol…Have a super Saturday ….INDY
Geez Slim, you have totally out did yourself this time. Nice work.
Just returned from taking that dog for a walk. Feels like summer.
Wow Slim! A lot of data there to take in! Great job! Incredibly mild this morning at 68 degrees, over 20 degrees above our average low. Doesn’t feel like October except the fact that it’s still dark out.
Good job Slim – it would be interesting to see how these decades were affected by the Arctic and Atlantic Oscillations and all the other things which go into temp and snowfall variances in winter. Yes, we have increased our carbon footprint, crop aspiration and cattle gases (farts) figure in – with over 7 billion souls on our earth I am surprised our temps haven’t risen further just due to body heat 🙂