2018 Growing Season Wrap

With the moderate/hard freeze here on Wednesday morning when the low reached 27° at GRR and 26 here at my house. That brought the end to the growing season for 2018. From the time of the last freeze in the spring on April 30th to that first freeze on October 18th all the months were warmer than average. In fact the growing season started off with a bang. After the 4th coldest April in Grand Rapids history May 2018 was the 4th warmest May in Grand Rapids history talk about a quick turn around. Here is a break down month by month.
MAY
The average temperature in May of 2018 was 64.8° as stated this was the 4th warmest in Grand Rapids history. The average mean for May is 58.7° there were 473 GDD (Growing Degree Days) the average is 297. There were 105 HDD (Heating Degree Days) average is 231. There were 108 CDD (Cooling Degree Days) average is 44. Grand Rapids has 5.64” of precipitation 3.85” is average. The high for the month was 94 and the low for the month was 40°
JUNE
In June of 2018 the mean temp was 69.9° the average June temp is 68.3° June 2018 had 608 GDD average is 557. Grand Rapids had 12 HDD average is 40. There were 168 CDD average is 147 There was 2.50” of pricp average is 3.85” the highest for the month was 94 and the lowest was 48. Of note that even in June Grand Rapids still has HDD that just shows you just how cool our area really is.
JULY
July 2018 had a mean temp of 74.4° that average mean is 72.2° GDD for the month was 766 average GDD for July is 697. HDD for this July was 0 the average is 9. CDD for this July was 301 average is 241 Total rain fall was just 2.30” average is 3.12” the highest temp was 94 and the lowest was 54°
AUGUST
The mean for August 2018 at Grand Rapids was 73.5° average mean is 70.2 GDD for the month was 766 average is 697 HDD for this August was 16 average is 19. CDD for this August was 271 average is 189. It was a lot of rain this past August as 6.61” fell the average is 3.07” The highest for the month was 91 and the lowest was 52°
SEPTEMBER
Summer 2018 extended itself into the month of September with a mean of 66.1° average mean is 62.7° there were 493 GDD the average is 397. This September had 83 HDD average is 128. There were 135 CDD with 70 being the average for the month. Grand Rapids seen 5.93” of rain average is 3.51 the highest temp for the month was 90° and the lowest was 40°
OCTOBER
We will end with the first 18 days of October 2018. So far this month the mean is 54.6° that is still +1.4° So far Grand Rapids has had 205 HDD that is -15 for where the average is for the first 18 days. And we had 20 CDD this month and that is +16 over the October average. The high for the month will be 84 and so far the lowest for the month is 27.
This summer and growing season was much warmer that the average Grand Rapids summer growing season. With that in mind and as some people name winter storms why not name the seasons as well. With that in mind I will name this past summer (Mookie Summer 2018) and here is a couple of guesses for the winter 2018/19 season first the official NOAA guess that calls for a mild drier winter. Not sure if you can have a summer season and a winter season with the same name but if you could I would like this past summer call this winter a Mookie winter as it calls for mild temperatures and less snow fall. We shall hope we do not have a Rocky winter but I am sure there will come a winter when that will happen just do not think this winter will be the one.

https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/winter-outlook-favors-warmer-temperatures-for-much-of-us

I know there will be some who will complain about the CPC’s long range winter guess but last year they were rather good with their guess. Their guess was for equal chances for the temperature and wetter then average for the precip.

Last winter the total precip here at Grand Rapids was 9.01″ the average for December, January and February here is 6.82″ as for the temperature and snow fall.  Last winter was a near average winter (for the 3 months) with a winter snow fall of 66.2″ (of course 32.9″ of that fell in December) and the mean temperature here for the winter was 26.4° with the average being 26.5° once again December was the month with the coldest temps compared to average.  I would call that a good winter guess last year.  If their guess is as good this year look for mild temps and snow fall for Grand Rapids in the 59 to 66” range (note this is not totally my guess but just a guess based on the CPCs guess)

And here is the winter guess from John Dee

http://johndee.com/seasonalfcst/seasonalforecast.htm

If this guess come out we will have to call this just (Average winter) as that is what he is calling for.
So far we have no guesses for a for a Rocky or Indy winter so they will have to wait and see what happens.
Slim