Deer Season

 

Growing up in Bay City and Alpena the start of the regular firearm deer season was always a big day. In Alpena, it was being careful while out in the yard and the hearing of gun shots all day long, In Bay City it was watching the traffic on first us 23 and us 10 and later I 75. In my later teens, I 75 ended at Bay City and there was always the traffic back on the first day of hutting season, and in Alpena in my time there is was be careful when outside. In fact we did not play outside during deer season as there were always a lot of stray bullets any way here is the weather records for several Michigan locations on the first day of firearm deer season
Grand Rapids…..in Grand Rapids the average high/low for November 15th is 46/33 the record warmest November 15th was 68 in 1990 the coldest Maximum temperature was 18° in 1933 (1933 was a very cold day across Michigan on November 15th) as the record coldest low of 10 also happened in 1933. As for snow? The most that fell in GR on the 15th was 4” in 1993 and the most on the ground was 5” in 1974 the last time GR had one inch or more was just 1” in 1995’ By the end of firearm season and the end of November on the 30th the average high/low is 39/28° The warmest end of deer season was 64° in 1998 the coldest maximum was 17° in 1896 as there may not have been deer season then the coldest in a actual deer season was 18° in 1976. The coldest was +6° in 1958. The most snow on the ground was 14” in 1940.
Off to our north at Houghton Lake the average high on the 15th is 43 and the average low is 28 the record high was 63 in 1953 and the coldest maximum temperature was 20° in that cold year of 1933 the coldest was +2° in 1916. The snowiest was 8.5” in 1933 and the most on the ground was 13” in 1933. By the end of the deer season the average high/low at Houghton Lake is 36/23 the warmest end of deer season was 61 in 1998 and the coldest maximum was 12° in 1976 the coldest low was -2° in 1936. The most snow on the ground was 13” in 1995.
Over in Alpena the average high at the start of deer season is 43° and the average low is 28° the warmest day was 65° in 2001 and the coldest maximum was 17 in yes 1933 and the coldest low was a bone chilling -6° in 1933 the most snow fall was 3” in 1976 the most on the ground was 7” in 1916 and the last time there was one or more inches on the ground was 3” in 2003. At Alpena the average end of deer season high/low is 37/23 the warmest was 63° in 1998 and the coldest maximum was 17 in 1976. The coldest low was +3° in 1958. The most snow on the ground was 17” in 1966.
Up at the Sault the average high is 39 and the average low is 27. The record high is 61 set in 1990 the coldest maximum was 11 in 1933 the coldest low was -2 also in 1933. The most snow fall was 6.7” in 1965 and the most on the ground was 18” in 2014 and that was also the last time there was one inch or more as the Soo did not have snow on the ground last year. At the Sault the end of deer season average high/low are 32/21 the warmest was 59 in 1998 and the coldest maximum was a bone chilling +6 in 1936 and the coldest low was -10 also in 1936 it was -5° in 1958. As for the most snow on the ground that was 13” in 1933 but there has been 11” on the ground in 2014 and 12” on the ground in 1989 and 1976.
Over at Marquette the average high on the 15th is 42 and the average low is 30 the record high was a warm 69 in 1999 and the coldest maximum was 21 in 1995 the record low was +5 in 1991. The most snow fall was 4.6” was 1938 the most on the ground was 12” in 1993 the last time there was one inch or mote was in 2014 with 4” on the ground. The end of the season average high/low at Marquette is 32/20 the warmest was 57 in 1998 the coldest maximum was 9° in 2007 the coldest low was -2° in 1976 the most snow on the ground was 18” in 1991.
I hope this gives you a idea of how varied the last half of November can be in Michigan.

Here is something kind of interesting. So far the warmest high in Grand Rapids this November is 53° while we still have time to get a higher reading I will keep track of this over the rest of the month. So far in going back to 1940 this is the coldest maximum for a November. Since 1940 (I will look further back if needed later) the only years that have not gotten into the 60’s in November are 1997 when the high for the month was 56° that year November had 11.3” of snow. In 1976 the highest for the month was 55° and that November seen 8.5” in 1969 the highest was 57° and that November seen 14.3” of snow and in 1967 the highest was 56° and that November seen 11.0” So far in 2017 the highest is 53° but so far only 0.2” of snow.  Below are the season total snow fall at Grand Rapids for the above winters after the sub 60° November (going back to 1940) and if the year was El Nino or La Nina

1. 1997/98 59.8” strong El Nino
2. 1976/77 70.8” weak El Nino
3. 1969/70 84.6” weak El Nino
4. 1967/68 55.1” neutral

So this may not mean much if anything but it still is interesting that this year is a cold low snow fall November

OK I have looked at all of the November’s going back to 1893 and if the current maximum of 53° so far here at Grand Rapids holds up it will tie for the coldest maximum for November in Grand Rapids recorded history. The 53° maximum would match the 53° for the coldest November maximum last set in 1907. So here is a complete list of November’s here in Grand Rapids where the maximum never reached 60 or better. With that November’s highest temperature  Along with that November snow fall and the seasons snow fall.

 

1. 1997/98            56°    11.3″       59.8”  Strong El Nino
2. 1976/77            55°     8.5″       70.8”  weak El Nino
3. 1969/70             57°     14.3″     84.6”  weak El Nino
4. 1967/68             57°     11.0″     55.1”  neutral
5. 1925/26             57°      8.4″      89.5”
6. 1921/22             59°      9.7″     44.1”
7. 1920/21             55°       6.5″”    35.6”
8. 1919/20             58°       3.5″    56.9”
9. 1907/08             53°       0.0      43.7”

At this time the warmest it has gotten this November is 53° IF this holds it will tie 1907 for the coldest maximum and be only the 10^th time in recorded history that Grand Rapids did not reach 60 or better in November. And IF the current snow fall total stays below 3.5” it will be the 2^nd least snowy of the colder November’s

 

Slim