We have a very sultry 78° this morning with 97% humidity. Like yesterday we have a large area of rain beginning to move across the lake along a stationary front draped across Wisconsin. Like yesterday it appears to have another morning of state wide coverage with stronger cells in the northern lower. So, I guess we have a morning rerun. I believe most of the heavier rain will fall from Grand Rapids to the north.
Rainfall totals for Otsego were .20 of an inch yesterday with a high of 86° around dinner time. Today we expect highs of 90-95 with heat indices 105-110 south of I-96 and around 100 to the north with a repeat on Saturday. Never fear there will be relief in the latter half of the weekend through next week.
We will have to keep an eye out for storms tonight (slight) and tomorrow night (probable).
We also have an Air Quality Alert for Muskegon, Ottawa, Kent, Allegan and Van Buren counties today.
Weather History
July 14
1950: Cold air filters into Michigan, setting records lows of 45 degrees at Grand Rapids and 41 degrees at Muskegon.
1974: Several tornadoes struck Lower Michigan during the afternoon, causing some structural damage but no injuries. In Mecosta County, a house and some farm buildings were damaged about four miles east of Sylvester. Apartment buildings were damaged near Plymouth, in Wayne County. Seven houses were destroyed and 50 damaged near Davison in Genesee County.
1995: An intense three day heat wave claims hundreds of lives across the Midwest, mostly elderly people in the greater Chicago area. The low temperature of 81 degrees at Grand Rapids on this day is the warmest low temperature ever recorded there. Temperatures in the upper 90s in the afternoon combined with high humidity to produce heat index readings near 120 degrees, some of the highest ever recorded.
July 15
1863: It was a frosty morning with temperatures falling to the 30s across much of Michigan. The low of 31 degrees is the coldest ever recorded in July at Lansing by a full five degrees.
1961: A heavy downpour hits Grand Rapids, with 0.41 inches of rain falling in 15 minutes.
1985: A tornado touched down in the northeast section of Lansing and damaged 18 buildings as it moved to three miles north of Webberville in Ingham County.
1987: It was the coolest July day on record at Grand Rapids, with a high of only 58 degrees. Clouds and rain kept temperatures in the upper 50s and lower 60s during the day after morning lows in the mid 40s.
July 16
1945: The second morning of record cool weather in five days produces low temperatures of 42 degrees at Grand Rapids and Muskegon.
1986: A plane carrying executives from Holland to Muskegon crashed while landing in heavy fog. The pilot had descended below approach minimums and the plane struck two trees about two miles short of the runway. Three people were killed, including the pilot. Three others were injured.
July 17
2006: A widespread severe weather outbreak struck West Michigan. Dozens of trees were downed by winds gusting between 60 and 70 mph. A camper was injured by a falling tree at a campground in Dorr, Allegan County. Two inch diameter hail fell at Marne in Ottawa County.
2009: The high of 67 degrees at Grand Rapids is a record cool high temperature for the date, and contributes to July, 2009 becoming the coolest July on record. The highest temperature for the entire month is only 84 degrees, the lowest monthly maximum temperature for any July on record.
1994: A small, short-lived tornado was observed lifting small debris at the Clare County airport north of Harrison.
July 18
1952: Thunderstorms with heavy downpours resulted in flooding of basements and some streets across West Michigan
July 19
1894: Temperatures reach 100 degrees across much of Michigan for the second day in a row. At Lansing, the high of 102 degrees ties the record for the all time hottest temperature.
2009: Cool and unstable air over Lake Michigan spawns at least two waterspouts. One of the waterspouts moves inland near Holland, just north of Lake Macatawa, but quickly dissipates and causes no damage.
July 20
1954: Severe thunderstorms produced golf ball-sized hail and damaging winds across West Michigan. In Kent, Ionia and Montcalm Counties, dozens of trees were felled and some crops were wiped out by the hail and high winds.
2003: A tornado with peak winds around 100 mph struck near Battle Creek. It left an 8 mile long damage path and tore a garage from a house. Three outbuildings and a barn were also destroyed. Hundreds of trees were uprooted or broken off. The tornado width was nearly one half mile wide where the most severe damage occurred.
Thunderstorm in progress here. I am not sure how strong the wind is but it is whipping out there. I felt it hit the house. Lots of rain.
According to radar estimates, we received more than an inch of rain in less than an hour. I believe it. There was plenty of ponding on the roads, yards and on the golf course.
After 9 p.m. and my PWS has a heat index of 101! Hardly seemed possible until I went outside. Unbelievable!
It’s finally a nice, warm, summer day. The count is two so far 🙁
Sadly back from out West already, only had 5 days because of our work schedules. Stepping out of the airport in GR and holy smokes! It was like we were being suffocated, what a smothering heat! After being in the mountains with temps in the 50’s and 60’s this is absolutely awful. Driving through Denver our car had a temp of 104, but the dew point was only 28. Way more tolerable than what is going on here. I can’t imagine it feeling any worse than this!
Welcome back to reality .. 🙂
Absolutely pouring out. Started while I was in Meijer. Got drenched walking out to the car. Hottest rain I can remember.
Interestingly, it only dropped the temp 5°. 89° now.
Good call on NWS on today’s Heat Advisory’s … Current heat index is 107f with a temp of 92f ………….
Storms?…standard operating procedure. Not our weather… storm free, storm proof.
The latest from the SPC
https://michigan-weather-center.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/spc719pm.jpg
…Upper Midwest/Great Lakes…
A regional outbreak of severe thunderstorms is expected later this
afternoon into tonight. That said, some specific uncertainties
remain with the timing details/exact sub-regional corridor of peak
severe-weather risk given capping/warm temperatures aloft and
uncertainty with the decay of the cloud shield from the earlier MCS
across South Dakota.
A very strong summertime belt of westerlies exists across the
northern tier of the CONUS, with 50-100 kt westerlies noted between
500/250 MB in 12Z upper-air data spanning Montana to the
Dakotas/Minnesota. Where storms develop/increase later today, this
very strong belt of winds aloft will be influential in storm
organization including supercells and potential evolution of a
fast-moving MCS (possible if not likely derecho) later
today/tonight.
Currently an 83 degree dew point in Monroe! 80 degree dew point in Coldwater, 79 degree dew point in Mt Clemens. That is insane!
Note we are in a slight risk for severe storms today with a higher risk to our north and northwest
https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/day1otlk.html
Slim
We have a pop up thundershower nearby. Plenty of thunder now.
And now it is severe warned. It went from nothing to severe thunderstorm warning in about 20 minutes.
At this time there are many very high dew points around the Great Lakes area here in Michigan some of the highest DP’s I have ever seen. Here are some of the current DP’s around the State of Michigan. . Ann Arbor 79, Battle Creek 78, Coldwater 80, Jackson 79, Monroe 84??? Sturgis 81 Grand Rapids 77 And drum roll please here at my house I have a current DP of 80 giving a (according to my weather station) a heat index of 111 with a air temperature of 88.
Slim
WOW!
This heat can go away hurry Sunday ..INDY.
Heat index here is 98° at noon and 100° in Jackson. The clouds are a blessing.
Coming up to the noon hour the actual air temperatures are just i the 80’s but dew points are in the mid to in places upper 70’s that is about as high as a dew point we get around here. The current temperature here at my house is 85 with a Dew point of 77.
Slim
Will today be another total bust on precip and heat index/heat warnings?
Rainfall? Can you say bust?
Just got back home from my walk. It is a very warm and humid morning The overnight low here at my house was just 77 the current temperature both here at my house and out at the airport is 80 and the DP is at 76 it is very cloudy at this time with showers to the west.
Slim
Interesting sign we saw yesterday for “dangerous snowfields”. Are there land mines present?
[IMG]http://i63.tinypic.com/2a4sni9.jpg[/IMG]
looks like you are having a “cool” time,
Slim
You are fortunate to be out west. It is soupy and miserable here.