Ides of March
First off Sandy late yesterday asked when the 2022 Sky warn training was going to be and if it was online. Here is the information for west Michigan
https://www.weather.gov/grr/spottertraining
and here are some links for SE Michigan for the
https://www.weather.gov/dtx/spotter2
When I was growing up weather forecast and up to the minute weather information was very hard to come by. If you were lucky enough to have a weather radio and lived by one of the few locations that had a weather radio transmitter, then you could get pre recorded weather forecast at will. But if not one would have to wait for the local radio or TV station to broadcast their weather reports. When I lived in Bay City the closest weather radio station was out of Flint. I had my first weather radio sometime in the early 1970’s and at the time I thought I was up to date. But being on the east side of the state we also could get WJR out of Detroit and that station had their own “meteorologist” John McMurray. John did weather reports out of Detroit and Flint for many years. Between Weather Radio and John McMurray I had good weather forecasting coverage even way back then. One of John’s saying was always Beware the Ides of March as spring did not really arrive until after mid-March. This week I will take a look to see if that is true. I will look at the days of March 12th to the 18th
March 12. 1976: A tornado outbreak struck from Michigan to Alabama. At least four tornadoes hit Michigan with nine people injured. Two tornadoes hit Jackson County, with damage to several homes and businesses. One person was injured in Ottawa County as a tornado moved from north of Holland to north of Hudsonville. At Grand Rapids the most snow fall was 3.2” in 1923. The coldest maximum is 22 in 1926 the coldest low is +2 in 1992 the warmest high is 76 in 1990. In 2014 there was a snowstorm in SE Michigan that had 6 to 10” of snow and winds of up to 40 MPH.
March 13. 1990: A spell of record warm weather continues across Lower Michigan with temperatures in the 70s. Lansing hits 74 degrees during a string of four straight days in the 70s. At Grand Rapids the record snow fall for the date is 3.6” in 1995. The coldest maximum is 23 in 1995, the coldest low is +3 in 2014. The record high is 75 in 19
March 14. 1904: A snowstorm drops up to a foot of snow across Lower Michigan with record daily snowfall of 10.5 inches at Grand Rapids, 10 inches at Lansing and 8.0 inches at Muskegon. This snow would contribute to some of the worst floods on record in southwest Lower Michigan when it melts off during the last week of the month. At Grand Rapids the record snow fall is that 10.5” in 1904. The coldest maximum of 20 and the coldest low of +5 were in 1993. The warmest high was 80 in 2012.
March 15. 1912: Cold and snow continue during a very wintry month. Lansing sets a daily snowfall record with 11.5 inches and Grand Rapids with 5.2 inches. Lansing falls to one degree below zero the next morning. At Grand Rapids the record snow fall is 5.2” in 1912 the coldest maximum is 20 in 1997 the coldest low is +6 in 1993 the record high is 75 in 1990.
March 16. There are no winter weather events listed for March 16 in SW Michigan. At Grand Radis the record snow fall is 4.2” in 1949. The coldest maximum is 13 in 1900 and the record low of +3 was also in 1900. The record high for the date is 79 in 2012.
March 17. 1973: A record snowstorm dumps over a foot of snow across southern Lower Michigan. Jackson is buried under 19 inches of snow and Lansing has a record 16.5 inches. I lived in Bay City at that time and there was between 22 and 30” in the Bay City Saginaw area. At Grand Rapids the record snow fall is 7.5” in 1973 The coldest high was a cold 10 in 1941 and the record low is -4 set in 1949. The record high is 78 in 2012.
March 18. No winter events are listed for SW Michigan for March 18. At Grand Rapids the record snow fall 5.7” in 1965 the coldest maximum is 17 in 1939 the coldest low is 5 in 1923 and the record high is 75 in 2012.
So it does not look like there is always a big push of winter weather around the Ides of March. But once we get past March 17th the number of hours of sunshine is at then over 12 hours as day and will stay that way until September 25th so in looking at it that way spring will soon be here. For next week after a cold weekend, it looks like it will warm up and be rather nice early spring like weather for a while. And while there will be the usual ups and downs of early spring (here in Michigan we have ups and downs all year long) after this weekend we should be well on our way into spring.
Slim
More snow! The snow just keeps coming!
What a fantastic winter day and cold stretch! Rock n roll will never die!
Coldest March day I can ever remember my thermometer shows 17* degrees outside wow to the wow …InDY
Incredible!
Today looks like it will end up as one of the coldest of any March 12th in West Michigan. The current record coldest maximus at Grand Rapids, Holland is 18 at Lansing, Muskegon 19 and Kalamazoo 20. The highs so far today are Grand Rapids 18, Lansing 19, Muskegon 17 Holland 17. The current readings are Grand Rapids, Holland and Muskegon 19 and Lansing 19. We will have to see how the readings are by 12 midnight.
Slim
It is more like a winter day out there. My dog sure didn’t like it this morning. I told him that it would warm up during the week. That cold wind goes right thru you.
You are welcome
Slim
Slim thanks for the info on the Skywarn Training. Much appreciated.
5 months of cold and snow still going strong April is coming fast…InDY
Serious multi car pile up on 131 near Otsego/Plainwell. Hopefully everyone is ok.
I was in Plainwell earlier this morning and it was snowing quite hard – WOOD is saying getting off at D avenue as traffic is backed up beyond the Plainwell northbound exit. The Freeway is closed from Plainwell to Martin. Also numerous accidents on I94 westbound past Kalamazoo.
Not sure what the record low high temperature is today, but I can’t imagine many March 12’s having highs stuck in the teens all day. Next week will be a welcome change, the 50s and 60s are some of my favorite temperatures
I just checked and the record is 18 set in 1896. Currently 18 right now… will be a close call
It has officially dropped to 16 at GRR. If stays below 18 until midnight this will tie that record set in 1896. The 2nd coldest maximum for today is 22 set in 1926. In 1984 and 1906 the high was only 23 in 2004 the high was 24. So all in all a very cold day for March 12th.
Slim
Feels like January outside…wow!! InDY
Another note on the spotter training – youtube videos are available on https://www.weather.gov/iwx/online_spotter_training
+1
Thank-you.
I will take 5 or 6 months of cold temperatures over 2 or 3 months of hot temperatures anytime anywhere I love Michigans Winters I must say this Winter did not disappoint look its 13 degrees outside thats January cold wow 👏..InDY
I agree 100%! Give me winter over a hot summer any day! Winter rocks!
The high here yesterday was 31 and the overnight low here at my house so far has been 12 the official overnight low at GRR looks to be 14. At this time it is still 12 here and 14 at GRR. There was 0.1″ of snow fall here last night is a quick snow shower. There is still snow from snow that fell overnight on Thursday in the shade but that snow is all gone in the areas that had sun yesterday.
Slim
I forgot to put into todays post to spring foreword tonight. So change your clocks before you go to bed.
Slim
We currently have 15 degrees at 6 am, yesterday’s high/low was 34/19. Transistor radios started to become widely available in the mid 50s so we could keep track of weather conditions and approaching storms especially if the power went out. I had a vacuum tube short wave radio back in the day which I could tune into local ham operators. Technology grew by leaps and bounds after WW2.
My dad had a TV/radio repair business and we had several TVs and radios around the house but when I was a kid there were only 2 local TV stations and during the day a few local AM radio stations. We did not get a 3rd TV station until 1962 and it must have been around that time for the first FM stations. Of course at night we could get many AM radio stations from all across the eastern US.
Slim
My Father and I were Amatuer (Ham) Radio Operators through the 70s. He built an entire station, in the Basement, from HeathKit Products. We were all about Code, and never plugged in a Mic 😉 I spent years contacting other stations, all around the world. On reflection, it was the best of times.
BreakingNEWS>>>>this just in >>>>>we are now above normal in March snowfall! Incredible!
We are in a amazing stretch of below normal temps and today will feel like the polar vortex! Dress warm when are out playing in the snow today! What a winter! Wow!