Here are some averages and past history for the month of July.
July of course is generally (but not always) the warmest month of the year here at Grand Rapids. In 1971, 2009 and 2014 June was warmer then July and in 1900, 1937, 1974 and 1959 August was warmer then July. During the month the average High and Low are very stable starting out at 83/61 on the 1st 83/62 on the 15th and by the 31st the average H/L is 82/62. Most days even in July are on the comfortable level (compared to most of the United States) with most days having a DP of less than 65% about 30% of the days have a DP of over 65 and only 7% have days with a DP of 70 or better. The hottest day was 108 on July 13, 1936 and the coldest low was a cold 41 on July 6th 1983 The coldest mean was a cool 67.1° in 2009 with 67.2 coming in 2nd in 1992 the 3rd coldest July was 68.4 in 2014. Odd that the top 3 coldest July’s happened more recently. The warmest July on record was 79.7 in 1921 with 79.2 in 2012 coming in in 2nd place and 77.0 in 2014 is in 6th place. The mean number of days with highs of 80 or better is 22 and has ranged from 31 in 1955 to just 10 in 1992 (2009 is has the 2nd lowest with 11 and 2014 had just 13) On the warm side 4 Julys had 30 days of 80 or better that last time was in 2012. As for the number of hot days the mean number days in July with 90 or better is just 5 there have been 11 Julys where the temperature did not reach 90 here in Grand Rapids 18 is the most and that has happened 3 time with the last being 2012. As for 100° they are rare here in GR and there have only been 11 Julys were it has gotten that hot. The most was in 1936 with 6. 1934 and 1916 had 4. 2012, 1911, 1897 and 1894 had 2.
With the 4th just around the corner here is some past weather history for the 4th at Grand Rapids. The average high is 83 the average low is 62 the record high is 100 set in 1911 and 1897 it was 99 in 2012 and 1921 and in 3rd place is 94 and that happened in 2018, 1955, 1949, 1919 and 1901. The warmest minimum was a warm 78 in 2012 the coldest maximum was a cool 64 in 1970 the coldest minimum was 45 in 1972 the most rain 1.74” fell in 1903
It has been very cloudy here in Grand Rapids for the past 10 months (June could be the 11 month) in the past 10 months every month has been cloudier than average. Here is a rundown August 2018 GRR reported 50% of possible sunshine (63% is average) for September it was a little better compared to average with 53% (56% is average) October GR had 36% (44% is average) in November there was just 9% (28% is ave) in December there was just 13% (23% ave) in January we jumped up to 22% but 28% is average, In February back down to 17% (38% is average) in March we seen the sun 42% of the possible time (46% is average) in April we seen the sun 49% of the time just below the average of 51% May was a very cloudy and cool month with just 36% (54% is average) and so far this June GR is at 46% with 58% being average. I would like to add we are still running well below average in the number of thunderstorms and that has been the case for the last 3 year or so.
While we here in the central US are just starting to get some nice warm summer weather in much of Northern Europe it has been warm for much of June’ Locations from Madrid to Paris, Belgium, Frankfurt and Berlin have had multi-day heat wave, with daily temperatures near or above30C (90 F). The average high is between 24C (74F) and 26F (78F) Some of the hottest locations have reached 38C (100F) Even in England the highs reached reach up to 27C (80F) the average high in London in June is around 21C (70F) While that type of temperatures in much of the US are not unusual in the US they are more unusual in Europe
It is now time to see how July 2019 plays out
Slim
Great post Slim. Thanks for all you do.
Wow 6 straight months with below normal temps! What an amazing pattern we are currently in!
And yet it’s sweltering hot out. 91 here today with a heat index of 95. Yes, what a pattern. Give it up.
Facts matter Barry! 6 months straight! Wow!
Yup, and what are the facts for our current streak for days above? I haven’t been counting because I figured you would tell us.
Wow!!! Low of 70 last night at GRR!! Gonna be another well above average temp day again today!! Four years of above average temps and counting!! INCREDIBLE!!
69* degrees out at thee YARDofBRICKS NE GR nice cool start to a summer day ….Loving the sunshine have a great Saturday MV’S best…INDY!!
Good read with stats today Slim! Yesterday was pretty miserable working 14 hours in temps over 100. 14 more hours today. And people wonder why we keep our house in the low 60s, feels like heaven when I get home.
If you drive Chicago Drive between Zeeland and Hudsonville, watch out for several places where the road has been buckling the past few days from the heat. They’ve had lanes closed while they try and repair them.
I have wondered why the roads buckle so much here in Michigan I lived in Florida for two years and it don’t happen very often down there, There are more sink holes then road buckles from the heat.
Slim
I cannot imagine a house temp in the low 60’s! That sounds absolutely horrendous. Give me a house temp in the upper 70’s during the summer! Incredible!
Just like you can’t imagine working all day in heat over 100 degrees. Turn your furnace off and live up to your image of loving it cool.
Too funny! A house in the low 60’s is incredible!
Yes it is, and it feels amazing after long days in this heat.