My wife and me have to go to the store and pick up some items for not only ourselves but for my wife’s mother who lives in Linwood, Michigan (about 12 miles north of Bay City) her mother lives about a half mile inland from Saginaw Bay. We have been planning a trip up there for some time now and this weekend is the weekend we had picked. Now the bad news of course there is a very good chance that there will be a ice storm this weekend over much of central Michigan. While here in Grand Rapids it looks to be mostly just rain on my side of town but back in April of 2003 while there was just some ice in my area just to the east it was a complete all out ice storm with tons of trees down and of course no power. Now up in the Bay City the issue will be not only the ice (there could be more sleet and snow up that way) but also the wind as with a NE wind in that area there is a long fetch across Lake Huron and The Saginaw Bay of almost 200 miles (it could be even more) so if the winds are 45 MPH inland they very well may be 75 MPH near the bay that happened in the snowstorms of 1967,1973,1978 along with a storms In November 1972 and 1998. I will let you know if we go the power my be out so may not be able to post after tonight.
I wrote most of today’s post before hand but have added some to it as there is a chance that areas of Michigan could get a major ice storm this weekend. If so there could be wide spread power outages.
This year has had a very cold start to April so this week I will look back as some past cold Aprils for comparison’s and see how the summer turned out after a cold April. The current mean temperature for this April is here is a list of past cold April’s with their mean temperature. 1904 40.9°, 1907 37.6° this is the coldest April on record so far here in Grand Rapids. 1920 41.1°, 1926 40.4°, 1936 42.3°, 1943 41.3° 1950 39.6° 1961 42.3° the most snow for April 15.6” 1975 38.8° the 2nd coldest April on record. 1996 41.8°
Here is a year by year break down starting with 1904 the information is the coldest low that April the warmest high that April the snow fall for that April the last 32° low for that season the hottest day that summer the number of days above 90 (and 100) the first 32° low in the fall.
1904 that April had a mean temperature of 40.9° the low for that April 20 the highest was 78 snow fall was 3.2” the last 32° low was on April 21st the highest for the summer was 91° there were 3 90° days the first low of 32 was October 30th
1907 this is the current coldest April on record here with a mean of just 37.6° the coldest low that month was 19° the warmest all month was just 68° snow fall totaled 3.1” the last 32° day that season was May 11th the highest all summer was 91° and there was just 1 90 day. The first 32 low was on October 14th
1920 The Mean for April 1920 was 41.1°The low for that April was 18 the high was 72° there was 6.5” of snow fall reported. The last 32° day was May 14th the summer high was 93° there were 10 days of 90 or better. The first 32° low was on October 29th
1926 The mean for April 1926 was 40.4° the coldest low in April 1926 was 20° the highest was 76° the month has 11.2” of snow fall the last spring 32° low was on May 4th the hottest summer day was 95° there were 5 90° days that summer the first 32 low was on October 31st.
1936 While not one of the coldest April’s in GR history I put it on for the summer that followed the mean for this April was a colder that average 42.3° The coldest that April was 22 and the warmest was 74° snow fall was 10.1” the last 32 low that spring was April 23rd the hottest that hot summer was 108° there were 22 90° days and 6 days of 100° or better. For a total of 28 days of 90 or hotter. The first 32° low was on October 23rd i
1943 the mean for April 1943 was 41.3° The low for that April was 18° the highest was 71° there was 2.7” of snow fall. The last 32° or colder low that spring was on May 14th The highest day that summer was 93° it was a warm summer with 12 days of 90° or better. The first 32 day was early being on September 11th that fall.
1950 April 1950 with a mean of just 39.6° is the current 3rd coldest April on record here in Grand Rapids. The low that April was 18° the highest for that April was just 67° there was not much snow as only 0.7” fell. The last 32° day was on May 8th the warmest for that cool summer was just 90° with 3 days reaching that. The first 32° happened on September 24th earlier that average.
1961 had a mean of 42.3° while not as cold as some others 1961 is the current holder of the most snow for April record with 15.6” The low for that April was 23° the warmest day was just 68° The last 32° day that spring was on a late May 27th the high for the summer was 93° there were 6 90° days that summer the first 32 day was on October 3rd that fall.
1975 with a mean of just 39.8° April 1975 is the current 3rd coldest April on record here in GR. The low for that April was 17° the highest for that April was 74° the last 32° day was early that spring on April 26th The highest for the summer was 93° there were just 7 90° days that summer the first 32° or colder low was on October 2nd that fall.
1982 the mean for April 1982 was 41.8° the low for that April is the coldest recorded April temperature here in Grand Rapids with a low of +3° the next night a low of +7° was recorded. The highest day for April 1982 was 76° that April was the 2nd snowiest April on record here with 12.6” the last 32° day was on April 28th that year the highest for the summer was 92° there were 5 90° days that summer The first 32° day was on October 16th that fall.
Since 1982 the coldest Aprils have been 1983 42.6° 1995 42.8 and 1996 42.9.
I don’t remember how cold it was in April, 1943, but our family left Flint in the afternoon for a trip to Elyria, Ohio, for Easter weekend. We ran into a snowstorm between Detroit and Toledo and we had to leave the road and seek shelter with a farm family. My faulty memory says there was probably 6-8 inches of snow. Easter was on April 25th in 1943.
Very windy & cold here. Icing the last couple of hours and continuing. Radar is showing more to come. Cars were iced over & street around 11PM Sat. night. It all can stop & Spring needs to take over.
ADA – pavement dry. To be honest, this wind needs to stop now. Multiple trees down on property.
A whole lot of nothing today. The warnings and advisories started much too early for most. And it looks like the snow totals continue to decrease.
Nothing too serious! Just 1 to 2 feet of SNOW for NW Lower MI in mid April!!!!
http://www.pivotalweather.com/model.php?m=gfs&p=snku_acc&rh=2018041418&fh=240&r=conus&dpdt=
NWS is only forecasting several inches for the LP. Much more in the UP and Wisconsin.
SNOWMOBILING here I come!
http://wxcaster.com/gis-gfs-snow-overlays.php?STATIONID=APX
ADA- We have transitioned from all rain to all sleet, with strong winds. Ground slowly turning white.
Last report from MBS was sleet, snow winds out of the NE at 32 MPH with gust to 48 MPH. Here in Linwood there also is snow and sleet with very high winds. In Bay City there is flooding at the Bay shore and well inland by the rivers (the Saginaw river and other smaller rivers that flow into it) there is a trailer park on the bay shore and that is being evacuated along with people that live along the river. At this time it is voluntary. I went out and got breakfast and the roads are sleet covered… Read more »
Right now getting all sleet with very high winds.
slim
Good morning from the Bay City area. The last readings at MBS (about 20 miles SW of where I am now at) has light rain with a temperature of 34° a DP of 30° and NE winds of 32 MPH gusting to 45MPH. Looking out the window here there is ice on the car with what looks to be a rain snow mix. And boy it is windy out there. We are less than ¼ mile from Saginaw Bay and the wind is just roaring at this time.
Slim
Check out some of these snow totals! Hello WI the UP and Northern Lower MI!INCREDIBLE!
http://www.pivotalweather.com/model.php?m=gfs&p=snku_acc&rh=2018041406&fh=120&r=conus&dpdt=
Wow, much less than 48 hours ago.
Yeah, that is like 1 foot less than what they were saying yesterday!
The official NWS did not forecast snow fall totals any where near what the “maps” were showing. This is a write up from the Gaylord NWS office. ” CLOSER TO HOME…NORTHERN EDGE OF THE PRECIP SHIELD HAS PUSHED SLIGHTLY FURTHER NORTH…NOW REACHING THE STRAITS WITH LITTLE TO NO PRECIP OCCURRING NORTH OF THE BRIDGE. MOST OF THE UPPER PENINSULA REMAINS HIGH AND DRY ATTM THANKS TO A LARGE AREA OF STRONG HIGH PRESSURE AND ASSOCIATED DRY AIR CENTERED OVER CENTRAL CANADA PUSHING SOUTHWARD AGAINST THE DEVELOPING LOW. THE BATTLE BETWEEN THESE TWO STRONG SYSTEMS IS RESULTING IN A TIGHTENING OF… Read more »
So the wishcasting fantasy snow maps are WAY overblowing the snowfall totals again????? Say it isn’t so!!!
Ice is now forecasted as far south as I-94 and Detroit, so it appears everyone will be affected. Interestingly, they cut the snowfall potentials in half for northern Michigan, but added some sleet and freezing precipitation.
Lacrosse was cancelled this weekend. Just waiting to hear about dance and hockey. It may be a board game weekend, and hopefully not by candlelight.
For weather updates check the main page for all the warnings and advisories.
Much appreciated