May Heat Wave
While I do not generally consider a period of very warm weather in May to be a Heat Wave there is a good case to be made for one in 1977, 1962, 1987, 1991 And 2018.
Unlike this year when May started out below average May 1977 started out warm. The first 6 days were all warmer than average. This was after a warm but typical up and down April. There were 7 days of temperatures of 80 and above that April. Then there were 7 days in a row of well above average temperatures at the start of May. After that warm start it did turn cold and there were 5 cold nights in a row with lows of 29,31,33,33 and 37. To the east at Lansing it got even colder with lows of 26, and two nights with lows of 30. After the warm start I am sure there was some frost damage. But after that cold spell boy things did warm up!
The cold ended on May 11th and at Grand Rapids the high reached 77 on the 12th That would be the coolest high for the rest of May 1977. On May 13th the high reached 84 at Grand Rapids and for the next 16 days in a row the highs were all above 80. From May 16 to the 28th every day was in the upper 80’s or low 90’s There was 6 days in a row of temperatures of 91,92,91,89,90, and 91. In total that May there were 6 days of 90 or better. 3 more days at 89. And 9 more days of 80 or better. The story was similar at Lansing and there they reached all the way up to 94. Muskegon was a little cooler but even there they reached up to 88 and at Holland they had 3 days that reached 93. June of 1977 was a cool month almost more like May and had several nights with lows in the 30’s with a low of 36 at Lansing on June 3rd July was warm but August was cool.
There was also a May “heat wave” in 1962. The start of May 1962 was cool but it turned warm on May 13th and for the next 7 days in a row the highs were in the mid 80’s to low 90’s. the high for the month was 92. In 1962 June, July and August were all below average at Grand Rapids.
The “heat wave” of May 1987 did not start until later in the month while there were a few warm days early the “wave” did not start until May 26th when there were 6 days in a row of highs in the upper 80’s and low 90’s In 1987 June and July were also above average but August was not.
Like this year May of 1991 started out on the cool side. But unlike this year April was much warmer than this year. In May of 1991 like this May the first 8 days were all below average. Then on May 9th the temperature rose to 78 (just like this year) the next 8 days were all above average with the high reaching 91 on May 15th There was a 3 day cool down on the 17,18 and 19th then from the 20th to the 31st every day was 80 or above. For the month of May 1991 there were 2 days of 90 or better and 19 days of 80 or better.
Some may remember that in May of 2018 was also very warm. The “heat wave” in 2018 started on May 24th and for the last 8 days that month highs were in the 80’s and 90’s It reached 93 on two days and 94 on one. The summer of 2018 was warmer than average.
So how does the current “heat Wave” compare to some of the ones in the past? 1977 had 13 days of 85 or better of those 6 days of 90 or better. In 1962 there were 7 days of 85 or better 4 of them were 90 or better. 1987 also had 7 days of 85 or better of that 3 were 90 or better. 1994 had 9 days of 85 or better of them 2 were 90 or better. 2018 had 6 days of 85 or better and 3 of that 3 were 90 or better. This current possible “heat wave” there have been 3 days of 85 or better and at Grand Rapids and many other locations in lower Michigan no days of 90 or better. At Grand Rapids there was a new record for May 12th and a the record was tied on May 13th There were some new records set at Traverse City and Muskegon and Holland and at Traverse City a new all time record for the month of May was set. We will have to see how the rest of May and then the upcoming summer plays out.
Slim
Went out to eat in Lansing tonight. While eating a cell blew up rapidly near Eagle and moved towards Lansing. Heard some thunder and got a big downpour. At the same time there was a severe thunderstorm warning for Ionia and Clinton. I’m guessing there was some decent hail near Hubbardston with that one.
That was the same time when hail fell while we were in DeWitt.
Get ready for the big cool down! Incredible cold is coming!
I’m in DeWitt and we’re getting pea-sized hail.
Sky opened up with a nice downpour just as my son and I finished our round of golf. Temp went from 87 to now 77.
Getting a shower here at this time. The temperature is 77 with that shower
Slim
Things are heating up fast this morning. Already 83 at my house.
Latest update from the NWS says the more significant convection this afternoon will likely be from around the US-127 corridor and point East over towards Detroit. To bad, there are parts of West Michigan that could use a little bit of rain. Maybe we can squeeze in enough for some locations but not all. The heaviest showers currently are up in Oceana County. The farmers around me have tilled up the fields and appear ready to plant.
Thanks Slim! Next week looks more tolerable. Jumping from 40’s and 50’s to 80’s and 90’s was just to much of a shock. Not ready for that kind of heat yet. Well, never ready for that matter.
Yesterdays official H/L at Grand Rapids was 86/59 that 86 tied the record high last set in 1940. At Muskegon they set a new record high of 89 and the high of 87 at Holland also set a new record high. At Lansing the high there of 87 did not set a new record. With forecast high today mostly in the lower 80’s there should not be any records set. After today it will become cooler and for the start of next week there will day times high in the 60’s for the next week the average highs between 69… Read more »
Records were broken by double digit margins this week, which is very uncommon and we had low temps in the 40s the week prior. Even so, I am not sure if I would call this a heat wave – for my area, anyway.
Now for the folks in TC, one could argue heat wave. Five consecutive days double digits above average temps, three days in the 90s, yesterday’s high was +28, and the day prior was +30(!). How often do we see temps 30 degrees above average? That’s just incredible.
While the daytime temperatures were very hot at TC there was a lake breeze that did come in on at least some of the days and during the “wave” the lows at TC were 52,46, 58 and 54. while down in our area lows were in the low to mid 60’s. But as you said I would not call what we had even down here for the most part a “heat wave” but is did indeed bring the green up more in line with the time of year.
Slim
We had a high temp of 89° and a low of 54° yesterday in Otsego – we have 7 days in a row without rain…