This week I will take a look at some annual Michigan averages and then look as some extremes over the years. I think we have seen less thunderstorms in the last few years just by looking at the number of “Thunderstorms day” for GR I don’t think one gets an accurate idea as I think the NWS calls it a “Thunderstorm” if only one or two strikes nearby are reported thus GRR has recorded 24 “thunderstorm day” already this year. Sorry to say I do not recall seeing 24 thunderstorms this year but I might have to start counting them. If anyone can remember all 24 thunderstorm days lets me know. Anyway that brings me to my 1st annual average. On average here is a list of the number of thunderstorm “days” at several Michigan locations. Alpena 34, Detroit (downtown) 29, Detroit airport 32, Flint 33, Grand Haven 30, Grand Rapids 37, Houghton Lake 39, Lansing 34, Ludington 37, Muskegon 38, Escanaba 33, Houghton 23, Marquette 29 and Sault Ste. Marie 30. The one surprise here is the low number for the cities of Detroit and Flint. As it seems that the east side of the state gets more “Thunderstorms” than the west side but maybe not? Now here is a list of clear/cloudy days at the same locations. Alpena 67/193. Detroit airport 80/177. Flint 66/194, Grand Rapids 65/204. Houghton Lake 65/199. Lansing 72/189. Muskegon 77/200. Escanaba 102/155. Marquette 61/203 and Sault Ste. Marie 66/208.
Now for some annual (and other) extremes The warmest place in Michigan is Grosse Point and Monroe average temp is 49.9° the coldest is Champion annual average is 38.8° The warmest July average highs of 85° happen in Dearborn and Kalamazoo. (GR is 83°) The coldest January average lows are at Bergland -1° (GR is 18°) The longest “Heat Wave” Kalamazoo with 9 days in a row of 100°+ in 1936. The longest “Cold Wave” maximum below 0° 8 days at Ewen 1899. Longest “cold wave” nights (lows of 0 and below) 35 at Bessemer in 1936. Hottest day time high (official) 112 at Mio coldest (official) low -51° at Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt also has the shortest average growing season of only 59 days. The coldest maximum temperature in Michigan is -21° at Ironwood January 17, 1982. The longest average growing season is in Detroit with 184 days. For Rocky the snowiest location in Michigan is Delaware with 241.5” the least snow on average falls at Grose Point 28.7” (GRR average is around 75”) the biggest one day snowstorm was 33.5” at Baldwin on November 30th 1960. And the biggest snowstorm was at Calumet 46.1” The least snow for the winter was 1.1” at Eaton Rapids in the winter of 1948/49 (that is one we can try for this winter) the most on the ground was 80” at Marquette on February 16th 1971.
So far this has been a “close to average July” across Michigan with most locations being less than one degree above average. The only exceptions are Lansing +2.8° Saginaw +1.4° and up at Marquette they are well below average at -2.6° in fact Muskegon, Flint, Saginaw, Alpena, Houghton Lake, Sault Ste Marie and Marquette have not reached 90° yet this July and the other locations have only reached 90 on one day. Here is a list of the warmest temperature at several locations around Michigan for July so far. Grand Rapids 90°, Lansing 92°, Muskegon 86°, Flint 88°,Saginaw 89°,Detroit 91°, Alpena 89° Houghton Lake 87° Sault Ste. Marie 83° and Marquette 84° Also Grand Rapids and Lansing have only had 3 thunderstorm days so far and Muskegon only 2.
I hope you found some of this information interesting
SlimJim