Yesterday we had a cool high temp of 44° and a low of 27°. It is currently 26° at 5 am. Today will be a little milder, but clouds will move back in. A rain shower in the late afternoon or evening is possible before steadier light to moderate rain arrives tonight. We expect a quarter-inch or more from this system.
Weather History for SW Michigan
April 17
1875: Extreme late-season cold sets records across Lower Michigan. Detroit falls to 10 degrees on this date and 8 degrees on the 18th. Lansing bottoms out at an incredible zero degrees.
1922: Heavy rain from a slow-moving thunderstorm causes some street flooding in Grand Rapids. The daily total of 2.94 inches at Grand Rapids is a record for April.
April 18
1880: A tornado struck Chester, in Eaton County where barns were destroyed and livestock was killed. A quarter-mile-wide swath of trees was leveled in a forest by the tornado.
April 19
1957: Less than a week after record low temperatures in the teens, high temperatures are pushing 80 degrees across Lower Michigan. Muskegon went from 19 degrees on the 15th to a high of 79 on this date, a rise of 60 degrees in four days.
April 20
1966: A tornado killed livestock and damaged a barn and garage in Morley in Mecosta County. Another tornado hit Peach Ridge in Kent County, damaging a steel tower.
April 21
1923: A tornado struck three miles west of Scottville in Mason County. It destroyed an unoccupied home and carried pieces of it over a mile.
1967: A tornado outbreak hits from Missouri to Michigan, killing 58 people. The worst of the damage was in northern Illinois, where dozens of people were killed in Belvidere and Oak Lawn. At least seven tornadoes hit Michigan, injuring more than 50 people and destroying dozens of homes. A tornado moved across the southern outskirts of Grand Rapids, doing heavy damage. Thirty-two people were injured and a total of 65 buildings were destroyed and another 60 were heavily damaged. Another tornado injured eight people and killed 34 sheep as it moved from Westphalia to the south edge of Fowler in Clinton County.
2013: Heavy spring rains caused severe flooding. The Grand River crested at 21.85 feet in downtown Grand Rapids on the 22nd, with fish being photographed from the submerged windows of buildings along the river.
April 22
1976: A tornado damaged several homes northeast of Burlington in Calhoun County.
April 23
1968: A tornado struck Big Rapids in Mecosta County, injuring 11 people and doing half a million dollars in damage as it covered a path 10 miles long.
1986: Freezing weather prevails across Lower Michigan. Record cold temperatures for the date include the 19 degrees at Muskegon and 20 degrees at Grand Rapids which is also a record for the coldest so late in the season.
Weather History for SE Michigan
April 17
On April 17, 1963, Monroe County was hit hard by an F3 tornado at 6:20 PM that injured 1 person and caused approximately $250,000 in property damage.
April 18
On April 18, 1975, 2.69 inches of precipitation fell in Flint. This is the maximum precipitation record for the month of April in Flint.
April 19
On April 19, 1953, the temperature in Flint never rose above 35 degrees. This temperature was a record temperature, in that it was the lowest maximum temperature for that day. The next day, the record lowest maximum temperature for Flint was 34 degrees.
April 20
On April 20, 2000, 3.58 inches of precipitation fell in Detroit. This is the maximum daily precipitation record for the month of April and the sixth heaviest all-time daily rainfall in Detroit.
April 21
On April 21, 1976, an F2 tornado moved through Shiawassee County at 3:35 PM. This tornado was one of the most damaging tornadoes in Shiawassee County since 1950 and caused 1 injury and over $500,000 in damage.
April 22
On April 22, 1875, Detroit had a record low temperature of 20 degrees. The day before, on the 21st, Detroit had another record low of 21 degrees.
April 23
On April 23, 1985, the daytime temperature rose to 85 degrees in Flint, which is the record high temperature for the day. Curiously enough, the very next year, in 1986, the overnight temperature dropped to 22 degrees, setting the record low temperature for this day!
Forecast Discussion
- Light Rain Late Tonight Into Thursday - Dry weather will continue early this morning and into this afternoon while surface high pressure slides east through the region. Clear skies start off this morning but an approaching low pressure system to our west in the Plains will filter in mid-level clouds starting mid-morning. By this evening a 50-60 knot low level jet will take aim at lower Michigan allowing for increased moisture advection while a mid-level trough approaches. Rain chances will increase mainly after 8pm tonight with the peak rainfall rates occuring between 8pm-2am. Lingering light rain may persist until 8-10am until the low passes east and surface ridging moves in place. Widespread showers are expected with total amounts ranging between 0.2" to 0.4". - Warm Front Friday Brings Mild Temps and Showers and Storms - As high pressure returns to the region by Thursday mid-day, quiet weather will persist Thursday to Friday morning before a warm front associated with a deepening low lifts north Friday. Lingering overnight showers and storms from the Mid-Mississippi Valley will attempt to spread north along the remnants of a lingering low level jet through the day Friday. By Saturday the front will be to our north with our area squarely into the warm sector. Temperatures are expected to warm easily into the 70s, possibly as high as 80 further south near the I-94 corridor. Areas near the lakeshore will be kept a touch cooler. Mild temps persist through Saturday night with lows in the 60s then rebounding with highs back in the 70s Sunday afternoon. - Cold Front Sweeps through Sunday Afternoon/Evening - As we sit well into the warm sector Saturday and Sunday, the associated low pressure system to our northwest will deepen as it traverses through northern Lake Superior. As this occurs, the associated cold front will sweep in from the west bringing the next chance for showers and even a few storms. Forecast confidence then drops off into the start of next week in regards to how cold we get following the cold front. Confidence is strong that we will be back below average (around 62 for late April for Grand Rapids specifically), but questions remain on how cold we will get. Both the Euro and GFS ensemble spread increases considerably starting Sunday evening and beyond specifically in regards to 500mb heights and 850mb temp trends, thus impacting forecast temp trends. While specifics are uncertain, there does seem to be a good consensus that we will be below average once again.
No January thaws this Winter amazing…INDY
Facts are facts!
Rocky can have the 40’s and rain in April!! He loves that weather!!
In about 4 years or so, my wife and I will be moving to Texas!! We’ve had enough of the crappy Michigan weather! It will be awesome! Sunny and 80 here in Cabo!
Where in TX? Parts of Tx have horrible weather and humidity!
Wow what a cold April….INDY
Incredible cold!
So far in the year 2022 January was colder -4.6 and somewhat snowier +3.2″ than average. February was a little colder -2.0 and a little snowier +1.8″ March was near average +0.5 and was less snowy then average -1.6″ and so far April has been colder than average -4.6 and there has been less snow fall then average. -1.3″
Slim
Thanks for the Facts! So far in 2022 we have been colder than normal and snowy than normal! How is that possible with all the warm weather hype on here? Incredible!
The warm up will last about two or three days and then right back to a stretch of below normal temps! Get used to it!
After a warm March, April has been cooler relative to average. The good news is that April has seen below average snow in GR once again. NWS GR released their season snow totals today which seems to imply that snow is now done. GR’s snow deficit was about a half foot this year.
Bring on the warmup!!
At this time Grand Rapids mean for April of 40.7 is -4.6° For the year so far January was -4.6, February was -2.0. March was near average at +0.5. At Grand Rapids 2022 so far is running with a departure of -2.7. With a reported snow fall total of 71.0″ that is -6.3″ below the 30 year average of 77.3″ For 2022 there has been a total of 48.2″ of snow fall and the average for January/April is 49.1. Bottom line so far 2022 has been colder then the current 30 year average and just under a inch less in… Read more »
Thanks Slim for the facts again…INDY
A warm March? Who are you kidding? What a joke!
Lol… Say what?? InDzy
Notice where MI is on this map as we head into May! So much for the so called blow torch! What an amazing cold pattern we are stuck in!
Hopefully next winter we can have a nice well below average period of weather with a big Blizzard! That would be fantastic!
Agreed and we are due! Bring it on!
Yesterdays official high at Grand Rapids was 43 that makes it the 7th coldest maximum for any April 19th at Grand Rapids. The official overnight low at GRR looks to have been 26 here at my house the overnight low was 27. The clouds have now moved in here and it is now cloudy and 38.
Slim
One year ago far Southern Michigan, Central/Northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio were in for a round of snow. Indianapolis set a record of 2” (old record was a Trace in 1953). Evansville, IN and Paducah, KY had there latest ever measurable snowfall on record that day. 1.3” in Evansville and 0.6” for Paducah. At 4pm it was in the 60s in Paducah then at 7pm it started snowing. Fort Wayne area picked up 4” of snow. I was driving back from Alabama that day and ran into this snow event. After dark roads got slippery so I pulled off at… Read more »
Waking up to a cold 25 degrees this morning at my house. Nice looking sunrise this morning.
It is a pretty morning, with the sun rising over the frost-covered ground.
Get ready for another below normal temp day and more rain tonight! What a pattern, colder than normal, cloudier than normal and windier than normal! Wow, just wow!
NWS GR’s graphic this morning shows the snowfall totals for the season. Lansing beat Muskegon by 0.10”. Not sure when the last time that happened. GR finished with 71.0” (6.6” below average). Seems like they had more than that. Maybe it’s because it was 25” more than last year.
Yes GR had a lot more snow than last year and no extended thaws, so it was a great winter for outdoor sports! Simply incredible winter!
I am not sure how often it has happened my guess is not much, it is now two winters in a row where Lansing reported more snow that Muskegon in the winter season of 2020/21 Lansing reported 45.6″ of snow fall and Muskegon reported 41.8″ That winter Grand Rapids reported just 46.1″
Slim
Lansing has had an incredible winter!