The two pictures above are from the first Alabama rest area.
As you may know my wife and I took a cruise trip and this week I will go the interesting weather we had on the trip from Grand Rapids to Cocoa Beach, Florida. We left Grand Rapids on January 16th The temperature was a cold +10° with light snow falling when we left. There was light snow along the lake shore (I 196) all the way to South Bend, IN. What was interesting was the temperature dropped as we headed further south and by the time we were south of South Bend the sun was out but the temperature had dropped to +2° and it stay between +2° and +5° all the way thru Indiana and into Kentucky (remember this is with the sun out) and while the roads were clear there was several inches of snow on the ground. In central Kentucky the temperatures did reach the mid teens. At Bowling Green(our first stop) the temperature was +9 and they had 6” of snow on the ground. The next morning as we were getting ready to leave snow started to fall and it snowed all the way into southern Tennessee With the temperatures in the mid-teens the snow that fell stayed on the roads and at times the snow did come down heavy. The sun did come out by the time we reached Alabama but the snow was still on the ground even in the Huntsville area there was over one inch on the ground and the temperature was just 24° The snow was gone south of Huntsville and I thought we were done with the snow for a week or more BUT south of Birmingham we seen 6 or 7 snow plows heading south on I-65 and I said to my wife that does not look good. Soon there were trucks and cars heading north with snow on them (lots of snow) and then I knew that was not good. About 20 miles north of Montgomery the snow started showing up on the ground at first and then in the left lane of the road and then over all bridges and over passes and then the ice was then there. On the north side of Montgomery there is a rather long elevated area of the road and that area was just a sheet of ice and that was a tricky section to drive on good thing there was very little traffic, the bad part is that most of the traffic on the road was trucks. As we were getting into Montgomery the over head signs flashed the words no one wants to see. I- 85 Closed in both directions. We were on I-65 but I usually take I-85 to get on US 231 so I had to stay on I-65 until I got to US 80 and take that to US 231 and yes that means going into town. Once again the good news was almost no traffic (as most places were closed) but there were some trucks on the road and yes the road was ice with some sand in places US 231 was spotty with ice on the bridges and is the shade and it stayed that way all the way down to Dothan, AL witch is 15 miles north of Florida. In Florida the skies were clear but it was cold only in the upper 30’s We stopped at my wife’s nice house in Tallahassee where the low reached 20° for a very cold night there. The drive the next day to Cocoa Beach was sunny but by Florida standards cold with temperatures in the low 40’s It was in the upper 30’s that night in Cocoa Beach but the next day it reach the upper 60’s and it felt warm to us.
The average mean temperature for Grand Rapids in February is 24.4° the warmest February was just last year with a mean of 34.7° The warmest before last year was 34.1° in 1998. The coldest February was just 3 years ago in 2015 with a mean of just 13.3° The warmest high recorded in February at Grand Rapids is 69° on February 11th 1999 the coldest low is -24° on February 13th and 14th 1899. The average snow fall for Grand Rapids in February is just 13.0” the most snow for a February is 41.6” in 2008 the least snow fall for any February here is just 0.5” in 1998 The largest single day snow fall in just 11.3” on February 3rd 2007.
Here is a brief wrap up for January 2018 at Grand Rapids Michigan.
For the month the average High was 32.1° the average low was 17.1° The mean for the month was 24.4° (+0.5°) so the month was almost “average” there was 2.12” of precipitation (most of it coming as rain) average is 2.09” once again very near average. 12.6” of snow fell that is 8.2” below the average of 20.8” it was the lowest January snow fall since January 2009 when only 9.3” fell. The highest temperature for the month was 58° and the lowest for the month was -11°
Year to year comparisons Last year as of February 1st Grand Rapids had 53.4” of snow fall this year we are at 46.4” In the last 30 years the average snow fall as of February 1st in Grand Rapids in 50.2”
Slim
Occasional snow is expected from today through Sunday. The snow will come in waves with some heavier bursts included.
The heaviest most widespread snow is expected from this afternoon through Sunday morning.
The snow is associated with a cold front that will drop south through the area. Central Lower Michigan will see the snow first today with I-94 not picking up the more persistent snow until tonight.
Snowfall totals will range from 6+ inches across Central Lower to 2 to 4 inches along I-94. Highs temperatures will be near normal today around 30 in many areas, cooling back into the teens and 20s for Sunday behind the cold front.
What a storm! What a SNOWY pattern is setting up!
Uber taking us back out to the west suburbs. Went to a show at the Riveria Theatre. Nothing when we went in, but about 2″ when we got out
We got more than that here. LOL!!
Ada – midnight to midnight = 3 inches of snow.
Wow ….MR N.
How ya Been???
Good to SEE ya.
Stay cued.on this Snowy Saturday Nite..
Welcome to the blog.
Wow Out on My Back Deck Having a Toke or TWO!!!
And Wind That WIND Blows The SNOW.
You Can NOT See The Forest through The TREES.
And THIS Song BLEW Through My Mind.
My Favorite Band on This HEAR Saturday Nite.
Cue:; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMeFHAaZ_gE
PS: Still Going .
Have Had on and off Moderate to Heavy Snow Today.
Estimate of 3.5 inches HEAR @ Thee YARDofCUES
Stay CUED…..
Ditto here & it is still snowing. Before the snow came earlier this week I actually saw my crocuses coming up! 🙂
Wow….Crocuses ? Which Direction Do They Face?
SOUTH
What a storm! We are getting pounded with SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Snowing heavily in the Muskegon area. Several new inches on the ground today.
Sounds great!
What a great SNOW map! I love it!
http://www.weather.gov/images/erh/gis/LP_state_Snow.png
The heavier SNOW is about ready to rotate into GR and then SNOW all night! ROCK n ROLL lives forever!
http://wxcaster.com/gis-gfs-snow-overlays2.php?STATIONID=GRR
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/610day/610temp.new.gif
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/814day/814temp.new.gif
The snow maps keep getting better every run!!
http://wxcaster.com/gis-gfs-snow-overlays.php?STATIONID=GRR
So does the CPC!!
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/814day/814temp.new.gif
Looking good!
http://www.weather.gov/images/erh/gis/LP_state_Snow.png
I’m in Chicago for the weekend. Under a WWA from 9p til noon tomorrow. 3-5″ forecasted. Absolutely no snow here – on the ground or falling from the sky. 25° and gloomy out.
Have a great weekend and go Eagles!
Climatology for today February 3rd At Grand Rapids, MI
The average H/L is still 31/18
The record high is 54° in 1991 the coldest maximum is 3 in 1996
The record low is -17° in 1996 the warmest minimum is 34 in 2006
The largest snow fall is 11.3” in 2007
The most snow on the ground is 19” in 2011
Last year the high was 20 the low was 9 a trace of snow fell and 4” covered the ground’
Slim
The ground is now once again snow covered here at my house I measured 1.5” of new snow fall overnight. The snow had quit but has just started once again with a temperature here of 20°
Slim
The 6Z RDB model run is in and it shows GR picking up 5 to 7 inches of SNOW by the end of this very SNOWY and COLD weekend!
Hello Grand Rapids! Nice snow map!
http://wxcaster.com/gis-snow-overlays2.php?STATIONID=GRR
LETS TRY THIS AGAIN.
http://www.instantweathermaps.com/GFS-php/conussfc.php?run=2018020306&time=PER&var=ASNOWI&hour=384
http://www.instantweathermaps.com/GFS-php/conussfc.php?run=2018020306&time=PER&var=ASNOWI&hour=384CHeck this out! INCREDIBLE!
Great write up Slim! I missed your entries while you were gone. Glad you had a safe trip!
And it begins heavy snow falling out at thee YARDofBRICKS.. INDYDOG14
Currently Snowing Moderatly At thee YARDofCUES .
And HEAR is My Youngest Daughter Lindsey Rose, Doing Jesus Loves Me. With HER Twist…..ENJOY & God Bless
https://youtu.be/1kmQ-2LfCrI