Have you ever wondered just how many days during the winter that Grand Rapids has a snow cover of at least 1 inch? Here in Grand Rapids the mean average seasonal (October to April) will have 70 days with 1” or more, 57 with 2” or more, 47 with 3” or more. 38 with 4” or more, 31 with 5” or more. Here is a list of the top 5 seasons with the most and least number of days with 1” or more of snow cover.
Most
1.1903/04 124 days
2. 1977/78 116 days
3. 1958/59 114 days
4. 1978/79 111 days
5. 2013/14 109 days
Least
1. 1982/83 23 days
2. 2023/24 27days
3. 1931/32 30 days
4. 1952/53 33 days
5. 2011/12 34 days
As you can see last winter was the 2nd least on record. In fact 8 of the last 10 winters have had less then the average number of days with snow cover here at Grand Rapids so we are in the mist of a pattern with less days with snow on the ground as in the last ten years the average number of days with at least 1” on snow on the ground is 57.
The most days with 1” of snow on the ground in October is 6 in 1925. For November the most is 15 in 1995. For December 1903,1919,1972 and 1978 all 31 days had at least one inch. 1958 and 1985 had 30 days, 4 years had 28 with the last being 2009. While in December 2014 and 2023 not one day had a inch of snow cover and 1923 and 1931 had just 2 days and in 2011 and again in 2011 there were just 3 days. For January a total of 29 years have seen all 31 days with 1” or more the mean for January is 22 days. The least was in 1933 when not one day had a 1” and in the next year only 1 days did. In recent times the low mark was in 2017 with just 8 days last year there were 19 days in January. For February the mean is 19 days with 9 leap years having 29 days and 20 non leap years have 28 days. The last leap year to have wall to wall snow cover was 2008 with 29. And the last non leap year to have 28 was 2015.
On the low side 1982, 1953 and 1927 had 2 days and 1999 and 1992 had 3 days in February with 1″ or more on the ground on the ground. Last year February had just 6 days.
For March the top 5
- 1965 29 days
- 1960 27 days
- 1912 26 days
- 2014 24 days
- 1978 24 days
March 2009, 2001, 1991 and 1945 had 0 days with 1″ or more of snow cover’ Last year March had 12 days. For April 1982 had 9 days, 1975 had 7 days, 1972, 1970 and 1965 had 6 days 2018 had 5 days. Last year Grand Rapids had one day.
One inch snow cover in other locations in west Michigan
Muskegon mean 76. Most 125 days in 1903/04. Least 21 days in 1920/21. Lansing mean days per winter season 62, most 109 days in 1977/78, least 13 days in 1889/90. On the east side of the state Detroit mean number of days per winter 50, most 96 days in 2013/14, least 15 in 1982*83. Flint mean 62, most 109 in 2013/14, least 6 in 1922/23. For comparison in the UP The Sault mean 136 days, most 176 in 1995/96, least 98 in 2011/12. And Marquette the mean is 147 days the most is 172 days in 2002/03 and the least is 116 days in 1948/49.
The official H/L yesterday was 32/23 there was a trace of snowfall there was 2” of snow on the ground. The highest wind gust was 36 MPH out of the W. The sun was out 41% of the possible time. For today the average H/L is 39/27 the record high of 63 was in 1946 the coldest high of 16 was in 1972 the record low of -4 was in 1972 the warmest low of 45 was in 1980. The most precipitation of 1.12” was in 1927 the most snowfall of 7.7” was in 1909 the most on the ground was 8” in 1919. Last year the H/L was 47/34.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
251 AM EST SAT DEC 7 2024
KEY MESSAGES
- LIGHT SNOW POSSIBLE NORTH OF I96 TODAY
- LIGHT RAIN/DRIZZLE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY
- COLD WITH LAKE EFFECT CHANCES MID WEEK
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 247 AM EST SAT DEC 7 2024
- LIGHT SNOW POSSIBLE NORTH OF I96 TODAY
AN ELEVATED WARM FRONT CROSSING THE CWA THIS MORNING INTO EARLY
AFTERNOON BRINGS A WINDOW FOR LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS NORTH OF I96. A FEW
TENTHS OF AN INCH OF ACCUMULATION AT MOST IS POSSIBLE NEAR US10 WITH
NO ACCUMULATION EXPECTED SOUTH OF THERE. AS THE ELEVATED WARM FRONT
EXITS THIS AFTERNOON, PRECIPITATION DIMINISHES. THE ARRIVAL OF WARM
AIR MAY ALLOW SNOW TO BRIEFLY MIX WITH OR CHANGE OVER TO RAIN AS
PRECIPITATION DIMINISHES.
- LIGHT RAIN/DRIZZLE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY
THE TREND FOR MID-LEVEL MOISTURE TO REMAIN SOUTH OF WEST MICHIGAN IN
THE LATEST DETERMINISTIC GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THAT SUBSTANTIAL
PRECIPITATION REMAINS SOUTH OF THE AREA. HOWEVER, LOW-LEVEL FORCING
IN A SATURATED SUB 700MB LAYER WILL SUPPORT THE POTENTIAL FOR LIGHT
SHOWERS OR DRIZZLE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. ONE THING THAT WILL
NEED TO BE MONITORED IS SURFACE TEMPERATURES IN OUR TRADITIONAL
COLDER SPOTS IN THE NORTHEASTERN CWA (TOWARDS CLARE AND OSCEOLA
COUNTIES). THEY ARE FORECAST TO BE RIGHT ON THE FREEZING LINE WHICH
COULD LEND ITSELF TO A PERIOD OF BRIEF FREEZING DRIZZLE IF TEMPS
FALL LOW ENOUGH. CONFIDENCE IS LOW, LESS THAN 20 PERCENT) THAT ANY
FREEZING PRECIPITATION OCCURS BUT SURFACE TEMPERATURE TRENDS IN THIS
REGION WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED. PATCHY FOG IS ALSO POSSIBLE GIVEN
A SATURATED BOUNDARY LAYER.
- COLD WITH LAKE EFFECT CHANCES MID WEEK
A COLD FRONT SWEEPING ACROSS THE AREA MONDAY NIGHT STARTS A BRIEF
BUT NOTICEABLE COOLDOWN ACROSS THE AREA MID NEXT WEEK AS 850MB
TEMPERATURES FALL INTO THE NEGATIVE TEENS, TRANSLATING TO HIGHS IN
THE 20S. ONCE TROUGHING MOVES OVERHEAD, AMPLE DELTA-TS WILL SUPPORT
LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS AND POSSIBLY LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS BETWEEN
TUESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. HOWEVER, UNLIKE THE RECENT LAKE EFFECT
ACTIVITY, THE TROUGHING IS NOT EXPECTED TO PERSIST FOR AN EXTENDED
TIME. LATE NEXT WEEK, SURFACE AND UPPER-LEVEL RIDING PUSH INTO THE
AREA CAUSING TEMPERATURES TO BEGIN TO MODERATE.
Was not aware of these 30+mph winds this evening 🙁
It has been a great day up at Boyne Mt. Excellent ski conditions and incredible snow! Unbelievable amount of snow up here! Simply breathtaking! Who wouldn’t want tons of SNOW in MI is December? Rock n roll people!
Im back in Austin for the next week… everyone is wearing winter coats and it is going to be 50 today. Definitely a chilly day for them… but feels warm to me after the recent cold weather in Michigan
Too funny – winter coats and 50 degrees!