This week I will look at some off the wall weather events in the past.
September 9th
1921 – A dying tropical depression unloaded 38.2 inches of rain upon the town of Thrall in southeastern Texas killing 224 persons. 36.4 inches fell in 18 hours. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
1944 – The “”Great Atlantic Hurricane”” ravaged the east coast. The storm killed 22 persons and caused 63 million dollars damage in the Chesapeake Bay area, then besieged New England killing 390 persons and cau1971 – Hurricane Ginger formed, and remained a hurricane until the 5th of October. The 27 day life span was the longest of record for any hurricane in the North Atlantic Ocean. (The Weather Channel)sing another 100 million dollars damage. (The Weather Channel)
September 10th
1919 – A hurricane struck the Florida Keys drowning more than 500 persons. (David Ludlum)
1960 – Hurricane Donna struck the Florida Keys, with winds gusting to 180 mph and a thirteen foot storm surge. The hurricane then moved north along the eastern coast of Florida and inundated Naples before moving out to sea. Hurricane Donna claimed fifty lives, injured 1800 others, and caused more than 300 million dollars damage. The Marathon/Tavernier area was almost completely destroyed, and in the Citrus Belt, most of the avacado crop was blown from the trees. Hurricane Donna wreaked havoc from Florida to Maine, with wind gusts to 100 mph along much of the coast. Hurricane Donna produced wind gusts to 121 mph at Charleston SC on the 11th, and wind gusts to 138 mph at Blue Hill Observatory MA on the 12th. The hurricane finally died over Maine two days later, producing more than five inches of rain over the state. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
September 11th
1986 – Thunderstorms caused flash flooding and subsequent river flooding in central Lower Michigan. Up to 14 inches of rain fell in a 72 hour period, and flooding caused 400 million dollars damage. (Storm Data)
We all know what happened on this date in 2001. Here is the weather for that day in 1. New York. It was clear with a high of 79 and a low of 62. 2. Washington DC clear with a high of 83 and a low of 64. The sky was also clear in Somerset County, Pennsylvania and here in Grand Rapids the with clear skies the high was 73 and the low was 50.
September 12th
1979 – Hurricane Frederick smashed into the Mobile Bay area of Alabama packing 132 mph winds. Winds gusts to 145 mph were reported as the eye of the hurricane moved over Dauphin Island AL, just west of Mobile. Frederick produced a fifteen foot storm surge near the mouth of Mobile Bay. The hurricane was the costliest in U.S. history causing 2.3 billion dollars damage. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
1988 – An afternoon tornado spawned a tornado which skipped across northern sections of Indianapolis IN damaging roofs and automobiles. It was the first tornado in central Indiana in September in nearly forty years of records. Hurricane Gilbert plowed across the island of Jamaica, and by the end of the day was headed for the Cayman Islands, packing winds of 125 mph. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1989 – Snow whitened the mountains and foothills of northeastern Colorado, with eight inches reported at Buckhorn Mountain, west of Fort Collins. Two to three inches fell around Denver, causing great havoc during the evening rush hour. Thunderstorms produced severe weather in the Southern Plains Region between mid afternoon and early the next morning. Thunderstorms produced hail three inches in diameter at Roswell NM, and wind gusts greater than 98 mph at Henryetta OK. Thunderstorms also produced torrential rains, with more than seven inches at Scotland TX, and more than six inches at Yukon OK. (National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
September 13th
1989 – Unseasonably cool weather prevailed over the Central Plains Region, with a record low of 29 degrees at North Platte NE. Unseasonably warm weather prevailed across the Pacific Northwest, with a record high of 96 degrees at Eugene OR. Thunderstorms over south Texas produced wind gusts to 69 mph at Del Rio, and two inches of rain in two hours. (National Weather Summary) the high that day in GR was just 53.
September 14th
1944 – A very destructive hurricane swept across Cape Hatteras and Chesapeake Bay, side swiped New Jersey and Long Island, and crossed southeastern Massachusetts. The hurricane killed more than four hundred persons, mainly at sea. The hurricane destroyed the Atlantic City NJ boardwalk. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
1987 – Thunderstorms developing along a cold front produced severe weather from Minnesota to Texas. Thunderstorms in Iowa produced baseball size hail at Laporte City, and 80 mph winds at Laurens. Hail caused more than ten million dollars damage to crops in Iowa. Thunderstorms in Missouri produced wind gusts to 75 mph at Missouri City and Kansas City. A thunderstorm in Texas deluged the town of Fairlie with two inches of rain in just two hours. (Storm Data) (The National Weather Summary)
September 15th
1939 – The temperature at Detroit MI soared to 100 degrees to establish a record for September. (The Weather Channel) The high here in GR that day was 97.
1982 – A snowstorm over Wyoming produced 16.9 inches at Lander to establish a 24 hour record for September for that location. (13th-15th) (The Weather Channel)
The official H/L at Grand Rapids yesterday was 64/55. That high of 64 was the coolest high at Grand Rapids since a high of 64 on June 12th the last time the high was cooler than 64 was a 62 on May 17th There was a reported trace of rain fall yesterday. The official total for September is now 0.17” for the year GR is now at 26.59” that is below the average of 27.23” for a departure of -0.64” There were 5 HDD’s since July 1st there have been 19 that is a departure of -10. There were 0 CDD’s since January 1st there have been 628 that is a departure of -55. So this year has had less energy use than average so far. It was a cloudy day yesterday with just 4% of possible sunshine that came late in the day. For today the average H/L is 77/56 the record high of 95 was set way back in 1897. The record low of 37 was set in 1975. The record rain fall amount of 2.25” fell in 1920. Last year the H/L was 81/56.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
341 AM EDT SAT SEP 9 2023
LATEST UPDATE…
SHORT TERM/LONG TERM/MARINE
SHORT TERM
(TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY)
ISSUED AT 340 AM EDT SAT SEP 9 2023
–PATCHY FOG POSSIBLE NEXT TWO MORNINGS–
HIGH PRESSURE WILL DOMINATE THE WEATHER PATTERN THIS WEEKEND.
THE BIGGEST WEATHER CONCERN WILL BE PATCHY TO DENSE FOG SATURDAY
AND SUNDAY MORNINGS.
CURRENT VISIBLE SATELLITE AND OBSERVATIONS SHOW PATCHY DENSE FOG
FORMING ALONG AN SOUTH OF I 94 AND ALONG THE US 127 CORRIDOR. THE
CALM WINDS, DEVELOPING LOW CLOUDS DUE TO THE INVERSION, AND
DEWPOINT DEPRESSIONS BETWEEN 2 DEGREES OR LESS INDICATE THAT FOG
WILL ONLY INTENSIFY EARLY THIS MORNING UNTIL SHORTLY AFTER
SUNRISE. LATEST MODELS REINFORCE THIS ESTIMATION. WINDS ALOFT
INDICATE A NORTHEASTERLY FLOW WHICH SEEMS TO KEEP ARES NORTH AND
TO THE WEST OF I 96 MOSTLY CLEAR DUE TO DRIER AIR. ANY FOG WILL
LIFT AND DISSIPATE BY MID MORNING.
ANOTHER ROUND OF MORE WIDESPREAD FOG IS EXPECTED SUNDAY
MORNING. MODEL SOUNDS SHOW DRY AIR ABOVE 2KFT, CALM WINDS AT THE
SURFACE, AND TWO CAPPING INVERSIONS. THE LOWEST SHOULD BE IN THE
LOWEST 2KFT AND ANOTHER THAT CONCISE WITH THE DRY AIR BETWEEN 3
TO 5 KFT. COUPLE THIS WILL LOW LEVEL MOISTURE, CALM WINDS AND A
DEWPOINT DEPRESSION AROUND 0 AND CONDITIONS WILL BE IDEAL FOR FOG
DEVELOPMENT. SO EXPECT FOG TO FORM AND INTENSIFY BETWEEN 09Z TO
12Z. THE AREAS OF MOST CONCERN WILL BE EAST OF THE US 131 CORRIDOR
AND ESPECIALLY THROUGH CENTRAL MICHIGAN.
— WARMING TREND THIS WEEKEND —
OUTSIDE OF THE FOG, IT WILL BE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WEATHER THIS
WEEKEND. EXPECT SUNNY SKIES WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES REBOUNDING
INTO THE LOW TO MID 70S TODAY AND TOMORROW. THE ONLY CAVEAT WILL
BE INCREASING CLOUDS FROM THE NORTH LATE SUNDAY. HOWEVER NO
PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED UNTIL SUNDAY NIGHT.
LONG TERM
(SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY)
ISSUED AT 247 AM EDT SAT SEP 9 2023
MAIN CHANGE OF NOTE WITH THIS FORECAST IS LESSER PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS
EXPECTED MONDAY AND GREATER AMOUNTS MONDAY NIGHT/TUESDAY.
INCREASING CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL SPREAD
SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY.
TIMING FOR GREATEST PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS HAS SHIFTED LATER TOWARDS
MONDAY NIGHT/TUESDAY. THIS IS MOST LIKELY RELATED TO NEWEST GUIDANCE
SHOWING THE UPPER TROUGH AS BEING SLOWER TO DROP SOUTHWARD ACROSS
THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES ON MONDAY. ALSO, THERE LOOKS TO BE A FRONTAL
WAVE THAT WILL TRAVERSE OUR SOUTHERN FORECAST AREA AND HELP
CONTRIBUTE TO A LOCAL MAXIMUM OF 24 HOUR PRECIPITATION THAT
APPROACHES AN INCH IN THE GENERAL VICINITY OF JACKSON. AMOUNTS LIKE
THIS THAT ARE SPREAD OUT OVER SUCH A LONG PERIOD OF TIME INDICATE
THIS WILL BE A STEADY SOAKER EVENT WITH MINIMAL IMPACTS ANTICIPATED.
FOR TUESDAY NIGHT, MOSTLY SHORE-PARALLEL LAKE EFFECT RAIN LOOKS
POSSIBLE AND COULD PRODUCE LIGHT QPF NEAR SOUTH HAVEN. AMOUNTS
OVERALL SHOULD BE LIGHT AND MORE CHARACTERISTIC OF DRIZZLE GIVEN
THAT THE MIXED MARINE BOUNDARY LAYER SHOULD REMAIN FAR BENEATH THE
DGZ.
AS NOTED ALREADY, WEDNESDAY LOOKS QUITE COOL WITH HIGHS IN THE LOW
60S; THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A GRADUAL WARMUP INTO THE WEEKEND.
THURSDAY MORNING CURRENTLY FEATURES FORECAST LOWS IN THE LOWER TO
MID 40S, BUT AGREE WITH PREVIOUS REASONING THAT FROST IS NOT OUT OF
THE QUESTION IF WE EXPERIENCE MORE FAVORABLE TIMING WITH THE PASSAGE
OF THE TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED CLOUDINESS.
Detailed Forecast For Grand Rapids
Today
Patchy fog between 7am and 9am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 73. Calm wind becoming north 5 to 7 mph in the morning.
Tonight
Patchy fog after 4am. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 50. North northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Sunday
Areas of fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 76. East wind 3 to 6 mph.
Sunday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. East wind 3 to 6 mph.
Monday
A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 68. Calm wind becoming southeast 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Monday Night
Showers likely, mainly after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Tuesday
Showers likely, with thunderstorms also possible after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 66. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Tuesday Night
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50.
Wednesday
A chance of showers before 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 62.
Wednesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 47.
Thursday
Sunny, with a high near 67.
Thursday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 47.
Friday
Sunny, with a high near 72.
Detailed Forecast For Lansing
Today
Mostly sunny, with a high near 72. Calm wind becoming north northeast 5 to 8 mph in the morning.
Tonight
Patchy fog after 4am. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 50. Northeast wind 3 to 6 mph.
Sunday
Areas of fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 74. North northeast wind 6 to 8 mph.
Sunday Night
Increasing clouds, with a low around 54. Northeast wind around 6 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Monday
A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71. North wind 3 to 7 mph.
Monday Night
A 50 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 57.
Tuesday
Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Tuesday Night
A chance of showers before 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51.
Wednesday
A chance of showers after 8am. Partly sunny, with a high near 61.
Wednesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 47.
Thursday
Sunny, with a high near 67.
Thursday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 46.
Friday
Sunny, with a high near 71.
Great temps today and let’s keep the cool pattern rolling!
Congratulations to Ellen Bacca & Mark for a new baby girl, Piper born yesterday!
Yes Congrats!!!
Congratulations!! So happy for them!