Up Coming Last/First’s

With meteorological winter coming to a end, it is time to look at some first/last as we head into meteorological spring. So far this year the highest temperature has been 47 on January 30^th.  We have yet to reach the 1^st 50° day on average the 1^st day of 50 or better is February 8^th The latest 1^st day is April 4, 1912. The average 1^st day of 55 or better is February 23^rd the latest is April 8, 1970. The average 1^st day of 60 or better is March 14^th the latest is April 17, 1975. The average 1^st day of 65 or better is March 26^th the latest is April 27^th 1951. The average 1^st day of 70 or better is April 3^rd the latest is May 3, 1950 the average 1^st day of 75 or better is April 17^th the latest is June 5, 1924 the average 1^st day of 80 or better is April 30^th the latest is June 12, 1924. Looks like 1924 had a cold start to summer. The average last day with a low of 25 or lower is April 9^th the latest is May 10, 1966. The average last day of a low of 30 or less is April 26^th the latest is May 27^th 1961. The average last day of a low of 32 or less is May 1^st the latest is June 4, 1945 the average last day of a low of 37 or lower (that would be the latest possible frost) is May 17^th the latest is June 11, 1980. As for the last days of snowfall. The average last day of a 6” or more snowfall is February 3^rd the latest last 6” snowfall or more date is April 16, 1961 when 11.8” fell. The average last date of a 3” or more snowfall is March 9^th the latest is May 10, 1902 when 5.5” fell that May 10^th day is also the latest day of a 1” or more snowfall as well.

So far Grand Rapids has had 71 days with at least 1″ of snow cover. This winter season will be the longest since the winter of 2013/14 that winter had 109 days of 1″ or more.  The record at Grand Rapids is 124 in the winter of 1903/04. The average for a season here in GR is 70 but that includes the last 9 winters that have had much less. in the last 10 years the average has only been 54.

THE GRAND RAPIDS CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY 21 2025 The H/L was 31/14 there was no rain/snowfall that was the 1^st time in 17 days that no snow has fallen here in Grand Rapids. The snow depth was still just 3” So far the total Heating Degree Days at Grand Rapids are for the month 909 that is +84. Since December 1^st 2364 that is +11 and since July 1^st 4252 that is -204. Since December 1^st it has been colder that average at Grand Rapids. The was 87% of possible sunshine yesterday. For today the average H/L is 36/21 the record high of 67 was in 1930 the coldest high of 11 was in 1965 the record low of -7 was in 1936 the warmest low of 50 was in 1930. The most rainfall of 1.06” was in 1980 the most snowfall of 4.9” was in 2010. The most on the ground was 18” in 1936.

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI  
228 AM EST SAT FEB 22 2025  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
  
- DRY WEEKEND  
  
- WARMER INTO MIDWEEK, RAIN CHANCES, THEN COOLER  
  

  
   
DISCUSSION  
  
ISSUED AT 228 AM EST SAT FEB 22 2025  
  
- DRY WEEKEND  
  
IR IMAGERY SHOWS SOME HIGH CLOUDS FLOATING OVER THE TOP OF THE  
STATE ALONG WITH SOME LAKE-INDUCED STRATOCU MOVING OVER THE WEST  
CENTRAL CWA. LITTLE IF ANY PRECIPITATION WAS NOTED ACROSS THE  
UPPER MIDWEST ON RADAR EARLY THIS MORNING AND THAT PORTENDS WHAT  
WE'LL SEE THIS WEEKEND: NOT MUCH IN THE WAY OF WEATHER.   
  
HIGH PRESSURE MOVING ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY WILL RESULT IN PARTLY  
SUNNY SKIES TODAY. THE LAKE-INDUCED STRATOCU NOTED ACROSS PORTIONS  
OF THE CENTRAL CWA SHOULD DIMINISH AS DRIER AIR ADVECTS INTO THE  
REGION TODAY. HIGHS WILL TOP OUT IN THE UPPER 20S...A COUPLE OF  
DEGREES BELOW NORMAL.  
  
AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT SUNDAY WILL RESULT IN MORE CLOUDS THAN  
WE'LL SEE TODAY, BUT THE PRECIPITATION WITH IT WILL REMAIN NORTH  
OF THE CWA. CONTINUED SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL PULL SOME WARMER AIR  
INTO THE CWA AND HIGHS SUNDAY WILL BE IN THE MID 30S.  
  
- WARMER INTO MIDWEEK, RAIN CHANCES, THEN COOLER  
  
A SHORT WAVE MOVING ALONG THE QUASI-ZONAL FLOW WILL BRING A CHANCE  
OF RAIN MONDAY NIGHT. A WEAK SURFACE LOW AND ASSOCIATED UPPER  
SHORT WAVE WILL APPROACH WEDNESDAY BRINGING MORE LIGHT RAIN.  
THAT'LL BE FOLLOWED BY A DEEPER UPPER TROUGH THURSDAY. THE  
THURSDAY TROUGH WILL LIKELY DRAW DOWN SOME COLDER AIR SUCH THAT  
EARLY RAIN MAY MIX WITH OR CHANGE TO SNOW, ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE  
NORTHERN CWA.  
  
MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY WILL SEE HIGHS IN THE LOWER TO MID 40S,  
BUT THEN TEMPERATURES WILL FALL DUE TO THE LAKE WEEK UPPER TROUGH;  
HIGHS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WILL BE NEAR NORMAL IN THE MID 30S.