Yesterday was kind of a rare December day here in west Michigan. There was 100% of sunshine and warm temperatures. The official high here in Grand Rapids was 47 it is not too often we have sunny and warm days in December. The forecast for today is for partly cloudy skies and mild temperatures with a high in the upper 40’s maybe even a 50 might be seen. Tonight showers look to move in with a early low of around 40 before rising to the upper’s 40’s before sunrise. Tomorrow there looks to be some showers with highs in the upper 50’s The record high at Grand Rapids for December 15 is 60 at Muskegon it is 58 and at Lansing it is 64 all records were set in 1971. The overnight low here at my house so far has been 24 and that is the current temperature. Tomorrow night looks like it could once again get rather windy as yet another deep low moves to our west and north west.
DISCUSSION
- WINDY ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY
QUIET WEATHER PATTERN TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY WITH MILD
TEMPERATURES. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE MOVES IN TONIGHT IN SOUTHERLY
FLOW WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR DRIZZLE OR LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS INTO
WEDNESDAY.
A RAPIDLY DEEPENING SURFACE LOW TRACKS WEST OF LOWER MICHIGAN ON
THURSDAY BUT PRECIPITATION IS LIMITED AS GULF MOISTURE TRANSPORT
IS IMPEDED BY AREAS OF CONVECTION ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY. QPF
LOOKS TO BE A HALF INCH OR LESS WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS ACROSS
THE SOUTHEAST FORECAST AREA.
WIND WILL BE THE BIGGEST IMPACT OF THIS STORM AS A TIGHT PRESSURE
GRADIENT AND STRONG ISALLOBARIC WIND COMPONENT RESULT IN 40 TO 50
KNOTS IN THE MIXING LAYER EARLY THURSDAY. ALTHOUGH, THE CORE OF
THE STRONGEST WINDS OCCUR BEFORE COLD AIR ADVECTION IS FULLY
UNDERWAY, WINDS OF 40 TO 45 KNOTS ARE IN THE DEEPER MIXING LAYER
INTO THURSDAY AFTERNOON. SO WE WILL PROBABLY NEED A WIND ADVISORY
FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. A HIGH WIND WARNING MAY BE
NEEDED ACROSS THE NORTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN COASTAL COUNTIES.
- SNOW CHANCES SATURDAY AND EARLY NEXT WEEK
GULF MOISTURE REMAINS POOLING ALONG THE TRAILING COLD FRONT, WHICH
STALLS SOUTH OF LOWER MICHIGAN AND SURFACE LOW FORMS IN THIS
BAROCLINIC ZONE ON FRIDAY. A NORTHERN STREAM SHORTWAVE TROUGH IS
ALSO APPROACHING FROM THE NORTHWEST AT THIS TIME, AND EVENTUALLY
PHASES WITH THE SOUTHERN STREAM LOW, CREATING AN AREA OF
DEFORMATION OR A TROWEL FEATURE ACROSS THE CENTRAL GREAT LAKES ON
SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY. THIS MAY BRING LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW
AS TEMPERATURES DROP BACK DOWN TO SEASONAL NORMS.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE REMAINS LOW IN THE DETAILS FOR EARLY NEXT
WEEK WITH QUITE A DIVERGENCE IN THE TIMING AND AMPLITUDE OF
ANOTHER TROUGH AND SURFACE LOW, BUT POTENTIAL IS THERE FOR SOME
LIGHT SNOW EITHER MONDAY OR TUESDAY.
MV sorry to hear about the passing of your mother-n-law. I will be keeping you and your family in my prayers.
Another good one.
https://www.mlive.com/weather/2021/12/snow-cover-across-great-lakes-now-might-surprise-you-heres-a-comparison-to-last-5-years.html
Interesting read:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/11/weather/white-christmas-probability-chance/index.html
Don’t worry, the climate change deniers will say this is fake news and the World is flat! There is no doubt that climate change is effecting all things to do with weather trends and overall weather patterns!
Speaking of which, one of the worst practices you can do is skiing. Gas to get there, electricity to make snow and constantly run all the lifts, and the devastating effects on the local environment of the hill. Perhaps, you should quit all your weekly trips up north to the ski resorts if you truly care about the environment and global warming.
You are totally incorrect as usual! Nothing new there. The absolute worst sport for the environment is golf! Golf is far, far worse! Get your facts straight or don’t bother commenting!
Wrong again!!
https://www.treehugger.com/ski-resorts-and-the-environment-1203969
And the tremendous waste and pollution of the fossil fuels for the 8 hour round trips to find man made snow every weekend!
100 gallons of water a minute per snow gun?? I had no idea. That is just ridiculous!
Wow…thanks for the info!!! I like cross country skiing better!! Lol!!! Hopefully we have some natural snow for that this winter. Thanks for sharing!!!
Yes SS, cross country skiing is far better environmentally. The downhill ski resorts are just environmental wastelands and they are not good for wildlife in the area at all! Too bad some don’t see that and spend far too many weekends at them in the winter contributing greatly to climate change. That is why I spend most of the winter at home with my wife doing what I can to care for the planet we live on.
Thanks Andy… We usually stay home and enjoy our terrain around us. Sledding it our Jam!! Lol!!! Plus it is really good exercise up and down the hills. Lol
Good plan!!
https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/society-and-culture/golf-course-environmental-impact-damage-climate-change
42* degrees out in my hood wasn’t it supposed to get into the 50’s today?? InDY
December stats.
Snow shoveling = 2 hours
On the lawn mower = ZERO!
Hand raking = ZERO!
I went into the office this morning for a couple of meetings and I saw two commercial crews taking care of leaves in the business park. They fell so late this year. I changed the oil and spark plug in my snowblower, but haven’t even needed to use a shovel yet.
City crews in town here were picking up leaf piles yesterday with the loaders and dump trucks. There are still trees right downtown with leaves on them yet.
Mild, sunny, and snowless. The perfect mid December weather! The last of the leaves finally came down with the wind the other day so we spent the afternoon yesterday cleaning up the yard.
December hours on the snowblower = 0
December hours on the mower = 3.5
I see Bill is talking about dandelions. I just went out to get the mail. A house fly followed me in. It sure doesn’t feel like the week before Christmas.
We noticed a lot of those packs of little hovering bugs flying around yesterday. Very odd for this time of the year.
Sitting at over 15 inches of snow for the young season out in my hood that gives me 75 more togo on the Winter season looks like this weekend I will be adding more up with highs in the 30”s and snow showers forecast….InDY
No doubt, we are going to have a wild winter! Bring it on and let the rock n roll party begin!
In other words, we are firmly in below average snow for the season with no big storms in sight. Each day that passes makes us fall further in the snow deficit. I love it!