Rain has been spotty at best around the area mostly from slow moving popup thunderstorms. The storm which past east of Otsego on the 3rd produced .68 of an inch in Plainwell. Kalamazoo had .53. Yesterday Cedar Springs reported .23 of an inch. The line of storms in Wisconsin last night dissipated for it it reached us. I saw a report of 1.29 inches north of Milwaukee. The feature image is the SPC outlook for today with the marginal risk for storms in the darker green.
We have had 10 days when the temperature has exceeded 90° and we are not even halfway through summer. It is currently 73 with a feels like temperature of 82 in Otsego.
Scattered thunderstorms are possible today into this evening. Some of the storms south of I-94 could produce damaging wind. Otherwise, lightning and local nuisance flooding due to heavy rain are the main threats. Storm movement should be slowly to the southeast. Most of the activity should be south of Grand Rapids. Friday through the weekend will be pleasant with seasonal temperatures and low humidities.
My vegetables are thriving in the hot humid weather. I have also noticed a lot of small walnuts falling off the trees the past week after a big seed production from the maple trees this spring, (an early fall and a cold hard winter coming)???? With the development of an El Nino some would say otherwise – we shall see….
.LONG TERM…(Sunday night through Thursday)
Issued at 330 AM EDT Fri Jul 6 2018
Looks like we may be entering a drought. Weak back door front
slips through on Monday night but likely comes through dry and
just acts to reinforce the dry air. Perhaps a better chance for a
few showers arrives next Thursday with a front leaning from the
northwest, but this is questionable given the persistent dry air
mass which will be in place. In general the long term will
feature more sunny/warm and dry summer weather.
My goodness, we need rain here. We’ve had less than 2″ in the past six or seven weeks.
I see that some on here are already speculating about an above normal temp winter! What a joke! They can’t even predict the temp a week from now! INCREDIBLE spin!
So you post a 3 month outlook. Get over yourself. See some hit a nerve. Thanks for a response and yes, it’s Summer. 😉 More 90s next week! Bring on more to the tally !
FACT -this sis 6 to 8 month prediction! What a joke! ROCK n ROLL baby!
Multiple nights with lows in the 50’s! Turn off the AC and ROCK n ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The mini heat wave is over! This was not a 7 day heat wave like certain people on here are saying! Get ready for some refreshing Canadian air baby!
Then more 90’s after that!!
https://media.woodtv.com/nxs-woodtv-media-us-east-1/weather/maps/8forecast_640x480.jpg
90 degrees in GR! Another one!
One more for the tally. Right on Mookie.
92° currently, which is 5° higher than forecasted. Looking forward to the cold front.
Lake Michigan water temps are well above average. I was up north and I can attest to this. It was only the beginning of July (peak isn’t for another 6 or 7 weeks), and the water was incredibly warm. In fact, I’m hearing from friends that some of the inland lakes are “too warm” already and no longer refreshing for beating the heat.
https://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov/statistic/gif/avgtemps-m_1992-2017.gif
Per Bill, GR had 11 days last year when the temp hit at least 90°. There have been 10 days already this year.
Yeah, if this is only a “mini” heat wave, I really don’t want to be around for a “regular” heat wave!
For what it’s worth, the CFS weeklies show no cool air all the way through August. They do show more normal to slightly above temps in about 3 weeks.
Well, today is day #7 in our current heatwave! During this time period, GR has been between 87 and 94 degrees everyday.
95° yesterday at Lansing’s airport with the heat index in the triple digits. It’s pretty amazing how the body can acclimate. It didn’t feel that hot.
We are up in Alpena for my brother-law funeral. One weather item of note that I would like to point out. Yesterday the official high in Alpena was 93° and yes it was hot on the drive up from Grand Rapids and was even still 94 at Atlanta (MI) about 30 miles west of Alpena. At the airport that is about 12 west of the city it was 87 here at the motel about 4 miles west of the lake it was 77 and downtown Alpena it was a cool 71 with many people wearing jackets and light coats for the fireworks here last night.
Slim
BTW with more of a west wind today looks to be much warmer in town then yesterday it is now a humid 80 here.
Slim