We all wish Michael the very best today and know that he will be back doing his blog is a few days.
Next week’s weather history.
January 21
1984: The temperature hits a record low of 15 below zero at Grand Rapids for the second consecutive day. The temperature at Lansing only manages to reach zero degrees during the day.
January 22
1883: Bitter cold arctic air sends the temperature down to 14 below zero at Lansing and 8 below at Detroit. The high for the day at Lansing is 4 below zero, the coldest high temperature ever in the month of January there.
2005: A blizzard drops a foot of snow across southern Lower Michigan with strong winds creating drifts up to 4 feet deep.
January 23
1909: Lower Michigan is in the midst of a three day stretch of warm weather. Lansing hits a record high of 60 degrees. Grand Rapids reaches 56 degrees, also a record.
1948: Record lows on this date include 19 below zero at Grand Rapids and 13 below at Muskegon as arctic high pressure and deep snow cover have Lower Michigan in the deep freeze.
January 24
January 25
1950: Muskegon sets the record high for the month of January at 63 degrees. Grand Rapids also ties their monthly record high of 66 degrees.
1967: Temperatures reach the 60s for the second day in a row across Lower Michigan. However, the spring-like weather is about to give way to one of the greatest snowstorms on record.
January 26
1967: Temperatures in the 20s are some 40 degrees colder than the day before, and heavy snow begins falling, piling up a foot or more along with increasing winds.
1978: A storm known as the Cleveland Superbomb moves north from the Gulf of Mexico and deepens explosively, becoming one of the worst blizzards in Midwest history. From one to two feet of snow falls across southern Lower Michigan, whipped into huge drifts by strong gusty winds. Several new records were set including a new record low sea level barometric pressure of 28.68 , observed at 6:00 AM. At least 9 deaths were attributed to the blizzard, most roads were impassable, roofs collapsed under the weight of the snow and the airport in Grand Rapids was closed from late on the 25th until the 27th. Governor Milliken declared a state of emergency and requested additional federal aid for snow removal.
January 27
1967: Chicago’s greatest snowstorm on record also extends into Lower Michigan, where Battle Creek records 28.6 inches of snow. The storm total at Lansing is 23 inches and 18 inches at Grand Rapids.
1994: A snow and ice storm brings travel to a halt across Lower Michigan. Freezing rain causes widespread power outages and results in 5 million dollars damage.
The over all very mild January weather continues. Yesterdays official H/L at Grand Rapids was 46/37 that 46 was the 9th warmest maximum for the day and the low of 37 was the 4th warmest low for the day. There was a cold rain/mist for most of the day with a total of 0.06” of rain fall. There was no snow fall and no sunshine. For today the average H/L is 31/18 the record high of 60 was set in 1996 and the record low of -15 was set in 1994 The record snow fall amount of 8” fell in 1960. The overnight low so far for today is a mild 37 for yet another mild night. Today should become dry but remain cloudy. Tonight the rain that may mix with some snow or ice will move in and it looks like rain will be the rule for most of tomorrow. Todays high should be near 40 and the low tonight should be in the low to mid 30’s tomorrow the high should be in the low 40’s with rain. Next 5 days while cooler then it has been will still be above average with highs mostly in the 30’s and lows in the upper 20’s and several chances of rain or snow but no big systems.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
309 AM EST WED JAN 18 2023
LATEST UPDATE…
DISCUSSION/MARINE
DISCUSSION
(TODAY THROUGH NEXT TUESDAY)
ISSUED AT 309 AM EST WED JAN 18 2023
– NEXT SYSTEM ARRIVES LATE TONIGHT
A BIT OF LIGHT DRIZZLE PERSISTS ACROSS A FEW SPOTS EARLY THIS
MORNING, BUT AS UPPER SUBSIDENCE SETTLES IN THIS MORNING
CONDITIONS WILL DRY OUT NEAR SUNRISE. ATTENTION NOW TURNS TO THE
NEXT LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT WILL MOVE INTO LOWER MI LATE TONIGHT
INTO THURSDAY MORNING.
AS A WARM FRONT LIFTS NORTH LATE TONIGHT, STEADY PRECIPITATION
WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA. MAINLY RAIN IS EXPECTED FOR THE SOUTHERN
ZONES, WHILE AREAS FURTHER NORTH MAY SEE A PERIOD OF MIXED
PRECIPITATION AT THE ONSET AS THE FRONT SLOWLY MOVES NORTH. THERE
REMAINS UNCERTAINTY ON EXACTLY WHERE THE ZONE OF MIXED
PRECIPITATION WILL OCCUR, BUT THERE IS INCREASED CONFIDENCE THAT
ALONG AND NORTH OF THE I-96 CORRIDOR WILL BE THE MAIN AREA OF
FOCUS. THIS MIXED PRECIPITATION/SNOW WILL BE SHORT LIVED, AS THE
WARM ADVECTION PUSHES THE FREEZING LINE FURTHER NORTH THURSDAY
MORNING AND AREAS NEAR BIG RAPIDS AND MOUNT PLEASANT SEE A SHIFT
TOWARDS RAIN.
PRECIPITATION WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON BEFORE THIS
SYSTEM SLIDES EAST. SLIGHTLY COLDER AIR WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA ON
THE BACKSIDE OF THIS SYSTEM, RESULTING IN HIGHS GENERALLY IN THE 30S
BY THIS WEEKEND. THIS PERSISTENT NORTHWEST FLOW WILL RESULT IN LIGHT
LAKE EFFECT SHOWERS INTO FRIDAY ALONGSIDE PERSISTENT CLOUD COVER.
– SLIGHTLY MORE ACTIVE CONDITIONS FOR NEXT WEEK
RIDGING BUILDS INTO THE AREA LATER IN THE DAY ON FRIDAY AND LASTS
THROUGH SATURDAY. THERE THEN REMAINS UNCERTAINTY ON THE POTENTIAL
FOR A SUNDAY SYSTEM, BUT CURRENT LEANINGS STAY WITH THE MORE
CONSISTENT ECMWF WHICH PORTRAYS A MORE SOUTHERN ROUTE FOR THIS
POSSIBLE SOUTHERN STREAM SYSTEM.
WHILE THIS STRONGER SYSTEM MAY MOSTLY MISS US TO OUR SOUTHEAST,
THE OVERALL PATTERN WILL SHIFT MORE ACTIVE INTO NEXT WEEK WITH
INCREASED UPPER TROUGHING INTO THE AREA. THIS WILL RESULT IN
UNSETTLED WEATHER WITH FREQUENT SCATTERED RAIN/SNOW INTO THE FIRST
HALF OF NEXT WEEK.
Detailed Forecast Grand Rapids
Today
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 39. West wind 5 to 8 mph becoming light and variable in the afternoon.
Tonight
A chance of rain before 10pm, then rain and snow between 10pm and 4am, then rain after 4am. Low around 34. Breezy, with an east wind 6 to 11 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Thursday
Rain. High near 43. East southeast wind 10 to 15 mph becoming light in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 37 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Thursday Night
Rain before 10pm, then rain and snow between 10pm and 4am, then a chance of snow after 4am. Low around 32. West wind 6 to 11 mph increasing to 13 to 18 mph in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Friday
A 50 percent chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 34. West northwest wind around 16 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Friday Night
Cloudy, with a low around 28.
Saturday
Cloudy, with a high near 32.
Saturday Night
A chance of snow after 1am. Cloudy, with a low around 29.
Sunday
A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 34.
Sunday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25.
Monday
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 34.
Monday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28.
Tuesday
A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 35.
Detailed Forecast Holland
Today
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 39. West northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 18 mph.
Tonight
Rain likely before 10pm, then rain and snow likely between 10pm and 1am, then rain after 1am. Low around 34. Breezy, with an east wind 9 to 14 mph increasing to 18 to 23 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Thursday
Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 44. East southeast wind 9 to 14 mph becoming light and variable in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Thursday Night
Rain and snow before 1am, then snow likely between 1am and 4am, then snow likely, possibly mixed with rain and freezing rain after 4am. Low around 32. Breezy, with a west northwest wind 7 to 12 mph increasing to 17 to 22 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Friday
Snow likely, possibly mixed with rain and freezing rain, becoming all snow after 7am. Cloudy, with a high near 34. Northwest wind 16 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Friday Night
Cloudy, with a low around 29.
Saturday
Cloudy, with a high near 32.
Saturday Night
A chance of snow after 1am. Cloudy, with a low around 29.
Sunday
A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 34.
Sunday Night
A chance of snow before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27.
Monday
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 34.
Monday Night
A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 29.
Tuesday
A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 35
Detailed Forecast Lansing
Today
Cloudy, with a high near 40. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 18 mph.
Tonight
A chance of rain before 10pm, then rain and snow between 10pm and 4am, then rain after 4am. Low around 34. Light east wind increasing to 13 to 18 mph in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 38 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Thursday
Rain. High near 44. East southeast wind 11 to 16 mph becoming light and variable in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 34 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Thursday Night
Rain likely before 10pm, then rain and snow likely between 10pm and 4am, then a slight chance of snow after 4am. Cloudy, with a low around 32. Breezy, with a west wind 7 to 12 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Friday
A 30 percent chance of snow, mainly before 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 34. West northwest wind 14 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.
Friday Night
Cloudy, with a low around 28.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33.
Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28.
Sunday
A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 34.
Sunday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24.
Monday
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 34.
Monday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27.
Tuesday
Cloudy, with a high near 35.
Today 2 motorcycles passed me on the highway. Didn’t think anything of it until I realized it’s the second half of January. Don’t see that very often.
I will never get on a motorcycle period. Even if I did there is no way I would ride on a motorcycle when it’s 39 degrees
Yeah I would never ride one either, but I know a lot of people that are pretty avid riders. I think it was a week ago or so I saw a convertible with the top down when it was 50 degrees.
Anyone notice the Slight Risk area down near Findlay and Lima, Ohio? With even a 2% area for a brief tornado. That sure seems unusual for January
The weather channel shows a high of 21 degrees next Friday!!! Incredible!
Both the 26 for Thursday and that 21 for Friday are in line with the now updating GFS.
Slim
Who knew? Certainly not mookie!
ACCU weather has 26 degrees for next Thursday!!!!
WOOD has 40 degrees for next Thursday.
WILX and The Weather Channel have 30 for next Thursday. The Weather Channel shows highs below average starting the next day.
The pattern change is supposed to begin next Thursday, so I assume TWC expects the cold front to move through sooner than WOOD. Either way, looks quite warm for the next week and then we go back to more typical conditions
The 12Z GFS has it becoming colder starting around next Thursday but it also shows very little in the way of snow fall at this time. And todays CFSv2 long range guess shows a brief cool down and then a warm up around the 8th of February. That 40 for next Thursday looks to be way too warm at this time.
Slim
I would be perfectly fine with a short cool down. I am starting to get spring fever already and it’s only January 18th
Never realized how short Kirkwood is until I saw him in real life, I’m 6’-1” and 235, he’s like 5’-7” maybe 5’-8” at most with his shoes on. I towered over him! He’s just a little man!
I’m liking that Slim! Don’t tell Kirkwood though, he’s wishcasting that that cold and snow last until the end of April! Might bring more tears to his eyes if this cold snap is only for a week.
Thinking of Michael & his family today! Praying everything goes smoothly.
+1, ditto.
Get ready for a wild ride! Pattern change is coming!