In Grand Rapids, the month of July the daily highs are around 82°F throughout the month, rarely exceeding 90°F or dropping below 73°F. The hottest day July day is 108° on July 14th 1936 that is the hottest official reading in Grand Rapids. In 2nd place was 106° on July 12th 1936 and in 3rd place is 104° (officially) on July 6th 2012 (I had a unofficial high of 108° and have pictures of it at my house) the coldest maximum was a cool 59° on July 13th 1964 In July of 2009 the warmest it got was only 84° the temperature readings below are from my house on July 6th 2012
Daily low temperatures are around 62°F, rarely falling below 52°F or exceeding 72°F. The coldest low was 41° on July 6th 1983 and the warmest minimum was 82° on July 2nd 1902.
The July monthly mean in Grand Rapids is 72.2° the warmest was 79.7° in 1921 and the coldest was 67.1° in 2009.
On average there is around 60% of sunshine in July. Grand Rapids mean rain fall for July is about 3.15” and has ranged from 8.83” in 1992 to 0.40” in 1934. The last time GR recorded less than one inch was in July of 1976 when only 0.81” was recorded.
With the July 4th holiday this Tuesday here is a look at some weather history for July 2nd 3rd and 4th in Grand Rapids.
July 2
1973: A tornado struck two miles east of Leslie in Ingham County, damaging a car, mobile home and several farm buildings.
2001: Frost and freezing temperatures were observed in some locations with a 29 degree temperature recorded in Grant, Michigan in Newaygo County. The 39 degrees at Muskegon was the coldest July temperature on record there.
2008: A line of severe thunderstorms brought high winds, large hail, and some flooding from Muskegon to Grand Rapids and Lansing, south to Kalamazoo. In western Allegan County, winds estimated up to 75 mph brought down dozens of trees and snapped eight power poles. A roof was blown off a home in Kalamazoo County. Hail up to 1.75 inches in diameter caused damage in Muskegon County.
The hottest July 2nd in GR was 98° in 1910 it was 97 in 1966 and 1919 and a 96° was recorded in 2012. At Lansing the record is also 98° but was recorded there in 1996 with 97° recorded in 2012 and 1911. The coldest maximum reading for GR was 67° in 2009 and 1945 and 68° in 1978. At Lansing the coldest maximums are 61° in 1892 65° in 2009 and 66° in 1945.The coldest lows are 43° in 2001, 45° in 1982 and 47° in 1995. At Lansing the coldest July 2nd was a cold 38° in 2001 and 42° in 1895 and 43° in 1995.
July 3
1966: A five day heat wave peaked with temperatures in the upper 90s. The high of 99 degrees set a daily record at Lansing, the second in a row following a high of 98 degrees on the 2nd.
The hottest July 3rd in GR was 97° in 1966, 1949 and 1919. The warmest lows were 76° in 2012, 1974 and 1911. The coldest maximums were 63° in 1954, 1892 and 65 in 1917. The coldest lows were 43° in 1968 and 47 in 1988 and 1986. In Lansing the Hottest July 3rd was 99° in 1966 it was 98 in 1911 and 97 in 1897. The warmest low were 74° in 2012 and 1883 and 71 in 1974. The coldest highs were 65 in 1954 and again in 1917 with a 66 in 1882. And the coldest lows are 43 in 1895 and 45 in 1995 and 1988.
July 4
1911: The phrase Hot as the Fourth of July gains new meaning as temperatures soar to near 100 degrees, for Michigan’s hottest Independence Day on record.
1969: Nature’s fireworks turn violent as severe thunderstorms form in the evening and drop several tornadoes across Lower Michigan. More than 60 people are injured, most of them from a tornado that hit Flat Rock in southern Wayne County. This tornado destroyed a tile factory, carrying sheet metal over a mile. Another tornado injured eleven people about four miles east of Jackson as it damaged a dozen mobile homes.
1974: Tornadoes strike Lower Michigan during the early afternoon. One person is injured as a tornado damages several houses between Charlotte and Potterville in Eaton County. Tornadoes also damage barns and outbuildings in Huron and Tuscola Counties.
1977: A widespread severe weather outbreak hit Lower Michigan with tornadoes and downbursts. Two people were injured and almost a million dollars damage was done. A tornado injured one person and destroyed two mobile homes and one barn near Maple Ridge in Arenac County. Another person was inured by a tornado at Otisville in Genesee County as four mobile homes were destroyed there. Two homes and a camper unit were heavily damaged as a tornado moved from southern Isabella County into northern Montcalm County, ending northeast of Vestaburg.
2003: The July 4th holiday turns tragic as seven people drown in rip currents on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. A line of thunderstorms earlier in the day had produced strong winds across the middle of the lake, and the dangerous currents formed several hours later.
In Grand Rapids the hottest 4 of July was 100 in 1911 and 1897 with 99 in 2012. At Lansing its 100 in 2012 with 98 in 1911 and 1897. The warmest lows at Grand Rapids are 78 in 2012 with 77 in 1999 and 1921. At Lansing the warmest low for the 4th are 77 in 1999, 76 in 2012 and 73 in 1990. The coldest high on the 4th at GR are 64° in 1970, 66° in 1956, and 67 in 1921. At Lansing the coldest highs on the 4th were 66 in 1972, 1970 and 1882. The coldest lows in GR on the 4th are 45 in 1972 and 46 in 1968 and 1892. At Lansing it’s a cold 37° in 1894 43 in 1997 and 1979.
I hope everyone had a safe and fun 4th this year.
SlimJim