Issued by NWS
000
CXUS53 KGRR 062115 CCB
CLMMKG
CLIMATE REPORT...CORRECTED TEXT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS, MI
515 PM EDT MON OCT 6 2008
...................................
...THE MUSKEGON MI CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 2008...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1971 TO 2000
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1895 TO 2008
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 95 09/06/1954
09/01/1953
LOW 27 09/28/1991
09/27/1989
HIGHEST 89 09/02 MM MM 91 09/05
LOWEST 43 09/16 MM MM 39 09/16
09/10
AVG. MAXIMUM 72.6 70.3 2.3 75.2
AVG. MINIMUM 53.9 50.7 3.2 53.2
MEAN 63.3 60.5 2.8 64.2
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 MM MM 1
DAYS MAX <= 32 0 MM MM 0
DAYS MIN <= 32 0 MM MM 0
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 MM MM 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
TOTALS 6.71 3.52 3.19 2.25
DAILY AVG. 0.22 0.12 0.10 0.08
DAYS >= .01 8 MM MM 8
DAYS >= .10 7 MM MM 4
DAYS >= .50 3 MM MM 1
DAYS >= 1.00 2 MM MM 1
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 3.50 09/04 TO 09/05
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
TOTALS 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
SINCE 7/1 T
SNOWDEPTH AVG. 0 MM MM 0
DAYS >= 1.0 0 0.0 0.0 0
GREATEST
SNOW DEPTH 0 MM 0 MM
24 HR TOTAL 0.0 09/30 TO 09/30
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 87 168 -81 109
SINCE 7/1 95 210 -115 136
COOLING TOTAL 41 44 -3 90
SINCE 1/1 404 484 -80 631
.................................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 6.3
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 24/210 DATE 09/13
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 35/210 DATE 09/13
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) MM
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 17
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 6
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 7
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 75
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 5 RAIN 5
LIGHT RAIN 11 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 0
LIGHT SNOW 0 SLEET 0
FOG 21 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 3
HAZE 6
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
RECORD DATA
9/4 - DAILY RECORD RAINFALL OF 3.25 INCHES. OLD RECORD IS 1.49 IN 1939.
6.71 INCHES RAINFALL - 8TH WETTEST SEPTEMBER ON RECORD.
&&
SEPTEMBER 2008 WILL BE REMEMBERED AS A VERY WET MONTH FOR SOUTHWEST LOWER
MICHIGAN. AFTER A DRY MONTH OF AUGUST IN WHICH A GOOD PORTION OF THE AREA WAS
CLASSIFIED AS ABNORMALLY DRY, OR THE BEGINNING STAGE OF DROUGHT, SEPTEMBER
MARKED A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE BEGINNING ON THE 3RD OF THE MONTH.
ON THE 3RD, A COLD FRONT MOVED INTO THE AREA, BRINGING A FEW SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA. THIS FRONT STALLED OUT JUST SOUTH OF THE STATE LATE
ON THE 3RD, AND EARLY ON THE 4TH. THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE GUSTAV, WHICH CAME
ASHORE ON THE LOUISIANA COAST ON THE MORNING OF THE 1ST, WEAKENED AND MOVED
NORTH ALONG THE FRONT. HEAVY RAINS ASSOCIATED WITH THE REMNANT LOW AND RICH
MOISTURE OCCURRED ACROSS LOWER MICHIGAN FROM THE MORNING OF THE 4TH, THROUGH
THE PRE-DAWN HOURS OF THE 5TH. RAINFALL AMOUNTS RANGED FROM AN INCH OR LESS
SOUTHEAST OF A BATTLE CREEK TO ALMA LINE, TO A WIDESPREAD 2 TO 4 INCHES OF
RAINFALL NORTHWEST OF A SOUTH HAVEN TO ALMA LINE. REMARKABLY, NO FLOODING
OCCURRED WITH THIS EVENT, LIKELY DUE TO THE VERY DRY CONDITIONS FOR MOST OF
JULY AND AUGUST.
A FRONT MOVED INTO THE AREA DURING THE MORNING HOURS OF SUNDAY THE 7TH. THIS
FRONT BROUGHT UP TO A QUARTER OF AN INCH OF RAINFALL OVER MOST OF THE SOUTHERN
HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA. A WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE ALSO MOVED ACROSS THE AREA
DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS ON THE 8TH. THIS WAVE BROUGHT A QUARTER
OF AN INCH OR RAIN TO THE NORTHERN COUNTIES, WHILE AREAS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 96
SAW OVER AN INCH OF RAINFALL.
THE MOST NOTABLE PERIOD OF WEATHER FOR SEPTEMBER CAME FROM FRIDAY NIGHT OF THE
12TH THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON OF THE 14TH. A COLD FRONT DROPPED DOWN INTO THE
AREA DURING THE DAY ON FRIDAY THE 12TH. THIS FRONT STALLED OUT JUST SOUTH OF
THE AREA LATE ON THE 12TH. UPPER LEVEL JET ENERGY COMBINED WITH COPIOUS
LOW-LEVEL ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO, RESULTING IN MODERATE
TO LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT OF THE 13TH. MOST LOCATIONS SOUTH
OF INTERSTATE 96 SAW TWO TO FOUR INCHES OF RAIN, WHILE SOME LOCAL AREAS SOUTH
OF A HOLLAND TO LANSING LINE SAW SIX INCHES OF RAINFALL. THIS RAINFALL,COMBINED
WITH THE HIGHER RAINFALL AMOUNTS FROM THE PREVIOUS TWO WEEKS, BEGAN TO PRODUCE
SOME AREAL FLOODING AND WASHOUTS OF ROADS BEGINNING DURING THE EVENING HOURS OF
SATURDAY THE 13TH.
IN ADDITION TO THE HEAVY RAINS ON THE 13TH, FOUR TORNADOES OCCURRED DURING THE
LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. THESE TORNADOES WERE THE ONLY SEVERE
WEATHER THAT OCCURRED DURING THE MONTH. THE FIRST TORNADO OCCURRED IN THE CITY
OF PAW PAW. DAMAGE OCCURRED TO A FEW BUSINESSES IN PAW PAW, ALONG WITH SOME
TREES KNOCKED DOWN. THIS TORNADO WAS RATED EF-1 ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE
WITH ESTIMATED WINDS OF 90 MPH. EF-0 TORNADOES OCCURRED IN FAR EASTERN VAN
BUREN COUNTY, AND FAR WESTERN KALAMAZOO COUNTY FROM THE SAME THUNDERSTORM. THE
SAME THUNDERSTORM CONTINUED THROUGH EATON COUNTY WHERE IT DROPPED ONE MORE
TORNADO JUST EAST OF OLIVET. THIS TORNADO WAS RATED EF-1, AND DID SOME DAMAGE
TO A CORN FIELD, A FEW TREES, AND TO A COUPLE OF HOMES.
THE FRONT REMAINED NEAR THE AREA THROUGH THE DAY OF SUNDAY THE 14TH. THE
REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IKE WHICH CAME ASHORE OVER GALVESTON TEXAS, RACED
NORTHEAST ALONG THE FRONT, AND RIGHT ACROSS SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN ON THE
AFTERNOON OF THE 14TH. THIS BROUGHT ANOTHER 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAINFALL SOUTHEAST
OF A LINE FROM HOLLAND TO ALMA, ON TOP OF THE HEAVY RAINFALL FROM THE DAY
BEFORE. THE TOTAL RAINFALL FROM FRIDAY NIGHT THE 12TH THROUGH SUNDAY THE 14TH,
WAS IN EXCESS OF 10 INCHES NEAR THE KALAMAZOO AND BATTLE CREEK AREAS. THIS
HEAVY RAINFALL BROUGHT A GOOD DEAL OF FLOODING IN THE KALAMAZOO RIVER BASIN,AND
TO PORTIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER BASIN TOWARD LANSING. THE WORST FLOODING
OCCURRED NEAR COMSTOCK IN KALAMAZOO COUNTY WHERE THE RIVER ROSE TO 10.43 FEET,
THE THIRD HIGHEST CREST ON RECORD. MANY HOMES AND BUSINESSES DOWNSTREAM WERE
FLOODED. MANY ROADS IN THE CITY OF KALAMAZOO WERE CLOSED FOR A FEW DAYS DUE TO
HIGH WATER. THERE WAS CONCERN THAT THE 105 YEAR OLD PLAINWELL DAM WAS GOING TO
BE BREACHED. THE DAM HELD WITH NO BIG PROBLEMS. A SMALL DAM DID END UP BREAKING
IN VAN BUREN COUNTY, BUT NO EFFECTS WERE FELT AS A RESULT.
AFTER THE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RAIN IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE MONTH, A MUCH
NEEDED DRY PERIOD THEN OCCURRED FROM THE 16TH THROUGH 28TH. NO PRECIPITATION
OCCURRED AS A STRONG RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BROUGHT WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS TO
THE AREA. THIS ALLOWED AREA STREAMS AND RIVERS TO RECOVER FROM THE HEAVY
RAINFALL. A FRONT THEN MOVED INTO THE AREA FOR THE 29TH AND 30TH TO FINISH OUT
THE WET MONTH WITH UP TO AN ADDITIONAL INCH OF RAINFALL.
MANY DAILY RECORDS FELL DURING THE TWO HEAVY RAINFALL EVENTS DURING THE MONTH.
THIS COMBINED TO PRODUCE A COUPLE ALL TIME MONTHLY RECORDS. BATTLE CREEK WITH
12.00 INCHES TOTAL FOR THE MONTH, ENDED UP WITH THE HIGHEST MONTHLY
PRECIPITATION TOTAL FOR ANY MONTH GOING BACK TO 1895. KALAMAZOO HAS LIMITED
HISTORICAL DATA, BUT SEPTEMBER 2008 WAS LIKELY ONE OF THE HIGHEST MONTHS EVER
FOR PRECIPITATION WITH 11.28 INCHES FOR THE MONTH. LANSING ENDED UP WITH THE
SECOND HIGHEST SEPTEMBER PRECIPITATION WITH 8.22 INCHES, SECOND TO ONLY
SEPTEMBER 1986 WITH 8.34 INCHES. GRAND RAPIDS ALSO HAD THE SECOND HIGHEST
SEPTEMBER PRECIPITATION WITH 9.54 INCHES, SECOND ONLY TO 1986 WHEN 11.85 INCHES
FELL.
WHILE THE RAINFALL TOOK MOST OF THE HEADLINES FOR SEPTEMBER OF 2008 ACROSS
SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN,SEPTEMBER 2008 WAS A WARMER THAN NORMAL MONTH.
MUSKEGON, GRAND RAPIDS, AND LANSING ALL AVERAGED ABOVE 3 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL
FOR THE MONTH. MOST OF THE MONTH WAS ABOVE NORMAL, WITH THE ONLY COOL PORTION
OF THE MONTH FROM THE 4TH THROUGH THE 10TH. THE PERIOD FROM THE 17TH THROUGH
THE 29TH WAS THE WARMEST PART OF THE MONTH, WHERE TEMPERATURES AVERAGED AROUND
6 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE PERIOD.
$$
NJJ MJK
