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Southwest Lower Michigan Weather History
The Weather History for the Month of December
- 12/1/2006
- A snow and ice storm strikes southwest Lower Michigan. From 6 to 12 inches of snow falls from Muskegon to Ludington, while an ice storm causes power outages and treacherous travel conditions from Kalamazoo to Lansing.
- 12/2/1976
- One of the coldest winters of the 20th century gets off to an early start, continuing the persistently cold pattern that began during the autumn. Temperatures plunge to record lows of 11 degrees below zero at Grand Rapids and 2 below zero at Muskegon.
- 12/2/1982
- Low temperatures on this day are only in the mid 50s across southwest Lower Michigan, the warmest on record for December. The afternoon temperatures are in the mid and upper 60s. Muskegon hits 64 degrees, a record high for the month of December there.
- 12/3/1998
- An extended spell of warm weather occurs in early December with highs in the 50s and 60s the first six days of the month. Record highs are set on this date with 64 degrees at Grand Rapids and 66 degrees at Lansing.
- 12/3/2002
- Arctic air and fresh snow cover combine to drop the temperature to 18 below zero at Lansing, setting a record for early season cold.
- 12/4/1886
- A record cold snap continues across Lower Michigan. Lansing falls to 13 degrees below zero, as the temperature hits zero or below on first five days of the month there.
- 12/4/1941
- Three days before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Lower Michigan is basking in record warm early December weather. Record highs include the 60 degrees at Muskegon, 63 degrees at Grand Rapids and 64 degrees at Lansing.
- 12/5/2001
- This is one of the warmest December days on record in Lower Michigan. Grand Rapids and Lansing set record highs of 69 degrees. Holland and Flint both hit 70 degrees.
- 12/6/1958
- Arctic air settles into Lower Michigan during one of the coldest Decembers on record. High temperatures are only in the teens on this date. More than two feet of lake effect snow piles up at Muskegon during the first half of the month.
- 12/7/1909
- A snowstorm drops from 5 to 8 inches of snow across southwest Lower Michigan.
- 12/7/1972
- Record cold weather prevails across southwest Lower Michigan with high temperatures only in the mid teens and morning lows below zero.
- 12/8/1966
- Temperatures reach record highs in the mid 60s only four days after record lows on the single numbers at Grand Rapids. The high of 64 degrees on this date followed the low of 8 degrees on the 4th.
- 12/8/2005
- Cold weather prevails during the first half of December with record lows of 2 degrees above zero set at both Grand Rapids and Muskegon on this date.
- 12/9/1995
- Arctic air and lake effect snow blasts Lower Michigan on this day and for the next three days. More than a foot of snow piles up near Lake Michigan and temperatures fall to the singles numbers at night, struggling only to the teens in the day.
- 12/10/1971
- Record highs in the lower 60s are recorded across Lower Michigan as a southerly flow of warm moist air precedes a cold front. Record rains of around 2 inches fall as the cold front moves through.
- 12/11/1995
- A spell of frigid weather continues with high temperatures of only 10 degrees at Grand Rapids and 11 degrees at Muskegon.
- 12/11/2000
- A blizzard strikes southern Lower Michigan with record snowfall and strong winds causing heavy drifting, shutting down travel. The 14.5 inches of snow that falls at Lansing is the heaviest on record for any December day. The 14.2 at Grand Rapids is also a record for any day of the month, and contributes to December of 2000 becoming the snowiest month ever recorded there.
- 12/12/1949
- Balmy weather continues. For the second day in a row, temperatures set record highs at Grand Rapids and Lansing.
- 12/12/1958
- Arctic air continues across Lower Michigan. Record cold temperatures include 5 below zero at both Grand Rapids and Muskegon.
- 12/13/1920
- Mild weather prevails across Lower Michigan with record highs in the upper 50s.
- 12/13/1973
- A snowstorm drops about 8 inches of snow from Grand Rapids to Lansing.
- 12/14/1907
- A snowstorm moves across Lower Michigan, dropping from 5 to 8 inches of snow.
- 12/14/1975
- Record warmth continues for the second day across Lower Michigan. Morning lows in the upper 40s are followed by high temperatures near 60 degrees.
- 12/15/1971
- For the second time in 5 days, record high temperatures are followed by record rains. The temperature hits 60 at Grand Rapids and 64 degrees at Lansing followed by about 2 inches of rain.
- 12/15/1987
- A winter storm drops from 8 to 12 inches of snow from Grand Haven to Ludington. Muskegon sets a daily snowfall record of 12.1 inches of snow.
- 12/16/1984
- Mild weather prevails with record highs of 61 degrees at Lansing and Grand Rapids.
- 12/16/1989
- Persistent cold weather continues during of the coldest Decembers on record in Lower Michigan. A record low of 2 below zero is recorded at Grand Rapids while another 5 inches of snow piles up at Muskegon, contributing to a monthly total of 77 inches there.
- 12/17/1963
- Lake effect snow buries Muskegon with a three day total of 34 inches of snow from the 16th to the 18th. This will be the snowiest December in Muskegon history with a grand total of 82.6 inches for the month.
- 12/18/1884
- Temperatures plunge well below zero during a three day cold wave. Lansing records an all time December low of 25 below zero.
- 12/18/1939
- Mild weather continues for the second consecutive day with highs in the 50s and overnight lows remaining above freezing
- 12/19/1929
- Cold and snowy weather prevails with high temperatures only around 10 degrees and heavy lake effect snow. Ten inches of snow falls at Grand Rapids on this date, with a three day total of almost 20 inches from the 18th to the 20th.
- 12/19/1983
- A massive area of arctic high pressure dominates the weather across much of North America during an historic cold wave. Grand Rapids falls to 18 degrees below zero, setting their all-time December record low.
- 12/20/1923
- A long stretch of balmy December weather continues with highs reaching the lower 50s. The low temperature for the entire month at Grand Rapids is only 18 degrees and no day has a high temperature below freezing. It is the warmest December on record for many locations, including Grand Rapids and Muskegon.
- 12/20/1951
- Grand Rapids receives seven inches of snow during one of the snowiest months on record, with a monthly total of more than 50 inches of snow.
- 12/21/1967
- Temperatures soared to record highs around 60 degrees across Lower Michigan on the winter solstice. A sharp cold front came through in the evening and was followed by 2 to 4 inches of snow on the following day.
- 12/21/1989
- It is one of the coldest December days in history across Lower Michigan. The high temperature at Muskegon and Grand Rapids is only 5 above zero, the lowest maximum temperature ever recorded in the month of December at both sites.
- 12/22/1957
- Balmy weather prevails with highs in the mid 50s. Muskegon sets a record high of 55 degrees.
- 12/22/2000
- A long siege of arctic air and lake effect snow continues across Lower Michigan. The high temperature at Lansing is only 9 degrees with lake effect snow showers swirling. It will be the coldest December of the 20th century at Lansing.
- 12/23/1941
- Lower Michigan is in the midst of a three day spell of mild weather with highs in the 50s from the 22nd to the 24th. The high temperature at Muskegon on this date is a record 54 degrees.
- 12/23/1989
- Temperatures fall to record lows of 5 below zero at Muskegon and 11 below at Grand Rapids during the coldest December on record at both sites.
- 12/24/1993
- A Christmas Eve snowstorm drops from 3 to 8 inches of snow across Lower Michigan and ushers in several weeks of severe winter weather.
- 12/25/1982
- Southerly winds push temperatures into the 60s during the warmest Christmas on record for Lower Michigan. The unusual warmth is punctuated by scattered thunderstorms.
- 12/25/1983
- Only one year after the warmest Christmas on record, southwest Lower Michigan is setting record lows with temperatures plunging below zero as a long siege of arctic air dominates the last half of the month.
- 12/25/2000
- Lansing falls to 17 degrees below zero for their coldest Christmas on record.
- 12/26/1985
- Muskegon sets a daily snowfall record of 14.4 inches during a long stretch of snowy weather. The monthly total for December is 57 inches.
- 12/26/2001
- A foot of lake effect snow piles up at Grand Rapids as a week-long snow blitz drops about 4 feet of snow at Grand Rapids.
- 12/27/1959
- Southerly winds bring mild weather with lows in the 40s and highs in the upper 50s.
- 12/27/1993
- Temperatures plunge below zero, beginning a long stretch of arctic weather that will continue through much of January.
- 12/28/1982
- Temperatures hit 61 degrees at Lansing, Grand Rapids and Muskegon as a spell of very mild weather continued during one of the warmest winters on record.
- 12/28/2000
- Arctic air and deep snow cover combine to produce record low temperatures across Lower Michigan. Records include 5 below zero at Muskegon, 9 below zero at Grand Rapids and 18 below zero at Lansing.
- 12/29/1880
- Arctic air puts Lower Michigan in the deep freeze. Lansing falls to 15 below zero after a low of 17 below zero the day before. The high temperature of 1 above zero on this day is the coldest maximum temperature on record for the month of December at Lansing.
- 12/29/1984
- Temperatures reach record highs for the second day in a row at Grand Rapids and Lansing. Amazingly, the record high of 65 degrees at Grand Rapids is set just after midnight. A cold front moves through in the morning and temperatures fall into the 30s during the afternoon.
- 12/30/1976
- Temperatures fall to record lows across Lower Michigan. At Lansing, the thermometer plunges to 17 below zero. It hits 11 below at Grand Rapids and Muskegon. The low at Muskegon sets the record for the month of December, which will be broken the very next day with a low of 15 below.
- 12/30/2000
- Lansing picked up another 2.4 inches of snow, bringing the monthly total to over 33 inches and making December 2000 the snowiest December on record.
- 12/31/1875
- The year ends on a remarkably balmy note. At Lansing, the high temperature of 70 degrees is the highest ever recorded in the month of December.
- 12/31/1976
- One of the coldest Decembers on record ends with a second consecutive day of record lows across Lower Michigan. The temperature falls to 15 below zero at Muskegon, a record low for the date and for the entire month of December.
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