Issued by NWS Grand Rapids, MI
000
CXUS53 KGRR 062108 CCA
CLMGRR
CLIMATE REPORT...CORRECTED TEXT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS, MI
505 PM EDT MON OCT 6 2008
...................................
...THE GRAND RAPIDS MI CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER
2008...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1971 TO 2000
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1892 TO 2008
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 98 09/02/1913
09/16/1899
LOW 27 09/28/1991
HIGHEST 92 09/02 MM MM 91 09/24
09/05
LOWEST 44 09/16 MM MM 39 09/16
AVG. MAXIMUM 74.5 71.7 2.8 77.7
AVG. MINIMUM 54.9 51.0 3.9 54.5
MEAN 64.7 61.3 3.4 66.1
DAYS MAX >= 90 1 MM MM 2
DAYS MAX <= 32 0 MM MM 0
DAYS MIN <= 32 0 MM MM 0
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 MM MM 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
TOTALS 9.54 4.28 5.26 1.21
DAILY AVG. 0.32 0.14 0.18 0.04
DAYS >= .01 11 MM MM 8
DAYS >= .10 8 MM MM 4
DAYS >= .50 5 MM MM 0
DAYS >= 1.00 3 MM MM 0
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 3.84 09/04 TO 09/05
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
TOTALS 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
SINCE 7/1 0.0
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 62 159 -97 83
SINCE 7/1 66 193 -127 96
COOLING TOTAL 61 56 5 124
SINCE 1/1 630 608 22 915
.................................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 6.7
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 21/300 DATE 09/30
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 25/310 DATE 09/30
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) 64
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 11
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 12
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 7
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 71
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 2 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 8 RAIN 7
LIGHT RAIN 10 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 0
LIGHT SNOW 0 SLEET 0
FOG 18 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 1
HAZE 10
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
RECORD DATA
9/9 - DAILY RECORD RAINFALL OF 2.82 INCHES. OLD RECORD 1.06 IN 1965.
9.54 INCHES RAINFALL IS SECOND HIGHEST SEPTEMBER RAINFALL ON RECORD.
11.85 IN 1986 IS MOST EVER.
62 HDD IS 7TH LOWEST SEPTEMBER TOTAL 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
