Issued by NWS Grand Rapids, MI
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000
CXUS53 KGRR 011100
CLMGRR
CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS, MI
651 AM EDT FRI MAY 1 2009
...................................
...THE GRAND RAPIDS MI CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL 2009...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1971 TO 2000
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1892 TO 2009
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S)
NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 90 04/29/1899
LOW 3 04/07/1982
HIGHEST 85 04/24 MM MM 82 04/25
LOWEST 27 04/08 MM MM 22 04/02
AVG. MAXIMUM 57.6 56.6 1.0 62.2
AVG. MINIMUM 37.3 36.1 1.2 38.8
MEAN 47.5 46.3 1.2 50.5
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 MM MM 0
DAYS MAX <= 32 0 MM MM 0
DAYS MIN <= 32 7 MM MM 8
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 MM MM 0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
TOTALS 5.56 3.48 2.08 3.56
DAILY AVG. 0.19 0.12 0.07 0.12
DAYS >= .01 12 MM MM 12
DAYS >= .10 10 MM MM 7
DAYS >= .50 5 MM MM 1
DAYS >= 1.00 1 MM MM 1
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 1.60 04/25 TO 04/26
SNOWFALL (INCHES)
TOTALS T 2.8 -2.8 T
SINCE 7/1 104.9
SNOWDEPTH AVG. 0 MM MM 0
DAYS >= 1.0 0 0.8 -0.8 0
GREATEST
SNOW DEPTH 0 MM 0 MM
24 HR TOTAL T 04/21 TO 04/21
DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 524 571 -47 431
SINCE 7/1 6379 6583 -204 6068
COOLING TOTAL 6 6 0 3
SINCE 1/1 6 8 -2 3
.................................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 11.6
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 37/240 DATE 04/25
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 45/240 DATE 04/25
SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) 49
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 8
NUMBER OF DAYS PC 10
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 12
AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) 58
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 2 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 2 RAIN 8
LIGHT RAIN 15 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 0
LIGHT SNOW 1 SLEET 1
FOG 9 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 1
HAZE 3
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
&&
RECORD DATA
4/25/09 - NEW DAILY PRECIP RECORD OF 1.40 INCHES.
OLD RECORD 1.02 INCHES IN 1950.
APRIL 2009 IS THE 7TH WETTEST APRIL ON RECORD.
&&
SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN EXPERIENCED A WET APRIL. THE THREE
OFFICIAL OBSERVATION SITES AT GRAND RAPIDS... MUSKEGON AND LANSING
ALL REPORTED ABOVE NORMAL RAINFALL FOR THE MONTH.
RAINFALL TOTALS FOR THE MONTH AVERAGED APPROXIMATELY ONE TO THREE
INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. THE COMBINATION OF ALL THE RAIN AND SATURATED
GROUND RESULTED IN FLOODING DURING THE LAST WEEK OF THE MONTH WHEN
NUMEROUS FLOOD WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES WERE ISSUED.
THE MONTH STARTED OFF WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES. HOWEVER A VERY
COOL AIRMASS MOVED IN ON THE FOURTH AND FIFTH. TEMPERATURES
CONTINUED TO AVERAGE BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE 2ND WEEK OF APRIL. ONE
OF THE COLDEST DAYS OF THE MONTH WAS THE 7TH... WHEN TEMPERATURES
AVERAGED ABOUT TEN DEGREES BELOW NORMAL.
A STRONG LATE SEASON WINTER STORM BROUGHT SIGNIFICANT SNOW TO FAR
SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN ON THE FIFTH AND SIXTH. THE HEAVIEST SNOW
FELL FROM JUST SOUTHEAST OF KALAMAZOO (NEAR VICKSBURG) EAST
NORTHEAST TO BATTLE CREEK... MARSHALL... EATON RAPIDS AND JACKSON.
APPROXIMATELY FIVE TO SEVEN INCHES OF SNOW WAS REPORTED ACROSS THAT
AREA. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS DIMINISHED QUICKLY JUST NORTH OF THAT AREA.
IN FACT... NO SNOW WAS REPORTED IN GRAND RAPIDS.
THE SNOW WAS HEAVY ENOUGH TO CREATE TREACHEROUS ROAD CONDITIONS FROM
VICKSBURG EAST NORTHEAST TO EATON RAPIDS AND JACKSON. NUMEROUS
ACCIDENTS WERE REPORTED ACROSS EATON... JACKSON AND INGHAM COUNTIES.
ONE FATAL ACCIDENT WAS REPORTED IN EATON COUNTY DUE TO THE ROAD
CONDITIONS. IN ADDITION... THE COMBINATION OF HEAVY WET SNOW AND
INCREASING WIND SPEEDS RESULTED IN DOWNED TREES... BRANCHES AND
POWER LINES FROM VICKSBURG EAST NORTHEAST TO JACKSON.
A BRIEF MODERATING TREND OF TEMPERATURES OCCURRED FROM THE 15TH
THROUGH THE 19TH... WHEN TEMPERATURES AVERAGED ABOUT FIVE TO TEN
DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY A BRIEF PERIOD OF BELOW
NORMAL TEMPERATURES FROM THE 20TH THROUGH THE 23RD. A RAPID WARMUP
OCCURRED ON THE 24TH AFTER A WARM FRONT MOVED NORTH OF OUR AREA. IN
FACT TEMPERATURES ON THE 24TH AVERAGED FIFTEEN TO TWENTY FIVE
DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. TEMPERATURES CONTINUED TO AVERAGE ABOVE NORMAL
FROM THE 25TH THROUGH THE 28TH AND AGAIN ON THE 30TH.
A WILDFIRE OCCURRED ON THURSDAY APRIL 16 IN NORTHERN KENT COUNTY IN
NELSON TOWNSHIP BETWEEN SAND LAKE AND CEDAR SPRINGS... CONSUMING A
HOUSE AND AN UNKNOWN NUMBER OF VEHICLES. THE FIRE RESULTED FROM WARM
AND DRY CONDITIONS DURING THE MIDDLE PORTION OF THE MONTH THAT
RESULTED IN A VERY HIGH TO EXTREME FIRE DANGER.
AREAS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN AND SOME STRONG TO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED ON THE 25TH OUT AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. IN
GRAND RAPIDS 1.40 INCHES OF RAIN WAS RECORDED ON THE 25TH... WHICH
WAS A NEW RECORD FOR THE DATE. SOME LOCATIONS REPORTED THREE TO FOUR
INCHES OF RAIN FROM THE 25TH THROUGH THE 26TH FROM ALLEGAN AND
HOLLAND EAST TO COMSTOCK PARK AND ALMA. THIS RESULTED IN SOME
FLOODING OF URBAN AREAS AS WELL AS STREAMS AND RIVERS.
SEVERAL BOW ECHOES DEVELOPED ON THE 25TH CAUSING MANY REPORTS OF
WIND DAMAGE. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED THAT NUMEROUS TREES AND
POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN IN THE TOWN OF ALBION. CALHOUN COUNTY
OFFICIALS REPORTED THAT NUMEROUS TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN IN MARSHALL
AND THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. A 61 MPH THUNDERSTORM WIND GUST WAS
MEASURED BY ASOS WIND EQUIPMENT IN JACKSON AND A TRAINED SPOTTER
REPORTED THAT NUMEROUS TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN TWO MILES WEST
SOUTHWEST OF TOMPKINS IN JACKSON COUNTY.
ADDITIONAL MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN FELL ON THE 27TH AND 28TH...
EXACERBATING ONGOING RIVER FLOODING AND HYDROLOGICAL ISSUES DUE TO
ANTECEDENT SATURATED GROUND CONDITIONS. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL ALSO
MOVED IN ON THE 30TH AS RIVER FLOODING ISSUES CONTINUED.
$$
LAURENS MJK
