Cold & Snow to Continue

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (March 24, 2014) — Temperatures will remain reminiscent of winter around West Michigan for the first half of this week, with a couple of chances at minor snow accumulations.

Snow showers already hampered the Monday commute in a few spots as a weak disturbance got a boost from Lake Michigan.  Another quick-moving system will affect the region overnight into Tuesday morning, leaving some more widespread snow accumulation of around an inch on average.

Highs Monday and Tuesday will struggle to get near 30°, staying in the same range as average low temperatures for the last week of March.  Average highs this time of year are pushing 50°, but only at the end of the7 Day Forecastwill we get anywhere near that mark.

With high temperatures remaining below freezing early this week, I went back to see how this compares to March records over the past 50 years.  We know March 2014 has been cold; only 4 days of 23 have had above-average temperatures.  The month as a whole is running nearly ten degrees below normal!

But it’s days like today, where even ten degrees below normal would put us near 40°, that really make it feel like a continuation of winter.  So I looked at the number of days each month with highs staying below freezing over the last 50 years — and quickly understood how our snow has been able to stick around so long! (Photo above: Brad Klein, Holland)

As of Sunday, we’ve already had ten days in March with highs of 32° or below.  Monday and Tuesday will likely be #11 and 12, beating the highest total of 11 set several times, most recently in 2005.  And in the first three months of 2014, we’ve already had the same number of subfreezing days as the entire year of 2013.

Here is the full data set, from the Midwestern Regional Climate Center: