WEST MICHIGAN — After just finishing one of our coldest Aprils on record (click here for more information), May 2018 was one of our warmest fifth months on record. It started on an unseasonably warm note with a high of 83° in Grand Rapids on the 1st, and 78° in Muskegon (“normal” or average highs at the start of May are in the middle 60s).
With the exception of a few cooler days in the middle of the month, the trend for warm weather pretty much held on. The unusual warmth was highlighted by a high of 96° in Muskegon on May 29th. This set a new record for the date, but was also the warmest temperature ever recorded for the entire month of May at that site.
In Grand Rapids, the hottest day came on May 28th with a high of 94°. This was a record high for the date, breaking the old record of 92° set in 1977 and 1978. The average temperature for all of May 2018 (highs and lows together) came in at 64.8°. This was good enough for the 4th warmest May on record in Grand Rapids.
In Muskegon, May 2018 was the 3rd warmest on record:
Due to the exceptionally chilly April, however, and the slightly cooler than normal March we had, Meteorological spring 2018 (which includes the three month period from March 1 to May 31) came in slightly below average, according to the National Weather Service. (For more information on that, visit the NWS Grand Rapids website here.)
Looking ahead, the next week or so looks pretty close to average for this time of year. Our daily average high and low in Grand Rapids have now climbed to 75° and 54°, respectively. We’ll be pretty close to that, overall, through the next seven days. In addition, we should have a good amount of sunshine. Stay tuned to FOX 17 for updates and more information!
