For all practical purposes, January 2024 contained most of our winter snowfall. Between the 7th and 23rd, Grand Rapids tallied 31.3", putting us at 8.7" above normal for the month. Average temperatures came in at 2.3 degrees above normal.
February was even less impressive with only 5.8" of snowfall, but a whopping 8.8 degrees above normal! We saw a record-setting high temperature of 73 degrees on the 27th, setting the stage for severe weather. A rare EF-1 tornado was reported in Marshall. We ended the month with 11.4" below normal snowfall.
The final month of our 2024 winter, March, continued to be lackluster by Michigan winter standards. We had 7.2" of snow, recorded 71 degrees on March 13th, and ended the month 5.2 degrees above normal.
The key takeaways? Only 47.5" of snow for the entire season, 30" below our seasonal snowfall average of 77.6".
Winter 2024 went down in 125 years of record keeping history as the warmest ever for southwest lower Michigan. It was also in the top 3 winters since 1950 for the fewest days with 1" of snow cover on the ground.
The unseasonably warm trend continued into the spring, with April, May and June all recording above average temperatures. And after a wetter than average June, near normal precipitation for the month.
The biggest weather event for the Spring of this year happened on May 7th, with an outbreak of severe thunderstorms; the strongest generating a powerful EF-2 tornado. The tornado touched down near the intersection of South 10th Street and West R Avenue in Kalamazoo County, causing significant damage in Portage.
It produced estimated peak winds of 135 mph, and traveled east/northeast, and was on the ground for an estimated 11 miles! Many homes, including two mobile home parks, were severely damaged. A number of businesses also had significant damage. A large section of the roof of an industrial warehouse also collapsed near the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport.
The first half of the year was busy, and the summer months continued the trend! Especially with severe weather. A confirmed EF-2 tornado occurred in St. Joseph County at 8:30 A.M. on August 6, with a path length of 8.5 miles and winds of 115 mph!
Less than 1% of all Michigan tornadoes occur between 8 and 9 A.M., so this was a very rare occurrence!
As a whole, 58 severe thunderstorm warnings and 7 tornado warnings were issued during the summer, making it our stormiest summer since 2021.
Precipitation was heavy at the start, but a dry August made for just over 1" of rain above average. Rain correlated with gloomy skies too. This was the 9th cloudiest summer on record, since 1900.
Lastly, temperatures were a little more consistent, with only 6 90 degree days observed in Grand Rapids. None were in July! And, for just the second time in the last 100 years, Grand Rapids reached 70 degrees every day during the summer months.
The fall season was also one for the record books in west Michigan! Temperatures, rain and sunshine percentage made headlines, but not all for positive reasons.
September, October, and November's temperatures all ended up in the top 20 warmest on record for Grand Rapids. September was the 7th warmest on record, and October the 16th warmest.
These warm fall temperatures came with a price, though. Very dry weather settled in to the upper Midwest and Great Lakes during this time and rain was hard to come by. West Michigan went from a rain surplus of more than 1" at the end of August to a deficit of more than 4" by the end of November. Moderate to severe drought built in to much of the area.
Only 5 rain days happened in October, adding up to just 1.28" of rain. It was also the sunniest month of 2024, with 73% sunshine!
The lack of rain impacted the timing of fall colors, too. They peaked this year about 10 days later than in 2023, largely due to the dry conditions.
Speaking of beautiful color shows...west Michigan was also treated to spectacular view of the Northern Lights in October!
2024 is wrapping up with a quick start to the snow season. In addition to the record snow event Thanksgiving weekend, we have already seen a few rounds of December snow! Of course...this winter season is just getting started. Stay with Fox 17 as we close out 2024 and welcome in 2025!
