ANNUAL CLIMATOLOGICAL SUMMARY FOR DETROIT - 2000
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
500 PM EST TUE JAN 23 2001
OVERVIEW...
IT WAS CERTAINLY AN INTERESTING AND SOMEWHAT EXTRAORDINARY YEAR
WEATHER WISE ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN. DURING 2000, MOTHER
NATURE DID HER BEST TO BALANCE OUT ANY CLIMATOLOGICAL DEFICIENCIES
OF ONE MONTH (OR SEASON) WITH SURPLUSES IN ANOTHER.
IT WAS A YEAR THAT STARTED OUT WITH A RATHER DRY, MILD AND SNOW LESS
WINTER THAT EVOLVED INTO AN EARLY, WARM AND WET SPRING. THE PERIODS
OF DRY WEATHER THAT EXTENDED FROM 1999 INTO EARLY 2000, WERE AWASHED
BY SEVERAL MONTHS OF WET WEATHER THAT SURFACED DURING THE SPRING AND
PRETTY MUCH DOMINATED THROUGH THE SUMMER AND INTO EARLY FALL. OUR
WARM WEATHER OF THE SPRING GAVE WAY TO A NOTABLY COOL SUMMER OVER
MOST OF THE AREA (THOUGH, OFFICIALLY AT DETROIT METRO AIRPORT, A
NORMAL SUMMER TEMPERATURE /70.2/ WAS REGISTERED AND THIS MILDER
READING WAS MAINLY DUE TO THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT). FREQUENT
COOLER AIR MASSES THAT PLOWED THEIR WAY ACROSS THE REGION, GAVE RISE
TO A VERY ACTIVE SEVERE WEATHER SEASON, A SEVERE SEASON THAT BROUGHT
ON A RECORD AMOUNT OF SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS. THEN, AS IF TO MAKE
AMENDS FOR THE STORMY, COOL SUMMER, MOTHER NATURE DID ANOTHER ABOUT
FACE IN THE FALL AND GAVE US PERIODS OF DRY AND PLEASANT WEATHER.
ALAS, THIS WAS NOT TO LAST, AS WINTER CAME EARLY AND HARD (AND NOT
TO MENTION, A COMPLETE OPPOSITE FROM THE YEAR'S BEGINNING). WHAT
SEEMED LIKE NON-EXHAUSTIVE COLD (SOMETIMES BRUTAL) AND NEARLY
CONTINUOUS SNOWFALL TURNED SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN INTO A TRULY
WINTER WONDERLAND!
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************
JANUARY 2000
************
...A TALE OF TWO CLIMATES...
...THE FIRST MONTH OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM STARTS OUT ON A MIXED
NOTE... MILD THE FIRST HALF, COLD THE SECOND...
THE FIRST HALF OF JANUARY WAS UNSEASONABLY MILD ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOWER
MICHIGAN. IN FACT, BY THE 12TH, TEMPERATURES AVERAGED 12.5 DEGREES
ABOVE THE NORMAL OF 22.9 DEGREES. SNOWFALL WAS LACKING WITH ONLY THREE
TENTHS OF AN INCH REPORTED THROUGH THE 12TH. ANY ARCTIC INTRUSIONS WERE
KEPT NORTH OF THE CANADIAN BORDER BY A PERSISTENT ZONAL (WEST TO EAST)
UPPER WIND FLOW PATTERN.
THE MILD WEATHER IN EARLY JANUARY WAS ACCOMPANIED BY FREQUENT, BUT
NORMAL PRECIPITATION (MAINLY RAIN). THERE WAS EVEN AN UNUSUAL, BUT
NOT UNHEARD-OF EVENT IN JANUARY, THUNDERSTORMS /10TH/. A STRONG COLD
FRONT PUSHED THROUGH THE AREA AND CREATED WIND GUSTS TO AT LEAST
40+ MPH AFTER THE PASSAGE OF THE FRONT.
BY MID MONTH, AN ABRUPT SHIFT IN THE UPPER WIND FLOW MATERIALIZED AND
THIS BROUGHT MUCH COLDER WEATHER INTO THE REGION. TEMPERATURES HELD
AT/OR BELOW NORMAL THE REMAINDER OF THE MONTH. THIS QUICKLY ERASED MUCH
OF THE ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES DEPARTURES AND BY THE END OF THE
MONTH, THE TEMPERATURE DEPARTURE FELL TO JUST 1.3 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL.
IN SPITE OF THE COLDER WEATHER, ONLY ONE SUB-ZERO (-2 DEGREES) WAS
REGISTERED.
WITH THE COLDER WEATHER, SNOW BEGAN PILING UP (MAINLY A LITTLE AT A
TIME AND BY THE END OF THE MONTH) 9.6 INCHES FELL. THIS WAS CLOSE TO
THE NORMAL (10.5 INCHES) SNOWFALL. THE BIGGEST SNOWFALL CAME ON THE ON
THE 13TH WHEN GENERALLY 2 TO 5 INCHES FELL ACROSS THE AREA (3.1 INCHES
AT DETROIT METRO AIRPORT). THOUGH MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION WAS RECORDED
NEARLY HALF OF THE MONTH, WE STILL CAME UP SHORT WITH 1.29 INCHES OF
THE NORMAL (1.76 INCHES) FALLING.
*************
FEBRUARY 2000
*************
...A LATE APRIL-LIKE ENDING SKEWS FEBRUARY'S AVERAGE TEMPERATURE TO
WELL ABOVE NORMAL...
...SECOND FEBRUARY IN A ROW THAT 70 DEGREE WEATHER IS OBSERVED...
...14TH WARMEST FEBRUARY ON RECORD (TIED WITH 1991)...
AN UNUSUALLY STRONG AND PERSISTENT WARM SPELL IN LATE FEBRUARY WAS BY
FAR, THE MOST NOTABLE WEATHER FEATURE OF THE MONTH. THROUGH THE 21ST,
TEMPERATURES AVERAGED A SOMEWHAT PLEASANT DEGREE AND A HALF ABOVE
NORMAL. HOWEVER, IN JUST ABOUT A WEEK'S TIME (21ST-29TH), TEMPERATURES
AVERAGED NEARLY 22 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL, OR ABOUT NORMAL AVERAGE
TEMPERATURES FOUND IN LATE APRIL (AROUND 50). THIS UNSEASONABLY WARM
WEATHER WAS DUE TO AN UNUSUALLY STRONG RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE
EASTERN HALF OF THE COUNTRY. THIS PATTERN WAS SIMILAR TO OUR INDIAN
SUMMER WEATHER PATTERN SEEN IN THE FALL. HIGH TEMPERATURES FREQUENTLY
JUMPED INTO THE 50S AND 60S WITH THE APEX OF THE WARM SPELL COMING ON
THE 26TH, WHEN THE TEMPERATURES FLIRTED WITH 70 DEGREES. WHILE
OFFICIALLY DETROIT METRO AIRPORT REACHED A RECORD HIGH OF 69 DEGREES,
SEVERAL OTHER STATIONS DID HIT THE LOWER 70S. WHILE IT IS ALMOST
UNHEARD OF TO SEE A 70 DEGREE READING IN FEBRUARY IN SOUTHEAST LOWER
MICHIGAN, TO SEE IT HAPPEN TWO YEARS IN A ROW IS EXTRAORDINARY IN
ITSELF, BUT IT DID HAPPEN! IN FEBRUARY 1999, TEMPERATURES ALSO FLIRTED
WITH 70 DEGREES ON THE 11TH. THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME IN FEBRUARY A 70
WAS REACHED IN DETROIT SINCE 1870. WHEN ONE CONSIDERS IT TOOK NEARLY
130 YEARS OF RECORDS FOR THE DETROIT AREA TO ACHIEVE JUST ONE 70
DEGREE WEATHER DAY IN FEBRUARY, TO SEE IT IN THE AREA AGAIN THE
FOLLOWING YEAR, WAS INCREDIBLE TO SAY THE LEAST!
WITH ALL THE UNSEASONABLY WARM WEATHER MAKING NEWS, ONE TENDS TO FORGET
THE COLD AND SNOW EARLIER IN THE MONTH. EVEN AS MILD AS THE MONTH WAS,
SNOWFALL WAS ONLY ABOUT AN INCH BELOW NORMAL. THE LARGEST STORM SEEN
DURING THE MONTH OCCURRED ON THE 18-19TH WHEN GENERALLY 4 TO 6 INCHES
OF SNOW BLANKETED THE REGION. TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH DID,
HOWEVER, FALL WELL SHORT OF THE AVERAGE WITH ONLY .84 INCH OF THE
NORMAL 1.81 INCHES FALLING.
**********
MARCH 2000
**********
...FOURTH WARMEST MARCH ON RECORD...
...RECORD WARMTH EARLY IN THE MONTH...
...12TH LEAST AMOUNT OF SNOW EVER RECORDED IN MARCH...
THE WARM SPELL OF LATE FEBRUARY BRIEFLY BROKE DURING THE FIRST FEW
DAYS OF MARCH, BUT EVEN THEN TEMPERATURES WERE STILL ABOVE NORMAL. AS
THE WEEK PROGRESSED, VERY WARM, LATE SPRING-LIKE WEATHER PUSHED INTO
THE REGION ON THE 7TH AND 8TH. RECORD HIGHS WERE SET BOTH DAYS WITH
76 DEGREES (PREVIOUS 72 DEGREES IN 1987) ON THE 7TH AND 80 DEGREES
(PREVIOUS 74 DEGREES IN 1987) ON THE 8TH. THE 80 DEGREE READING ON
THE 8TH WAS ALSO THE WARMEST SO EARLY IN THE YEAR. PREVIOUSLY, ONE
HAD TO GO TO MARCH 22ND (81 DEGREES IN 1938) BEFORE AN 80 DEGREE OR
BETTER DAY WAS NOTED. THIS WARM SPELL EARLY IN THE MONTH, THEN AGAIN
DURING THE THIRD WEEK, WERE MAINLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS MARCH
BECOMING THE FOURTH WARMEST MARCH SINCE 1870. ALONG WITH THE LATE
SPRING TEMPERATURES, RAINFALL WAS NEARLY NON-EXISTENT UNTIL MID
MONTH WITH ONLY ONE DAY THROUGH THE 14TH HAVING ANYTHING MEASURABLE.
AFTER THE 80 DEGREES ON THE 8TH, THE MERCURY BARELY BUDGED UP INTO
THE LOWER TO MID 30S ON THE 10TH AND 11TH. THIS WAS ALMOST 50 DEGREES
COLDER! ALSO, ALONG WITH A HIGH OF ONLY FREEZING ON THE 11TH, GENERALLY
AN INCH OR TWO OF SNOW FELL IN THE DETROIT METRO AREA WITH AS MUCH AS
4 TO 5 INCHES FURTHER SOUTH IN MONROE COUNTY. A DECIDEDLY WET REGIME
ALSO MATERIALIZED MID MONTH WITH ABOUT AN INCH OF PRECIPITATION FALLING.
THE TYPICAL MARCH ROLLER-COASTER TEMPERATURE PATTERN CONTINUED INTO
LATE MONTH. TEMPERATURES ONCE AGAIN SURGED INTO THE 60S LATE IN THE
THIRD WEEK AND THEN FELL BACK INTO THE 50S DURING THE FOURTH WEEK.
PRECIPITATION REMAINED BELOW NORMAL WITH RAINFALL AN INCH SHY OF THE
NORMAL AND SNOWFALL OVER 5 1/2 INCHES BELOW. THE MEAGER 1.1 INCHES OF
SNOW IN RECORDED THIS MARCH MADE IT THE 12TH SNOWLESS MARCH SINCE 1870.
ALSO, THIS WAS THE SECOND MARCH IN A ROW THAT HAD WELL BELOW NORMAL
PRECIPITATION. DURING MARCH 1999, ONLY 1.12 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION
FELL. SO JUST LIKE LAST YEAR, SPRING BEGAN ON AN EARLY AND DRY NOTE
ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN.
**********
APRIL 2000
**********
...RAINFALL RECORDS BROKEN IN APRIL...
...SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES...
...1999-2000 SNOW SEASON PLACES 17TH FOR SNOW LESS...
THE MOST NOTABLE WEATHER EVENT IN APRIL WAS THE HEAVY DELUGE OF RAIN
/3.58 INCHES/ THAT FELL ON THE 20TH. THAT 3.58 INCHES OF RAIN NOT ONLY
BROKE THE DAILY MAXIMUM RAINFALL RECORD FOR THE DATE, BUT ALSO BROKE
THE DAILY MAXIMUM RAINFALL FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH OF APRIL. NEVER HAS
THAT MUCH RAIN BEEN OFFICIALLY RECORDED IN DETROIT ON A CALENDAR DAY
IN THE MONTH OF APRIL. THE OLD RECORD FOR A CALENDAR DAY IN ALL OF
APRIL WAS 2.59 ON APRIL 5TH, 1947. LOOKING ONE STEP FURTHER, THE
3.58 INCHES ON THE 20TH WAS THE SIXTH HEAVIEST RAINFALL OFFICIALLY EVER
RECORDED IN DETROIT FOR A CALENDAR DAY SINCE 1870. IN ADDITION, THAT
3.58 INCHES WAS THE MAIN REASON THIS WAS THE 17TH WETTEST APRIL ON
RECORD. THE RECORD RAINFALL RESULTED IN SOME ISOLATED LOWLAND FLOODING
AND ALSO WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A FEW REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER. BESIDES
THE TORRENTIAL RAINS, STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND A FEW REPORTS OF DIME SIZE
HAIL WERE RECEIVED.
AFTER A WARM INTRODUCTION TO THE MONTH, A COOL PERIOD SETTLED OVER THE
AREA FOR A 10-DAY PERIOD FROM THE 4TH-13TH. HOWEVER, FROM MID MONTH
ON, ALTERNATING PERIODS OF WARM AND COOL WEATHER CAUSED THE AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE TO AVERAGE JUST SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL /+ .7/.
THE REST OF APRIL'S WEATHER WAS RATHER BENIGN WITH THE EXCEPTION OF
A MINI-SNOWSTORM ON THE 7TH-8TH. IN THE MIDST OF THE COLD SNAP EARLY
MONTH, AN EARLY SPRING SNOWSTORM BROUGHT A BLANKET OF WET SNOW ACROSS
THE REGION. GENERALLY AROUND AN INCH TO AS MUCH AS FOUR INCHES OF SNOW
FELL FROM DETROIT NORTHWARD. THE SNOW WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A BLUSTERY
NORTH WIND AND TEMPERATURES MAINLY IN THE 20S AND 30S.
THE 1999-2000 SNOWFALL SEASON WAS MUCH LIGHTER THAN ON AVERAGE WITH
ONLY 23.7 INCHES OF THE NORMAL 41.2 INCHES FALLING. THIS PLACED THIS
PAST WINTER IN 17TH PLACE FOR SNOWLESS WINTERS. THE LAST TIME THE
SNOWFALL WAS ABOUT THIS LIGHT WAS BACK IN THE WINTER OF 1988-89,WHEN
25.1 INCHES FELL. AFTER THE HEAVY RAIN ON THE 20TH, THE MONTH ENDED ON
A PLEASANT NOTE WITH A PERIOD OF DELIGHTFUL SPRING WEATHER.
********
MAY 2000
********
...15TH WETTEST MAY ON RECORD ACCOMPANIED BY A FEW RECORD HIGHS...
...ACTIVE STORM TRACK/SEVERE WEATHER HELPS ABATE DRY CONDITIONS...
...6TH WARMEST AND 14TH WETTEST SPRING ON RECORD...
UNSEASONABLY WARM WEATHER SURGED BACK INTO THE REGION DURING THE FIRST
WEEK OF MAY. IN FACT, ON BOTH THE 7TH AND 8TH, THE HIGH TEMPERATURES
OF 86 TIED THE OLD RECORD HIGHS SET IN 1936 AND 1965, RESPECTIVELY.
SHORTLY AFTER THE RECORD HEAT, SEVERE WEATHER STORMED ACROSS THE AREA
LATE ON THE 9TH INTO THE 10TH. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS, ALONG
WITH REPORTS OF UNCONFIRMED TORNADOES, OCCURRED INTO THE NIGHT. VERY
STRONG WIND GUSTS /55 MPH AT DETROIT METRO AIRPORT/, HAIL AND TORRENTIAL
DOWNPOURS ACCOMPANIED THE STRONGER STORMS. SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
WITH STRONG WINDS AND HAIL WERE AGAIN SPAWNED BY A FRONTAL SYSTEM ON THE
11TH AND 12TH.
TRANQUILITY RETURNED FOR JUST A SHORT WHILE AS STILL ANOTHER WAVE
OF SEVERE WEATHER PUSHED INTO EXTREME SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN ON
THE 18TH. REPORTS OF STRONG WINDS AND HAIL WERE RECEIVED MAINLY FROM
THE METRO DETROIT AREA SOUTH TO THE OHIO BORDER. ALSO, ANOTHER ROUND
OF VERY HEAVY RAIN ACCOMPANYING THESE STORMS INSTIGATED SOME LOWLAND
AND RIVER FLOODING. AN INCH AND A HALF OF RAIN FELL AT DETROIT METRO
AIRPORT.
AFTER THE INITIAL WARM SPELL DURING THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF THE MONTH,
TEMPERATURES SETTLED DOWN MUCH CLOSER TO NORMAL, IF NOT BELOW.
INTERVALS OF PLEASANT SUNNY WEATHER, INTERMINGLED WITH PERIODS OF
MAINLY LIGHT RAINFALL, WAS BASICALLY THE STORY FOR THE SECOND HALF
OF THE MONTH. THE MONTH'S TOTAL RAINFALL /5.11/, MADE MAY THE 15TH
WETTEST MAY /TIED WITH 1954/ SINCE 1870. THE LAST TIME MAY WAS THIS
WET OR WETTER WAS JUST A FEW YEARS AGO IN 1997 WITH 5.23.
*********
JUNE 2000
*********
...ONLY 90 DEGREE OR BETTER DAY RECORDED THE ENTIRE SUMMER...
...20TH WETTEST JUNE ON RECORD...
...WET SPRING CONTINUES INTO EARLY SUMMER...
...SEVERE WEATHER FREQUENCY PICKS UP DURING THE MONTH...
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS VISITED THE AREA FREQUENTLY, ESPECIALLY AFTER
THE 10TH, AS CLASHING AIR MASSES MET OVER THE REGION. IN RESPONSE TO
THE FREQUENT AIR MASS CHANGE, TEMPERATURES PIVOTED FROM ABOVE NORMAL
TO BELOW NORMAL AND THUS, BREAKS FROM THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY CAME
REGULARLY. NO RECORD HIGHS OR LOWS WERE SET DURING THE MONTH BUT A
91 DEGREE READING ON THE 10TH WAS THE ONLY 90 DEGREE OR BETTER
TEMPERATURE REACHED DURING THE ENTIRE SUMMER. ON AVERAGE, WE SEE
ABOUT 12 DAYS OF 90 DEGREES OR BETTER IN A TYPICAL SUMMER. JUNE'S
ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURE DEPARTURE WAS DIRECTLY RELATED TO ABOVE
NORMAL NIGHTTIME LOWS, RATHER THAN DAYTIME HIGHS, WHICH ACTUALLY
AVERAGED JUST SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL.
JUNE LIVED UP TO ITS REPUTATION AS BEING ONE OF OUR MAIN SEVERE WEATHER
MONTHS. RIGHT OFF THE BAT, LATE ON THE FIRST INTO THE MORNING OF THE
SECOND, SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVED ACROSS MAINLY THE NORTHERN
SUBURBS OF DETROIT. STRONG GUSTY WINDS /61 MPH CLOCKED HERE AT THE WFO
IN WHITE LAKE/ BROUGHT DOWN SOME TREE LIMBS AND KNOCKED OUT POWER IN
SCATTERED LOCATIONS WITH LIVINGSTON COUNTY THE HARDEST HIT. ANOTHER
WAVE OF SEVERE WEATHER SURGED INTO THE AREA ON THE 14TH FROM THE MID
AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS WERE ISSUED
WITH ESTIMATED WIND GUSTS OF BETWEEN 50 AND 70 MPH. STERLING HEIGHTS
AND SHELBY TOWNSHIP TOOK THE BRUNT OF THE DAMAGE. STILL ANOTHER ROUND
OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACCOMPANIED BY TORRENTIAL RAINS CREATED BRIEF
MINOR URBAN, SMALL STREAM AND RIVER FLOODING LATE ON THE 24TH INTO THE
25TH. RAINFALL TOTALS GENERALLY RANGED FROM AROUND TWO INCHES TO
ISOLATED REPORTS OF BETTER THAN FOUR INCHES. THE HEAVIEST CORRIDOR OF
RAIN EXTENDED FROM THE ANN ARBOR AREA, NORTHEAST INTO THE NORTHWEST
SUBURBS OF DETROIT. ANOTHER VIGOROUS ROUND OF SEVERE WEATHER CLIPPED
THE AREA NEAR THE CLOSE OF THE MONTH /29TH/ WITH NUMEROUS REPORTS OF
HAIL, SOME OF IT 3/4 OF AN INCH, PROMPTING SEVERAL WARNINGS. THERE
WAS EVEN A REPORT FROM NEAR HOLLY, ON I-75, OF ENOUGH HAIL FALLING TO
CREATE VERY BRIEF SLIPPERY DRIVING CONDITIONS.
EVEN WITH THE FREQUENT AND OCCASIONALLY HEAVY RAINFALL, THE
RAINFALL TOTAL OF 4.90 WAS JUST BARELY ENOUGH TO PLACE THIS
JUNE IN THE TOP 20 WETTEST. THE PREVIOUS 20TH PLACE WAS 4.88 IN
1983, WHILE THE HEAVIEST AMOUNT OF RAINFALL FOR JUNE IS 8.31 WAY
BACK IN 1892. IT IS ALSO INTERESTING TO NOTE, JUST LAST JUNE,
THE RAINFALL TOTAL OF 5.46 MADE 12TH PLACE. JUNE HISTORICALLY IS OUR
WETTEST MONTH IN DETROIT WITH AUGUST A CLOSE SECOND. CONSIDERABLY
HIGHER AMOUNTS OF RAIN OCCURRED LOCALLY ACROSS THE REGION.
*********
JULY 2000
*********
...9TH COOLEST JULY ON RECORD (TIED WITH 1882)...
...FIRST MONTH BELOW NORMAL SINCE AUGUST 1999...
...A RELATIVELY DRY JULY UNTIL THE 28TH ENDS AS THE
16TH WETTEST JULY...
JULY OF 2000 WILL BE REMEMBERED AS RELATIVELY COOL AND, BOTH WET AND
DRY ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN. THE COOLER AND DRY SPELL THAT
COMMENCED MID MONTH WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF A NOTABLE SHIFT IN THE JET
STREAM TO A PERSISTENT WEST NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ACROSS THE GREAT
LAKES. GENERALLY, COOLER AIR MASSES FROM CANADA MAKE ONLY AN OCCASIONAL
APPEARANCE DURING JULY. THIS JULY, HOWEVER, WELL OVER HALF THE MONTH
18 DAYS) THE DAILY TEMPERATURES AVERAGED BELOW NORMAL. NOT ONLY WERE
THERE NO 90 DEGREE DAYS DURING JULY (NORMALLY WE SEE ABOUT FIVE), EVEN
80S WERE LACKING WITH ONLY 10 DAYS REACHING 80 OR BETTER. THIS LOW AMOUNT
OF 80S PLACED A CLOSE SECOND TO THE ALL TIME FEWEST 80S IN JULY /9/,
WHICH OCCURRED WAY BACK IN 1891.
THE MOST NOTABLE SEVERE WEATHER WAS ON THE 14TH AND 28TH. SEVERAL STRONG
TO SEVERE STORMS HIT MAINLY THE NORTH AND WEST SUBURBS ON THE 14TH.
NUMEROUS REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL /GOLF TO TENNIS BALL SIZE/ POUNDED THE
AREA ALONG WITH SCATTERED REPORTS OF STRONG DAMAGING WINDS. AFTER A
NOTABLE DRY SPELL MID-LATE MONTH, THE WET PATTERN RETURNED WITH A
VENGEANCE THE LAST FEW DAYS WITH MANY LOCATIONS RECEIVING SEVERAL INCHES
OF RAIN. ON THE 28TH, SEVERE STORMS CONTAINING TORRENTIAL RAINS AND HAIL
PUSHED ACROSS SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN, ESPECIALLY AROUND DETROIT AND THE NORTH
AND WEST SUBURBS. NUMEROUS WARNINGS WERE ISSUED AND REPORTS OF HAIL UP
TO AN INCH IN DIAMETER WERE RECEIVED. THIS OUTBREAK OF SEVERE WEATHER
HERALDED IN AN EXTREMELY WET PERIOD THROUGH THE END OF THE MONTH.
SEVERAL PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN CREATED RAINFALL TOTALS FROM THE 28TH -
31ST RANGING FROM AROUND THREE INCHES TO OVER SEVEN INCHES IN THE
NORTHERN SUBURBS, WITH LESSER AMOUNTS FURTHER SOUTH.
***********
AUGUST 2000
***********
...COOLER THAN NORMAL AUGUST WARMS UP IN THE END...
...17TH WETTEST AUGUST IN RECORD AS SUMMER WET TREND PERSISTS
ANOTHER ACTIVE SEVERE WEATHER MONTH...
THE VERY WET AND COOLER TREND OF LATE JULY CARRIED OVER INTO EARLY
AUGUST WITH ALREADY WELL OVER TWO INCHES /2.24/ OF RAIN FALLING AT
METRO AIRPORT DURING THE FIRST WEEK ALONE. SOME OF THE RAIN WAS
ACCOMPANIED BY SEVERE WEATHER AS IT BLEW THROUGH SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN
ON THE 2ND, PRODUCING HIGH WINDS AND HAIL. ONE SMALL BUT POWERFUL STORM
HIT WESTERN WAYNE COUNTY LATE MORNING ON THE 2ND AND CREATED AN ISOLATED
DOWNBURST OF SEVERE WIND OVER NORTHERN REDFORD TOWNSHIP. LATER, STORMS
RE-FIRED AROUND MID AFTERNOON AND SOON BECAME SEVERE WITH SEVERAL WARNINGS
ISSUED INTO EARLY EVENING. ON THE 9TH, SEVERE STORMS REMAINED NORTHEAST OF
THE IMMEDIATE DETROIT AREA BUT CLIPPED MACOMB AND ST CLAIR COUNTY WITH
LOCALLY DAMAGING WIND AND HAIL. LATE ON THE 22ND, AN AREA OF STRONG TO
SEVERE STORMS BLEW THROUGH THE AREA. THE MOST NOTABLE REPORT CAME OUT OF
PONTIAC AIRPORT WITH A 60 MPH WIND GUST. FINALLY, A FEW ISOLATED SEVERE
STORMS HIT THE EVENING OF THE 26TH AND, AS WAS THE CASE WITH THE 22ND
EVENT, FIERCE LIGHTNING WAS THE MAIN HAZARD.
FREQUENT SHOWERS AND STORMS MANAGED TO PUSH THIS AUGUST INTO 17TH PLACE
FOR WETTEST SINCE 1870. WHILE MOST OF AUGUST AVERAGED SLIGHTLY COOLER THAN
NORMAL, A WARM SPELL DURING THE LAST WEEK CHANGED A BELOW NORMAL MONTH TO
ABOVE. A NOTABLE COOL SPELL TOOK UP SHOP IN THE AREA FROM THE 16TH-22ND
WITH TEMPERATURES AVERAGING ABOUT FIVE DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. AN OVERNIGHT
LOW OF 51 ON THE 20TH, CAME WITHIN THREE DEGREES OF MATCHING THE RECORD LOW
OF 48. A GRADUAL WARMING TREND THAT BEGAN ON THE 23RD, HOWEVER, COMPLETELY
ERASED THE BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURE DEPARTURE AND AUGUST ENDED ON A MUCH
MORE SUMMER-LIKE NOTE.
**************
SEPTEMBER 2000
**************
...WETTEST DAY EVER IN SEPTEMBER BREAKS 121 YEAR OLD RECORD...
...FIFTH WETTEST DAY SINCE RECORDS BEGAN IN DETROIT...
...SECOND WETTEST SEPTEMBER ON RECORD...
...FIFTH MONTH IN A ROW TO PLACE IN THE TOP 20 WETTEST...
...NORMAL ANNUAL PRECIPITATION ALREADY SURPASSED....
THE BUSY WET STORM TRACK OF THE SUMMER PERSISTED INTO OUR FIRST FALL
MONTH OVER SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN AND METRO DETROIT. VERY SIMILAR
TO LATE JULY, ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH EXTREMELY HEAVY RAIN
HIT THE AREA ON THE 10TH THROUGH THE 12TH. IN THAT THREE DAY PERIOD,
NEARLY FIVE AND THREE QUARTER INCHES /5.73/ OF RAIN INUNDATED DETROIT
METRO AIRPORT. THAT 5.73 INCHES OF RAIN IN THE THREE DAY PERIOD ACCOUNTED
FOR ABOUT 85 PERCENT OF THE MONTH'S TOTAL RAINFALL.
FIRST OFF, ON THE 10TH, THE 1.65 INCHES THAT FELL BROKE THE OLD DAILY
RAINFALL RECORD OF 1.37 FOR THE DATE. THE MOST IMPRESSIVE RECORD,
HOWEVER, WAS ESTABLISHED ON THE 11TH WHEN 3.71 INCHES OF RAIN WAS
DUMPED ON THE AREA. NOT ONLY DID THE 3.71 INCHES OF RAIN TOTALLY
OBLITERATE THE OLD RECORD OF 1.72 FOR THE DATE, IT ALSO ESTABLISHED
A NEW MAXIMUM RAINFALL RECORD FOR ANY DAY IN SEPTEMBER. THE OLD RECORD
WAS 3.21 SET WAY BACK ON SEPTEMBER 3RD 1879. SO, TO BREAK THIS OLD
RECORD IN ITSELF WAS QUITE EXTRAORDINARY. IN ADDITION, THE 3.71 INCHES
OF RAIN ALSO PLACED IN FIFTH PLACE FOR THE WETTEST DAY ON RECORD IN
DETROIT SINCE 1870. THE WETTEST DAY OFFICIALLY RECORDED IN DETROIT
OCCURRED BACK ON JULY 31 1925 WHEN 4.75 INCHES OF RAIN FELL. RAINFALL
ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF EXTREME SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN ON THE 11TH
GENERALLY RANGED FROM AROUND AN INCH TO NEAR 4 INCHES. THE MAJORITY
OF THE RAIN THAT FELL ON THE 11TH, FELL IN JUST A FEW HOURS LATE IN
THE AFTERNOON WITH SOME TOTALS AS HIGH AS 3 INCHES! SEVERAL FLASH
FLOOD AND RIVER WARNINGS WERE ISSUED.
WHILE ADDITIONAL RAIN FELL IN INTERVALS DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE
MONTH, NONE OF IT WAS HEAVY. HOWEVER, WITH A TOTAL OF 6.71 INCHES
FOR THE MONTH, THIS SEPTEMBER PLACED SECOND FOR WETTEST SINCE 1870.
(THE WETTEST SEPTEMBER ON RECORD OCCURRED IN 1986 WHEN 7.52 FELL).
NOT TO MENTION, ALL THIS RAIN CAME AFTER; THE 17TH WETTEST AUGUST,
16TH WETTEST JULY, 20TH WETTEST JUNE AND 15TH WETTEST MAY ON RECORD.
WHILE LABOR WEEKEND STARTED SEPTEMBER OFF WARM WITH WELL ABOVE NORMAL
TEMPERATURES /+ 7/, THE MONTH OVERALL ACTUALLY AVERAGED SLIGHTLY
BELOW NORMAL /-.7/. PERIODIC COOL SPELLS DURING THE MONTH MORE THAN
OFFSET ANY WARM UPS. THE MOST NOTABLE OF THE COOL SPELLS CAME MID AND
LATE MONTH WHEN OVERNIGHT LOWS FELL INTO THE 40S.
AS ONE OF THE BUSIEST SEVERE WEATHER SEASONS DREW TO A CLOSE, SEVERE
WEATHER IN SEPTEMBER WAS LIMITED TO THE ABOVE MENTIONED FLASH FLOODING.
THE MONTH ENDED ON A DRY AND PLEASANT NOTE WITH A NICE WARM UP DURING
THE FINAL WEEKEND OF SEPTEMBER.
************
OCTOBER 2000
************
...OVERALL, ANOTHER NICE OCTOBER FOR THE CLIMATE BOOK...
...A COLD SNAP EARLY IN THE MONTH HINTS AT THINGS TO COME...
...ONE OF THE EARLIEST SNOW OBSERVANCES FOR A SNOW SEASON...
EVEN THOUGH OCTOBER OPENED WITH A FEW SUMMER-LIKE DAYS, BY WEEKS END,
IT FELT MORE LIKE MID NOVEMBER. THE FIRST OF TWO ROUNDS OF PROGRESSIVELY
COLDER WEATHER WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN /1.06/
ON THE 4TH. THEN, AN UNUSUALLY STRONG AND EARLY BLAST OF POLAR AIR
ARRIVED THE FIRST WEEKEND OF THE MONTH, PUSHING HIGH TEMPERATURES DOWN
TO NEAR RECORD LOW MAXIMUMS. WHILE THIS COLD SNAP PRODUCED OUR FIRST STRETCH
OF LOW TEMPERATURES IN THE 30S FOR THE FALL, NO WIDESPREAD FROST OR FREEZE
ACCOMPANIED IT. HOWEVER, WHAT DID ACCOMPANY THE COLD BLAST WAS THE FIRST
OBSERVANCE OF SNOW FLAKES FOR THE SEASON, WHICH MADE THEIR APPEARANCE
ALSO ON THE 8TH. THIS WAS THE THIRD EARLIEST IN AN AUTUMN THAT SNOW WAS
OBSERVED IN THE DETROIT AREA. IT IS ALSO INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT JUST
TWO YEARS AGO /1998/, THE LATEST SNOW OBSERVANCE TOOK PLACE /DEC 16TH/.
AFTER THAT INITIAL COLD SNAP, MUCH OF MONTH WAS FAIRLY PLEASANT WITH MAINLY
ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES. HOWEVER, LATE IN THE MONTH ON THE 24TH, ANOTHER
ROUND OF HEAVY RAIN /1.07/ PUSHED THE MONTHLY RAINFALL TOTAL /3.05/ ABOVE
THE NORM /2.10/. AFTER, A NICE SURGE OF WARM AIR ON THE 27TH PUSHED THE
HIGH TEMPERATURE /75/ TO WITHIN A FEW DEGREES OF RECORD /77/. THE MONTH
CLOSED WITH SOME SEASONABLY COLD BUT NICE WEATHER. MORNING LOWS DIPPED INTO
THE MID 20S TO LOWER 30S ON THE 29TH AND 30TH, KILLING MOST SUSCEPTIBLE
VEGETATION, ESPECIALLY INLAND AREAS AWAY THE GREAT LAKES AND RIVERS.
*************
NOVEMBER 2000
*************
...WINTER VISITS EARLY THIS YEAR WITH OUR FIRST COLD OUTBREAK MID-MONTH...
...MILD WEATHER THE FIRST HALF OF THE MONTH, COLD THE SECOND, PRODUCES
OVERALL NORMAL TEMPERATURES...
THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF NOVEMBER WERE GENERALLY MILD ACROSS SOUTHEAST
LOWER MICHIGAN. TEMPERATURES AVERAGED ABOVE NORMAL AND IN FACT,
BY THE 12TH, AVERAGED NEARLY SIX DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. NOT ONLY WAS
THE FIRST WEEK MILD, IT WAS DRY AS ANOTHER ROUND OF INDIAN SUMMER
WEATHER HELD OVER THE REGION. HIGH TEMPERATURES OCCASIONALLY PUSHED UP
AS HIGH AS THE MID 60S, WHICH WAS 10 TO 15 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THIS
COMING AFTER A HARD FROST/FREEZE HIT MOST OF THE AREA LATE OCTOBER.
WAVES OF COLDER AIR MASSES BEGAN TO MAKE AN APPEARANCE MID MONTH AND
ALONG WITH THE INTRUSIONS OF COLDER AIR CAME THE RAIN, AND THEN THE
SNOW. TEMPERATURES AVERAGED BELOW TO MUCH BELOW NORMAL FROM THE 13TH
RIGHT THROUGH THE 24TH, WITH THE COLDEST OF AIR ARRIVING THE WEEK OF
THANKSGIVING. OCCASIONAL SNOW SHOWERS AND FLURRIES BROUGHT OUR FIRST
MEASURABLE LIGHT SNOW ON THE 14TH TO MOST AREAS. AFTER A COLD THANKSGIVING,
TEMPERATURES MODERATED THANKSGIVING WEEKEND AND THE MILDER WEATHER WAS
ACCOMPANIED BY PERIODS OF LIGHT RAIN. ANOTHER WEAKER COLD SNAP MOVED IN
AT THE MONTH'S CLOSE AND THUS, KEPT THE MONTHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FLOATING
RIGHT ON NORMAL.
THIS NOVEMBER MOST AREAS SAW A COUPLE OF INCHES OF MAINLY WET SNOWFALL.
DETROIT METRO AIRPORT OFFICIALLY RECORDED JUST 1.3 INCHES, OR LESS
THAN HALF THE NORMAL /2.9/. OVERALL PRECIPITATION WAS NEARLY AN
INCH /-.98/ BELOW NORMAL, THIS FIRST MONTH THAT PRECIPITATION WAS
BELOW NORMAL SINCE MARCH!
*************
DECEMBER 2000
*************
...WORST DECEMBER ON RECORD FOR COMBINATION OF SNOW AND COLD...
...4TH COLDEST AND 3RD SNOWIEST DECEMBER ON RECORD...
...11TH SNOWIEST MONTH ON RECORD...
...ONLY ONE DAY IN THE DECEMBER AVERAGED ABOVE NORMAL...
...AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF MILD WINTERS, WINTER 2000-01 HITS
HARD AT THE ONSET...
THE YEAR OF 2000 WENT OUT WITH A BANG WEATHER WISE ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOWER
MICHIGAN. DECEMBER OF 2000 WILL LONG BE REMEMBERED AS ONE OF THE MOST
DIFFICULT WINTER MONTHS THAT SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN INHABITANTS HAVE
ENCOUNTERED. ALL IN ALL, WHEN COMBINING THE TWO FACTORS OF SNOW AND COLD,
DECEMBER 2000 WAS THE SEVEREST (OR HARDEST) DECEMBER ON RECORD. IT IS
UNUSUAL TO HAVE BOTH FACTORS SO SEVERE IN THE SAME WINTER MONTH. THE
PREVIOUS SEVEREST DECEMBER ON RECORD OCCURRED IN DECEMBER OF 1983, WHICH
(AFTER THIS DEC) PLACED FIFTH FOR COLDEST AND EIGHTH FOR SNOWIEST DECEMBER.
FROM THE START, BASICALLY CLIPPER TYPE STORMS "CLIPPED" THROUGH SOUTHEAST
MICHIGAN LEAVING FRESH COATINGS OF MAINLY LIGHT SNOW DURING THE FIRST
10 DAYS OF THE MONTH. A SEVERE WINTER STORM ON THE 11TH MOVED NORTHEAST
FROM ARKANSAS INTO THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES AND BROUGHT HEAVY SNOW, SLEET,
FREEZING RAIN. STRONG WINDS ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE STORM CREATED LOCAL
BLIZZARD CONDITIONS FOR A TIME LATE ON THE 11TH INTO EARLY ON THE 12TH.
THE SNOW WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THE SLEET AND/OR FREEZING RAIN, NOT TO MENTION
A FEW CLAPS OF THUNDER, FROM DETROIT'S NORTHERN SUBURBS, SOUTH TO THE
OHIO BORDER. THE FURTHER SOUTH ONE TRAVELED (OR ATTEMPTED TO TRAVEL),
THE MORE SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN PLAYED INTO THE MIX. THIS MIX OF SLEET
AND FREEZING RAIN CREATED A WIDE RANGE OF SNOWFALL TOTALS ACROSS THE
REGION, RANGING FROM AROUND FOUR INCHES IN SOUTHERN MONROE COUNTY, TO
SIX INCHES AT METRO AIRPORT, TO AROUND A FOOT OR MORE ACROSS NORTHERN
DETROIT AND INTO THE WEST AND NORTHERN SUBURBS. AN ISOLATED REPORT
AROUND PORT HURON MEASURED 20 INCHES (HELPED ALONG BY LAKE EFFECT SNOW
FROM LAKE HURON). SNOW DRIFTS WERE SCULPTURED BY THE HIGH WINDS AND
AVERAGED TWO TO FOUR FEET ACROSS THE WINTER WONDERLAND AND NUMEROUS
SNOW EMERGENCIES WERE DECLARED AS A RESULT. SINCE, OFFICIALLY ONLY
ABOUT SIX INCHES OF SNOW FELL AT DETROIT METRO AIRPORT, THE STORM DID
NOT MAKE THE RECORD BOOKS FOR SNOWSTORMS. HOWEVER, THE AVERAGE
SNOWFALLS OF 12-15 INCHES FROM NORTHERN DETROIT INTO THE NORTH AND
WEST SUBURBS, UNDOUBTEDLY WOULD HAVE PLACED IN THE TOP TEN SNOWSTORMS
SINCE 1880.
ANOTHER SNOWSTORM HIT THE AREA ON THE 13TH-14TH. THIS STORM DUMPED
FOUR TO NEARLY SEVEN INCHES OF SNOW ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHEAST LOWER
MICHIGAN. IF THAT WAS NOT ENOUGH, YET ANOTHER STORM BLANKETED THE
AREA WITH TWO TO FOUR INCHES ON THE 17TH-18TH. THEN ON THROUGH
CHRISTMAS, REPEATED LIGHT SNOWFALLS KEPT THE MONTHLY SNOWFALL TOTAL
PILING UP. AT THE SAME TIME, BITTER COLD AIR SETTLED OVER THE REGION
JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS.
IN KEEPING WITH THE TREND OF THE MONTH'S WEATHER, NEW YEAR'S EVE
WEEKEND WAS AFFECTED BY YET ANOTHER CLIPPER SYSTEM, THIS STORM
DUMPED ANOTHER 2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW ON THE IMPRESSIVE SNOW COVER
ALREADY IN PLACE. SNOWFALL TOTALS FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER CLEARLY
REACHED UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNTS IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS OVER SOUTHEAST
LOWER MICHIGAN (SOMETIMES KNOWN AS THE "WINTER WONDERLAND" STATE).
MOST AREAS ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN RECEIVED BETWEEN
TWO AND THREE FEET OF SNOW. OFFICIALLY AT DETROIT METRO AIRPORT, THE
25.1 INCHES THAT FELL MADE THIS DECEMBER THE THIRD SNOWIEST ON
RECORD SINCE 1880. HERE NWS IN WHITE LAKE, OVER THREE FEET /38.8
INCHES/ OF SNOW WAS MEASURED FOR THE MONTH. THESE TOTALS ARE CLOSER
TO THE AREA'S SEASONAL SNOWFALL, RATHER THAN MONTHLY!
THE IMPRESSIVE COLD IN DECEMBER LED TO AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF
JUST 19.3, WHICH PLACED THE MONTH IN FOURTH PLACE FOR COLDEST DECEMBER
ON RECORD. EVEN AS COLD AS THE DECEMBER WAS, SURPRISINGLY, NO RECORD
LOWS WERE SET. THE PERSISTENCE AND DURATION OF THE COLD (AND SUBSEQUENT
BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES), WERE MORE OUTSTANDING THAN ANY PARTICULAR
OVERNIGHT LOW.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
2000 MONTHLY BREAKDOWN OF TEMPERATURES/PRECIPITATION/SNOWFALL AT
DETROIT METRO AIRPORT
2000 MONTHLY TEMPERATURES AT DETROIT METRO AIRPORT
AVERAGE DEPARTURE
MONTH TEMPERATURE FROM NORMAL
----- ------------ -----------
JANUARY 24.6 DEGREES +1.7 DEGREES
FEBRUARY 31.9 DEGREES +6.5 DEGREES
MARCH 44.0 DEGREES +8.3 DEGREES
APRIL 48.0 DEGREES +0.7 DEGREES
MAY 61.8 DEGREES +3.4 DEGREES
JUNE 69.4 DEGREES +1.8 DEGREES
JULY 70.3 DEGREES -2.0 DEGREES
AUGUST 70.8 DEGREES +0.3 DEGREES
SEPTEMBER 62.5 DEGREES -0.7 DEGREES
OCTOBER 55.1 DEGREES +3.9 DEGREES
NOVEMBER 40.2 DEGREES 0.0 DEGREES
DECEMBER 19.3 DEGREES -9.0 DEGREES
--------- ------------ ------------
OVERALL 49.8 DEGREES +1.2 DEGREES (DID NOT PLACE IN THE
(NORMAL 48.6 DEGREES) TOP 20 WARMEST YEARS)
2000 MONTHLY PRECIPITATION AT DETROIT METRO AIRPORT
TOTAL DEPARTURE
MONTH PRECIPITATION FROM NORMAL
----- ------------- -----------
JANUARY 1.29 INCHES -0.47 INCHES
FEBRUARY 0.84 INCHES -0.97 INCHES
MARCH 1.55 INCHES -1.00 INCH
APRIL 4.35 INCHES +1.40 INCHES
MAY 5.11 INCHES +2.19 INCHES
JUNE 4.90 INCHES +1.29 INCHES
JULY 5.40 INCHES +2.22 INCHES
AUGUST 4.66 INCHES +1.23 INCHES
SEPTEMBER 6.71 INCHES +3.82 INCHES
OCTOBER 3.05 INCHES +0.95 INCHES
NOVEMBER 1.69 INCHES -0.98 INCHES
DECEMBER 2.63 INCHES -0.19 INCHES
-------- ----------- ------------
OVERALL 42.18 INCHES +9.56 INCHES (5TH WETTEST YEAR)
(NORMAL 32.62 INCHES)
2000 MONTHLY/1999-2000 SEASON SNOWFALL AT DETROIT METRO AIRPORT
TOTAL DEPARTURE
MONTH SNOWFALL FROM NORMAL
----- -------- ----------
JANUARY 9.6 INCHES -0.9 INCHES
FEBRUARY 8.1 INCHES -1.1 INCHES
MARCH 1.1 INCHES -5.7 INCHES
APRIL 0.6 INCH -1.1 INCHES
1999-2000 23.7 INCHES -17.5 INCHES (17TH SNOW LESS SEASON)
(NORMAL 41.2 INCHES)
---------------------------------------
OCTOBER TRACE -0.2 INCH
NOVEMBER 1.3 INCHES -1.6 INCHES
DECEMBER 25.1 INCHES +16.1 INCHES
DEEDLER
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