ANNUAL CLIMATOLOGICAL SUMMARY FOR DETROIT - 2001 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 1 PM EST WED JAN 23 2002
...THE SIXTH WARMEST YEAR EVER RECORDED IN DETROIT SINCE 1870...
OVERVIEW...
IT WAS ANOTHER WARM AND SOMEWHAT WET YEAR (ESPECIALLY THE FALL) ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN. INCREDIBLY...BUT MAYBE NOT SURPRISINGLY... ONLY TWO MONTHS AVERAGED BELOW NORMAL AND NEITHER WAS EVEN BY A FULL DEGREE (-.6 IN MARCH AND -.9 IN SEPTEMBER). THE MOST NOTABLE ABOVE NORMAL PERIOD WAS LATE FALL-EARLY WINTER (NOV/DEC) WHEN TEMPERATURES AVERAGED ABOUT 7 1/2 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. AND...WITHIN THIS TIME FRAME... THE MID NOVEMBER TO MID DECEMBER PERIOD WAS EXCEPTIONALLY MILD WITH TEMPERATURES AVERAGING BETTER THAN 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE ANNUAL AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 51.6 MAKES 2001 THE SIXTH WARMEST YEAR IN DETROIT SINCE RECORDS BEGAN IN 1870. ALSO NOTEWORTHY...IT WAS JUST THREE YEARS BEFORE (1998) THAT THE WARMEST YEAR WAS RECORDED WITH AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 53.5. IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED...HOWEVER...THAT A PART OF THE ABOVE NORMAL AVERAGES MAY BE DUE TO THE ENLARGED HEAT ISLAND EFFECT AROUND DETROIT METRO AIRPORT SINCE THE 1970S. THIS EFFECT WOULD NORMALLY BE REFLECTED AS WARMER NIGHTTIME LOWS. THIS SHOWS UP WELL WHEN LOOKING AT THE AVERAGE HIGH AND LOW TEMPERATURE FOR THE YEAR AND THEIR RESPECTIVE DEPARTURES (SEE CHART AT BOTTOM). THE OVERNIGHT LOW AVERAGE OF 43.3 IS A LARGE 4.3 DEGREES ABOVE THE NORMAL LOW (39.0)...WHEREAS THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 59.8 IS ONLY 1.7 DEGREES ABOVE THE NORMAL HIGH (58.1).
THE RECORD BOOKS GATHERED LITTLE DUST AS TEMPERATURE AND/OR
PRECIPITATION RECORDS WERE FREQUENTLY UPDATED FOR VARIOUS RECORDS
BROKEN (MAINLY WARMEST/WETTEST) FOR INDIVIDUAL DAYS...MONTHS AND
NOW...YEAR. AFTER A COLD AND BRUTAL ENDING TO 2000...THE YEAR OF 2001
STARTED OUT ON A RATHER MILD AND SOMEWHAT UNEVENTFUL NOTE DURING THE
REMAINDER OF THE WINTER OF 2000-2001. BASICALLY...ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF
THE WINTER SNOW FELL IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER (2000). AFTER...JUST
LIGHT AMOUNTS OF SNOW FELL JANUARY THROUGH MARCH AND WERE ACCOMPANIED
BY MILD TEMPERATURES. IN FACT...BOTH JANUARY AND FEBRUARY MADE THE TOP
TWENTY SNOWLESS CATEGORY FOR THEIR RESPECTIVE MONTH. STILL...IN SPITE
OF THOSE "SNOWLESS" MONTHS...NEARLY ALL REGIONS OF SOUTHEAST LOWER
MICHIGAN RECEIVED ABOVE NORMAL SNOW FOR THE WINTER...WITH THE AREA
AROUND METRO AIRPORT THE EXCEPTION RATHER THAN THE RULE. THE MOST
NOTABLE WEATHER EVENT LATE IN THE WINTER WAS THE HEAVY RAIN THAT FELL
IN FEBRUARY. THE RAIN WAS ACCOMPANIED BY SNOWMELT AND PRODUCED
WIDESPREAD STREAM AND RIVER FLOODING. THE MILD WEATHER PATTERN
ESTABLISHED EARLY IN THE YEAR CONTINUED THROUGHOUT SPRING. DESPITE A
FEW COLD SETBACKS LATE MARCH AND EARLY APRIL...THE SPRING WAS OVERALL
WARM WITH RAINFALL ABOUT NORMAL. THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER (JUNE INTO
EARLY JULY) WAS RATHER FICKLE WITH SEE-SAWING TEMPERATURES COMMONPLACE
WHICH RESULTED IN FREQUENT PERIODS OF RAIN. A COLD SNAP EARLY JUNE AND
THEN AGAIN EARLY JULY WAS FOLLOWED...AT TIMES...BY RECORD WARMTH. A
RELATIVELY DRY AND WARM TO HOT PERIOD HELD SWAY DURING THE REST OF THE
SUMMER BEFORE A WET AND COOLER THAN NORMAL SEPTEMBER ENDED THE SUMMER
ON CUE. WHILE EARLY FALL WAS SOMEWHAT COOL AND WET...IT ACTUALLY DID
NOT FORETELL THE EXCEPTIONALLY MILD AND PLEASANT WEATHER THAT WAS
ENJOYED MID-LATE FALL. THE YEAR CLOSED THE EXACT OPPOSITE IT OPENED
WITH A VERY MILD AND SOMEWHAT SNOWLESS DECEMBER...AS OPPOSED TO THE
FOOT (+) OF SNOW ON THE GROUND NEW YEARS DAY 2001.
************
JANUARY 2001
************
...NINTH DRIEST AND 18TH SNOWLESS JANUARY ON RECORD...
JANUARY OF 2001 WAS ALMOST TOTALLY OPPOSITE OF DECEMBER 2000 WITH VERY LITTLE IN THE WAY OF STORMINESS OR SEVERE COLD. UNLIKE ITS MONTHLY PREDECESSOR...JANUARY'S WEATHER WAS UNUSUALLY BENIGN...RELATIVELY MILD AND EVEN LACKED NOTABLE OR MAJOR PRECIPITATION EVENTS. IN FACT...UP UNTIL THE 23RD...ONLY ABOUT A TENTH OF AN INCH /.11/ HAD FALLEN AND...JUST FIVE OF THOSE DAYS HAD MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION. THE PRECIPITATION THIS JANUARY WAS LACKING TO SUCH AN EXTENT...THAT THE MONTH FINISHED IN A TIE (1980) FOR NINTH PLACE FOR DRIEST JANUARY ON RECORD. THE DRIEST JANUARY ON RECORD WAS BACK IN 1961 WHEN ONLY .23 FELL (AND 3.3 INCHES OF SNOW FELL). ONLY SCATTERED...MEAGER PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS FELL DURING MUCH OF THE MONTH. NO WHERE WAS THE LIGHT MONTHLY PRECIPITATION MORE REPRESENTATIVE THAN IN THE LACK OF SNOWFALL WHICH WAS IN SHARP CONTRAST TO DECEMBER. THE 3.4 INCHES THAT FELL PUT THIS JANUARY IN A TIE (1958) FOR 18TH PLACE FOR SNOWLESS JANUARY ON RECORD SINCE 1880. THE LAST TIME A JANUARY WAS LACKING CLOSE TO THIS MUCH SNOW WAS BACK IN 1990 WHEN ONLY 4.0 INCHES FELL. NORMALLY IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY THE SNOWFALL AVERAGES ABOUT 10 1/2 INCHES.
NO BELOW ZERO DAYS WERE OFFICIALLY REGISTERED AT DETROIT METRO AND ON AN AVERAGE...WE SEE FOUR. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 26.2 DEGREES WAS 3.3 ABOVE NORMAL. THIS 26.2 AVERAGE...HOWEVER...NEVER CAME CLOSE TO THE TOP TWENTY WARMEST JANUARIES WITH 20TH PLACE BEING 30 DEGREES. THE MILDEST STRETCH OF WEATHER BASICALLY CAME MID MONTH AND THEN AGAIN... NEAR THE CLOSE. FROM THE 10TH THROUGH THE 17TH...THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE ACTUALLY AVERAGED NEARLY 9 DEGREES /+8.9/ ABOVE NORMAL AND...NOT SURPRISING...ABOUT THE EXPECTED TIME OF THE JANUARY THAW.
************* FEBRUARY 2001 *************
...A MILD AND WET FEBRUARY DESPITE A FEW COLD BLASTS... ...SNOWMELT AND HEAVY RAIN LEAD TO WIDESPREAD RIVER AND STREAM FLOODING..... ...16TH SNOWLESS FEBRUARY ON RECORD...
OVERALL...FEBRUARY WAS MILDER AND WETTER THAN ON AVERAGE ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN AND THE METRO DETROIT AREA. ANY COLD OUTBREAKS WERE SOON HISTORY AS THE ARCTIC AIRMASSES WERE SHOVED EASTWARD OUT OF THE AREA BY MILDER PACIFIC AIRMASSES. AS A RESULT OF THE MILDER AIR...THE GRADUAL SNOWMELT THAT GOT UNDERWAY IN JANUARY CONTINUED INTO FEBRUARY. THIS MELTING PROCESS ACCELERATED ON THE 8TH AND 9TH WHEN A STRONG STORM SURGED OUT OF THE MIDWEST AND INTO THE WESTERN LAKES REGION. THE TEMPERATURE JUMPED TO 56 DEGREES ON THE 9TH AND TIED THE OLD RECORD SET IN 1966. STRONG WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 50 MPH /WEST-53 MPH AT DETROIT METRO/ ACCOMPANIED THE COLD FRONT WITH THE STORM AS IT WHIPPED EAST ACROSS THE REGION. ON THE 9TH INTO THE 10TH...NEARLY AN INCH AND A HALF /1.44/ OF RAIN FELL ON A QUICKLY MELTING SNOWPACK. THIS RESULTED IN WIDESPREAD RIVER...STREAM AND LOWLAND FLOODING AND AS A RESULT...NUMEROUS RIVER WARNINGS WERE ISSUED. A RATHER SURPRISING FACT SURFACED AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE HEAVY RAIN AND SNOWMELT. THE WATER RUN-OFF INTO LAKE ST CLAIR WAS SO GREAT THAT THE LAKE LEVEL SURGED UP ELEVEN INCHES IN JUST THAT TWO DAY PERIOD! ALL THIS COMING DURING WHAT IS TYPICALLY OUR DRIEST MONTH OF THE YEAR.
LATE IN THE MONTH /24-26TH/...ANOTHER POWERFUL STORM (WITH A SIMILAR TRACK TO THE STORM EARLIER IN THE MONTH)...BROUGHT HEAVY RAIN... FREEZING RAIN...SNOW...VERY STRONG WINDS AND EVEN THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE WEEKEND PERIOD. POWER OUTAGES WERE SCATTERED ACROSS THE AREA FROM BOTH THE FREEZING RAIN ON SATURDAY AND POWERFUL WINDS THAT FOLLOWED SUNDAY. THE WIND GUSTED TO 60 MPH AT DETROIT METRO AIRPORT AT 1231 PM EARLY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. .
THE SURPLUS OF PRECIPITATION THIS FEBRUARY DID NOT TRANSLATE INTO A SURPLUS OF SNOWFALL. THE MILDER TEMPERATURES ON AVERAGE LIMITED THE SNOWFALL TO ONLY 2.9 INCHES. THIS IS CONSIDERABLY LOWER THAN THE 9.2 AVERAGE GENERALLY SEEN AND MADE IT THE 16TH SNOWLESS FEBRUARY SINCE 1880.
********** MARCH 2001 **********
...SIXTH DRIEST MARCH ON RECORD BUT JUST A TOUCH COOLER THAN NORMAL... ...ARCTIC BLAST LATE IN THE MONTH BRINGS ON RECORD COLD...
NO LION CAME AROARING AT THIS MARCH'S OPENING WHICH ARRIVED ON A RATHER PLEASANT NOTE WITH DRY WEATHER AND ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES. IN FACT... DURING THE FIRST TEN DAYS OF THE MONTH ONLY .03 INCH PRECIPITATION (.5 SNOW) FELL AT DETROIT METRO AIRPORT. BY MID-MONTH WITH THE ARRIVAL OF ST PATRICK'S DAY /16TH-17TH/...A STRONG STORM CENTER MOVED FROM THE SOUTHERN MIDWEST...EAST NORTHEAST THROUGH INDIANA AND OHIO. THE STORM PUSHED A BAND OF LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN. THIS TIME DETROIT'S NORTHERN SUBURBS ESCAPED THE BRUNT OF THE STORM WITH JUST AN INCH OR TWO OF SNOW. FURTHER SOUTH...HOWEVER...GENERALLY TWO TO FIVE INCHES OF SNOW FELL FROM DETROIT'S SOUTHERN SUBURBS SOUTH... TO THE OHIO BORDER. BLUSTERY NORTHEAST TO NORTH WINDS ACCOMPANIED THE SNOW FRIDAY /16TH/ INTO EARLY SATURDAY /17TH/. THE STORM BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES OF...BUT WAS A FAR CRY FROM...THE INFAMOUS ST. PATRICK'S DAY STORM OF 1973 WHICH DUMPED AROUND A FOOT OR MORE OF HEAVY WET SNOW ON THE REGION.
SOME OF THE MOST DELIGHTFUL WEATHER OF MARCH SET IN A FEW DAYS FOLLOWING THE STORM AND HERALDED THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING IN STYLE. DRY WEATHER ALONG WITH CONSIDERABLE DAILY SUNSHINE...AVERAGING 84 PERCENT OF THE POSSIBLE...GRACED THE REGION FROM THE 18TH-23RD. TEMPERATURES PUSHED UP INTO THE 50S SEVERAL OF THOSE DAYS AND THE BREATH OF SPRING WAS FELT. ALAS...IT DID NOT LAST...WHEN WINTER RETURNED WITH A VENGEANCE AS AN UNUSUALLY STRONG BLAST OF ARCTIC AIR PUSHED INTO THE GREAT LAKES DURING THE LAST WEEKEND OF THE MONTH. CONSEQUENTLY...HIGH TEMPERATURES NEVER EXCEEDED FREEZING THE 25TH OR 26TH (NORMAL HIGHS ARE UPPER 40S). THE COLD AIR WAS ACCOMPANIED BY SNOW SHOWERS AND SQUALLS THAT LEFT A QUICK INCH OR TWO OF SNOW IN BURSTS. THE COLD AIR...ALONG WITH A BRIEF SNOW COVER AND MAINLY CLEAR SKIES...SET US UP FOR A RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE OF 11 DEGREES THE MORNING OF THE 26TH /MON/. THIS RECORD TIED THE OLD RECORD SET FIRST BACK IN 1937. HOWEVER...MANY LOCATIONS ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN SAW LOWS FALL WELL DOWN IN THE SINGLE DIGITS (AS EVIDENCED BY THE 4 DEGREES HERE AT THE NWS IN WHITE LAKE). MANY AREAS HAD NOT SEEN TEMPERATURES THAT COLD IN OVER TWO MONTHS...BACK IN MID JANUARY! THE WEATHER GRADUALLY DID IMPROVE AS TEMPERATURES MODERATED BACK TO SEASONAL LEVELS BY THE MONTHS CLOSE.
THE OVERALL UNUSUALLY DRY WEATHER PLACED THIS MARCH IN SIXTH PLACE FOR DRIEST SINCE 1870. THE LAST TIME A MARCH WAS THIS DRY OR DRIER WAS 20 YEARS AGO IN 1981 WHEN ONLY .82 INCH FELL.
********** APRIL 2001 **********
...WET...MILD AND OCCASIONALLY WILD SPEAKS WELL OF APRIL... ...11TH WARMEST APRIL ON RECORD... ...MOTHER NATURE "FOOLS" US AT APRIL'S OPENING...
AS THE SPRING ATTEMPTED TO SETTLE FIRMLY IN PLACE DURING APRIL...THE JET STREAM REMAINED QUITE ACTIVE DURING THE MONTH AS SURGES OF POLAR AIR FROM CANADA ROUTINELY MET UP WITH THE WARMER WINDS OF THE SOUTH.
THE FIRST OF APRIL WAS MET NOT WITH THE BALMY...WARM WINDS OF SPRING... BUT WITH THE SNOW AND COLD OF WINTER. MOTHER NATURE PULLED AN APRIL FOOLS JOKE ON THE RESIDENTS OF SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN AS A STORM SYSTEM DEVELOPED ALONG A POLAR FRONT IN OHIO AND BROUGHT GENERALLY AN INCH OR TWO OF SNOW ACROSS THE REGION. WHILE THE SNOW SEASON TOTAL WAS 39.0 INCHES AT DETROIT METRO AIRPORT...MOST AREAS ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN HAD SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS IN THE 40S AND 50S. HERE AT THE NWS AT WHITE LAKE WE MEASURED 64.3 INCHES...THE MOST MEASURED SINCE RECORDS STARTED IN THE 1995-96 SEASON.
TEMPERATURES REBOUNDED NICELY DURING THE FIRST WEEK AND BY THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND /7-8TH/...READINGS WERE UP INTO THE 70S. IN FACT... ON THE 8TH...A HIGH OF 79 BROKE THE ANCIENT RECORD HIGH OF 76 THAT WAS ESTABLISHED 130 YEARS AGO IN 1871. THAT RECORD /76-1871/ HAD BEEN THE OLDEST STANDING RECORD (HIGH OR LOW) NOT MATCHED OR EXCEEDED IN DETROIT.
A STRONG STATIONARY FRONT WAS THE FOCUS OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE MORNING HOURS OF THE 9TH. STRONG STORMS IGNITED ALONG THIS DIFFERENTIAL TEMPERATURE AXIS...ESPECIALLY FROM ANN ARBOR AND METRO DETROIT SOUTH TO THE OHIO BORDER. THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER FEATURE IN THIS EVENT WAS DEFINITELY THE HAIL...SOME OF IT QUITE LARGE. MUCH OF THE LARGER HAIL RANGED IN SIZE FROM 3/4 OF AN INCH...TO 2 AND EVEN 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER! SOME OF THE REPORTS INCLUDED...GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL IN ANN ARBOR...MANCHESTER...SALINE AND NEAR BELLEVILLE.
A VERY DEEP...STRONG LOW PRESSURE PASSING TO OUR WEST ON 12TH CAUSED STRONG WIND GUSTS INTO THE 50S AND LOW 60S MPH. THE HIGHEST WIND GUST RECORDED WAS 61 MPH AT WILLOW RUN AIRPORT /YPSILANTI/...WHILE DETROIT METRO AIRPORT WAS NOT FAR BEHIND WITH 54 MPH (WHICH WAS MATCHED HERE AT THE NWS IN WHITE LAKE). A STRONG POLAR FRONT SURGED THROUGH THE AREA ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE DEEP LOW ON THE 14TH WITH MUCH COLDER AIR FLOODING THE REGION MID-MONTH. AS A RESULT...HIGH TEMPERATURES NEVER MADE IT OUT OF 40S FROM THE 15-17TH. AS THE JET STREAM WHIP-SAWED ACROSS THE COUNTRY...ONCE AGAIN MUCH WARMER AIR PUSHED BACK NORTH INTO THE REGION ON THE 21ST THROUGH THE 23RD. OUR FIRST 80 DEGREE READING OF THE SEASON WAS REGISTERED AT DETROIT METRO AIRPORT ON THE 23RD. THIS WARM WEATHER TOO WAS FOLLOWED BY A SQUALL OF SEVERE WEATHER AS A COLD FRONT PLOWED INTO THE AREA LATE ON THE 23RD. WHAT THIS SQUALL LINE LACKED IN THUNDER WAS MORE THAN MADE UP BY IMPRESSIVE WIND GUSTS IN THE 50S AND 60S MPH.
DURING THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS OF APRIL...THE WEATHER QUIETED DOWN AS A NICE SPELL OF PLEASANT SPRING DAYS TOOK HOLD. TEMPERATURES ONCE AGAIN PUSHED UP INTO THE 60S AND 70S. THIS LAST WARM SPELL OF THE MONTH HELPED CEMENT THIS APRIL IN ELEVENTH PLACE FOR WARMEST APRIL SINCE 1870.
******** MAY 2001 ********
...MID-MONTH TORNADO EVENT HEADLINES MAY'S SEVERE WEATHER... ...POLAR ORIGINATING UPPER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WAS THE MEMORIAL WEEKEND GUEST THAT REFUSED TO LEAVE...
IT WAS PRETTY MUCH OFF TO THE RACES FROM THE START AS FAR AS ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES WERE CONCERNED IN MAY. MAY BLEW INTO SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN ON WARM SUMMER-LIKE WINDS WITH TEMPERATURES SURGING WELL INTO THE EIGHTIES THROUGH THE 4TH. WHILE NO RECORD HIGHS WERE SET...A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 84 ON THE 2ND CAME WITHIN JUST ONE DEGREE OF THE RECORD (85 SET BACK A CENTURY AGO IN 1901). BY THE TIME JUST A THIRD OF THE MONTH HAD PASSED /THROUGH THE 11TH/...TEMPERATURES AVERAGED AROUND ELEVEN DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL...OR MORE TYPICAL OF EARLY SUMMER
THERE WAS A NOTABLE CHANGE IN THE UPPER WIND PATTERN AFTER THE 21ST AS AN UNUSUALLY DEEP AND COOL (FOR MAY) UPPER LOW PRESSURE REPLACED THE RIDGE THAT HAD PRETTY MUCH DOMINATED THE REGION FOR MUCH OF THE MONTH. A SUBSTANTIAL BROAD AREA OF LOW PRESSURE BROUGHT AN EXTENSIVE PERIOD OF COOL AND UNSETTLED WEATHER LATE IN THE MONTH.
THE MOST NOTABLE SEVERE OF THE MONTH WAS AT THE FOREFRONT OF THIS PATTERN CHANGE WHEN...ON THE 21ST...STORMS BLOSSOMED IN PROXIMITY OF A PASSING WARM FRONT. WHILE SEVERAL ROUNDS OF STORMS AFFECTED THE AREA THAT DAY...THE TORNADIC STORMS SPUN UP EARLY AFTERNOON ACROSS THE MILFORD AND HARTLAND AREAS AND CAUSED DAMAGE IN THEIR PATHS AS THEY TRACKED OFF TO THE NORTH. THEN...FROM THE 22ND RIGHT THROUGH MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND...THE WARM DAYS OF MAY BECAME JUST A MEMORY. AS THE PESKY COLD CORE UPPER LOW WOBBLED ITS WAY FROM THE UPPER MIDWEST AND INTO THE GREAT LAKES...THE CONSEQUENCE WAS SURPLUS OF INSTABILITY WHICH CREATED BOUTS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME SEVERE...ALONG WITH PLENTY OF CLOUDS AND COOL MID APRIL-LIKE TEMPERATURES. STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS DEVELOPED UNDER THE UPPER LOW FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING /25TH/ AND PINWHEELED NORTHEAST INTO SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN. REPORTS OF HAIL UP TO AN INCH IN DIAMETER WERE RECEIVED ACROSS THE REGION. A FEW MORE STORMS DEVELOPED SATURDAY EVENING AS WELL AND THEN AGAIN...MONDAY EVENING WHICH CONTAINED VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND SEVERAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES.
THE WEATHER REMAINED COOL THROUGH THE END OF THE MONTH WITH TEMPERATURES DIPPING INTO THE MID 30S TO MID 40S THE MORNING OF THE 30TH. THE COOL WEATHER LATE IN THE MONTH TOOK A BIG BITE OUT OF THE ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURE DEPARTURE ACCUMULATED EARLIER IN THE MONTH.
********* JUNE 2001 *********
...A WARM MONTH WAS NOT WITH ITS COOL BREAKS... ...SEVERE WEATHER REMAINED ACTIVE DURING THE MONTH...
JUNE STARTED OUT ALMOST TOTALLY OPPOSITE OF MAY'S BEGINNING WITH UNSEASONABLY COOL WEATHER. HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE HARD PRESSED TO GET OUT OF THE 60S THROUGH THE 6TH AND FINALLY PUSHED INTO THE MID 70S ON THE 7TH. THOSE HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE 60S AVERAGED AROUND 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. NOT ONLY DID JUNE START OUT COOL...IT ALSO HAD A WET... STORMY BEGINNING WITH AROUND AN INCH OF RAIN FALLING THE FIRST TWO DAYS. ALSO...LIKE MEMORIAL WEEKEND...ANOTHER COOL UPPER LOW PRESSURE BROUGHT A ROUND STORMS...A FEW SEVERE WITH HAIL...ACROSS THE REGION ON THE 2ND.
IT HAD BEEN OVER A MONTH SINCE THE LAST STRETCH OF SUMMER-LIKE WEATHER HEATED THE AREA BUT BY MID MONTH...TEMPERATURES ROSE ABOVE NORMAL AND IT WAS THEN /15TH/...THAT OUR FIRST 90 OF THE SUMMER WAS REGISTERED AT DETROIT METRO AIRPORT. LIKE MOST HOT SPELLS IN THESE PARTS...IT CAME WITH A GOOD DOSE OF UNCOMFORTABLE HUMIDITY AS THE HEAT INDEX (WHAT THE TEMPERATURE FEELS LIKE WITH THE HUMIDITY) PUSHED WELL UP INTO THE 90S. THIS HOT...MUGGY AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS MET UP WITH A STRONG COLD FRONT ON THE 15TH...WHICH GAVE RISE TO A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS AS THEY CROSSED THE REGION DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ANOTHER COLD FRONT PLOWED INTO THE HOT AND STICKY AIRMASS LATE ON THE 19TH AND CHURNED UP A BAND OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. SOME SCATTERED TREE BRANCHES WERE DOWNED...ALONG WITH HAIL AND INTENSE LIGHTNING... MAINLY FROM ANN ARBOR INTO METRO DETROIT AND IN MONROE COUNTY. AFTER... COOLER AIR INVADING THE AREA BROUGHT ABUNDANT SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY DAILY FROM THE 20TH INTO THE 23RD.
A STRETCH OF TYPICAL SUMMER WEATHER WITH WARM TEMPERATURES...INCREASING HUMIDITY AND PLENTY OF SUNSHINE DOMINATED THE LAST WEEK OF THE MONTH.
********* JULY 2001 *********
...POTENTIALLY DRIEST JULY ON RECORD IS DOUSED AT THE END... ...11TH DRIEST JULY ON RECORD SINCE 1870... ...RECORD COLD AT JULY'S OPENING...BELIES MONTH'S OVERALL WARMTH...
AFTER A SOMEWHAT WET JUNE...THE MONTH OF JULY DID AN ABOUT-FACE WITH A LONG PERIOD OF DRY...WARM WEATHER. WHILE THERE WAS THE OCCASIONAL... ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM...MUCH OF THE REGION SUFFERED A PRONOUNCED DRY SPELL. THE LACK OF RAIN PUT A HARDSHIP ON THE AREA'S WATER SUPPLY AND MEASURES WERE TAKEN TO CURB USAGE. DURING A NEARLY FIVE WEEK PERIOD (JUNE 24TH THROUGH JULY 28TH)...OFFICIALLY AT DETROIT METRO AIRPORT ONLY .32 INCH OF RAIN FELL. A SHORT LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS LATE ON THE 29TH DUMPED .84 INCH AT METRO AIRPORT AND JACKED UP THE MONTHLY RAINFALL TO 1.16 (FROM .32 INCH). WHAT HAD BEEN THE DRIEST JULY ON RECORD WAS WASHED DOWN THE DRAIN TO 11TH PLACE WITH THAT STORM.
WHILE THIS JULY AVERAGED OVER A DEGREE ABOVE NORMAL...THIS WAS NOT THE CASE IN THE BEGINNING. THE MONTH OPENED UP WITH AN UNSEASONABLY COOL AIRMASS FOR JULY OVER THE REGION. UNDER A BIG DOME OF A COOL CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE...TEMPERATURES ON THE MORNING OF THE 2ND DROPPED DOWN WELL INTO THE 40S...WITH EVEN SCATTERED 30S REPORTED. ALSO...THERE WAS EVEN A REPORT OF SOME SCATTERED LIGHT FROST NORTH OF HOWELL. OFFICIALLY AT DETROIT METRO AIRPORT...THE MERCURY FELL TO 46 DEGREES AND THIS ELIMINATED THE OLD RECORD OF 50 SET BACK IN 1977. IN FACT...IT HAS BEEN A WHILE SINCE A RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE WAS SET DURING JULY AT METRO AIRPORT. THE LAST TIME WAS 17 YEARS AGO BACK IN 1984 WITH A 44 AND 45 DEGREE READING ON THE 7TH AND 8TH...RESPECTIVELY. DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF JULY...TEMPERATURES AVERAGED CLOSE TO FIVE DEGREES BELOW NORMAL AND IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE END OF THE SECOND WEEK...THAT READINGS STARTED TO AVERAGE MAINLY ABOVE NORMAL.
WITH THE DRY WEATHER...SEVERE WEATHER OCCURRENCES WERE VERY LIMITED WITH THE MOST NOTABLE THE AFOREMENTIONED MINI-SQUALL LINE ON THE 29TH. THE FOURTH OF JULY ALSO SAW SOME SCATTERED SEVERE STORM ACTIVITY... MAINLY OVER THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN AREAS OF THE REGION.
*********** AUGUST 2001 ***********
...HOT WEATHER EARLY IN THE MONTH LEADS TO 15TH WARMEST AUGUST... ...SOME HEAVY RAINS HELP ALLEVIATE EXTREMELY DRY CONDITIONS...
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
THE HOT WEATHER ONLY AGGRAVATED THE DRY CONDITIONS ALREADY IN PLACE ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN. HOWEVER...THE DRY PATTERN THAT PRETTY MUCH BEGAN LATE JUNE DID IN FACT...BEGIN TO ERODE LATE JULY INTO THE FIRST HALF OF AUGUST AS CONVECTIVE PRECIPITATION MADE ITS WAY INTO THE METRO DETROIT AREA. THEN AFTER MID MONTH...A FEW CONVECTIVE EPISODES CONTAINING HEAVY TO VERY HEAVY RAIN PRETTY MUCH HELPED TO ELIMINATE... AT LEAST IN MOST AREAS...THE EXCESSIVE DRY CONDITIONS AND REJUVENATE THE STRESSED VEGETATION. ONE SUCH EVENT WAS BROUGHT ABOUT BY A SLOW MOVING LOW PRESSURE OVER THE WEEKEND OF THE 18TH-19TH AND BROUGHT SCATTERED SEVERE WEATHER ALONG WITH SOME VERY HEAVY RAINS TO THE AREA. HEAVIER RAINFALL REPORTS INCLUDE....1.73 IN WALLED LK...1.71 IN W BLOOMFIELD...1.65 IN CLINTON TWP...1.40 IN PORT HURON...1.25 IN NORTH LIVONIA AND 1.10 IN SHELBY TWP.
INTERESTINGLY...EVEN WITH THE FAIRLY WIDESPREAD MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN ON THE 18-19TH (INCLUDING 1.25 AT METRO AIRPORT)...RAINFALL FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH STILL MANAGED TO COME IN BELOW NORMAL WITH ONLY 2.92 OF THE NORMAL 3.49 FALLING AT METRO. HOWEVER...AND LIKE MANY TIMES IN THE PAST...HIGHER AMOUNTS OF RAIN WERE OBSERVED AT SEVERAL OTHER LOCATIONS.
************** SEPTEMBER 2001 **************
...19TH WETTEST SEPTEMBER WITH SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES....
SEPTEMBER STARTED OUT PLEASANT ENOUGH WITH CONSIDERABLE SUNSHINE DURING THE FIRST WEEK. NEAR NORMAL HIGH TEMPERATURES BOUNCED BETWEEN THE MID 70S AND MID 80S WITH LITTLE...IF ANY...RAINFALL OBSERVED. A MINI-HEAT WAVE OF SORTS ON THE 7TH/8TH USHERED HIGH TEMPERATURES UP INTO THE UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S. A HIGH OF 92 AT DETROIT METRO AIRPORT ON THE 7TH CAME WITHIN 5 DEGREES OF THE RECORD /97/. THIS ALSO ADDED ONE MORE 90 DEGREE OR BETTER DAY TO OUR SUMMER TOTAL AND IT WAS OUR LAST. WE TOTALED UP 14 DAYS WITH 90 OR BETTER DEGREE DAYS THIS YEAR WHICH IS ABOUT 2 ABOVE THE NORMAL.
THE HEAT WAS SHORT LIVED...THOUGH AS A BUSY COLD FRONT PUSHED THROUGH THE AREA ON THE 8TH. THE FRONT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH CONSIDERABLE SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WHICH DROPPED HEAVY RAINS OVER MUCH OF THE REGION. OVER THE 2-DAY (8TH/9TH) PERIOD...DETROIT RECEIVED JUST UNDER AN INCH AND A HALF /1.48/ OF RAIN...WHILE HERE AT THE NWS IN WHITE LAKE WE MEASURED 1.18 INCH. OTHER AREA RAINFALLS INCLUDED...WYANDOTTE WITH 2.88 INCHES...ST CLAIR RECORDED 1.46 AND TROY 2.19.
AFTER THE RAINS OF THE 8/9TH (AND THE EXCEPTION OF A LITTLE LIGHT RAIN ON THE 13TH)...ANOTHER RELATIVELY DRY SPELL HELD SWAY UNTIL THE 19TH WHEN ANOTHER STRONG SYSTEM ONCE AGAIN...DUMPED ANOTHER ROUND HEAVY AMOUNTS OF RAIN. FROM THE 19TH-21ST...WELL OVER TWO INCHES /2.24/ OF RAIN FELL AT DETROIT METRO AIRPORT. THIS SECOND SYSTEM ALSO HERALDED IN A NOTABLE CHANGE IN THE WEATHER TO MUCH COOLER AND WETTER CONDITIONS. HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE 60S AND 70S BEFOREHAND...FELL FURTHER INTO THE 40S BY THE 25-26TH OR...TO LEVELS MORE TYPICAL OF MID NOVEMBER. SO COLD WAS THE 25TH...THAT THE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF ONLY 47 DEGREES WAS THE COLDEST HIGH TEMPERATURE EVER FOR THE DATE AND...THE THIRD COLDEST HIGH TEMPERATURE EVER IN SEPTEMBER (THE COLDEST BEING 41 ON SEP 30TH 1899)... QUITE A CONTRAST TO THE AFOREMENTIONED 92 JUST A FEW WEEKS EARLIER.
SEPTEMBER CLOSED ON A TRANQUIL NOTE AS A LARGE...FAIR WEATHER HIGH PRESSURE MADE FOR A DELIGHTFUL EARLY FALL WEEKEND. UNDER MAINLY CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS...TEMPERATURES FELL AS LOW AS THE MID TO UPPER 30S IN A FEW SUBURBAN/RURAL AREAS WITH EVEN A LITTLE LIGHT PATCHY FROST NOTED.
************ OCTOBER 2001 ************
...OVERALL...QUITE A STORMY...WET OCTOBER... ...SECOND WETTEST OCTOBER IN 131 YEARS... ...RARE OCTOBER EXTENSIVE SEVERE WEATHER EVENT...
USUALLY ONE OF OUR MORE TRANQUIL WEATHER MONTHS...OCTOBER 2001 WAS ANYTHING BUT TRANQUIL TO A LARGE EXTENT. WHILE THERE WERE SEVERAL NOTABLE WEATHER ITEMS DURING OCTOBER...THE MOST NOTABLE WAS ITS UNUSUAL WETNESS. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE WHEN ONE CONSIDERS THAT OCTOBER IS...ON AVERAGE...OUR DRIEST OF FALL MONTHS. THE 6.76 INCHES OF RAIN PLACED THIS OCTOBER SOLIDLY AHEAD OF THE FORMER SECOND PLACE STANDING /6.52-1881/ BUT IS STILL A FAR CRY FROM THE TOP PLACE /7.80-1954/. IT WAS EVEN WETTER HERE AT THE NWS WHITE LAKE OFFICE WITH AN EXCEPTIONAL 8.61 INCHES FALLING. THIS WAS THE HIGHEST MONTHLY RAINFALL TOTAL EVER MEASURED HERE AT THE NWS SINCE RECORDS WERE STARTED IN NOV 1995. THE HEAVY RAINFALL WAS A RESULT OF A STORM TRACK THAT REMAINED UNUSUALLY ACTIVE FOR OCTOBER...BRINGING SEVERAL BOUTS OF RAIN. NO LESS THAN THREE VERY HEAVY RAIN EVENTS SOAKED THE REGION DURING THE MONTH. TAKE OCTOBER 5TH AND 16TH FOR EXAMPLE WHERE OVER AN INCH AND A HALF /1.55/ FELL ON THE 4TH...AND NOT TO BE OUT DONE...NEARLY TWO INCHES /1.92/ FELL ON THE 16TH. ANOTHER TW0-DAY EVENT (11-12TH) JUST UNDER A INCH AND A HALF OF RAIN /1.47/ AGAIN DRENCHED THE. IN JUST SEP-OCT...11.04 INCHES OF RAIN FELL OVER THE AREA. COMPARE THIS TO THE NORMAL /7.66/ FOR THE ENTIRE AUTUMN PERIOD (SEP-NOV) AND THE NORMAL AUTUMN RAINFALL HAS ALREADY BEEN EXCEEDED BY 3.38 INCHES.
ANOTHER RESULT OF THE ACTIVE JET STREAM WAS THE ROLLER-COASTER TEMPERATURE PATTERN. THE MONTH STARTED OUT WARM ENOUGH FOR EARLY OCTOBER WITH TEMPERATURES PUSHING UP TO 80 DEGREES ON THE 3RD. ON THE 4TH...A STRONG COLD FRONT PLOWED THROUGH THE AREA AND BROUGHT THE VERY HEAVY RAIN AND A POLAR AIRMASS. OVER THE FIRST WEEKEND (6-7TH)...TEMPERATURES BARELY REACHED 50 DEGREES...WHILE LOWS DIPPED INTO THE LOWER TO MID 30S (6-8TH). OUR FIRST FREEZING TEMPERATURE CAME ON THE 8TH WITH 32 DEGREES AT DETROIT METRO AIRPORT. SINCE MOST LOCATIONS FELL INTO THE MID 20S TO AROUND 30...A WIDESPREAD FROST AND FREEZE TOOK OUT MOST VULNERABLE PLANTS. IT WAS NOT LONG BEFORE HIGH READINGS POPPED BACK UP TO AROUND 70 (9TH) AND REMAINED THERE UNTIL MID-MONTH WHEN THE BOTTOM FELL OUT AGAIN. ANOTHER CHILLY BLAST ON THE 16-18TH PUSHED TEMPERATURES BACK DOWN INTO THE 50S AND 30S. AFTER A SECOND REBOUND INTO THE 60S AND 70S DURING THE THIRD WEEK...THE STRONGEST COLD BLAST OF THE MONTH HIT THE 25-28TH AND ARRIVED ON WIND GUSTS INTO THE 40S/50S MPH ON THE 25TH. TEMPERATURES STRUGGLED TO GET UP INTO THE 40S TO NEAR 50...WHILE LOWS DOVE INTO 20S/30S. IT WAS DURING THIS COLD SNAP THAT THE FIRST FLAKES OF SNOW WERE SEEN OVER MUCH OF THE METRO DETROIT AREA AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN.
THE STRONG POLAR BLAST ON THE 25TH WAS PROCEEDED BY A SOMEWHAT RARE OCTOBER SEVERE WEATHER EVENT ON THE 24TH. AS THE SHARP...STRONG POLAR FRONT APPROACHED LATE ON THE 24TH...A SQUALL-LINE DEVELOPED AND SURGED RAPIDLY THROUGH THE REGION. SEVERAL REPORTS OF HIGH WINDS...HAIL AND EVEN A TORNADO WERE NOTED. THE TORNADO MOVED FROM EASTERN LIVINGSTON COUNTY INTO NORTHWEST OAKLAND. .
************** NOVEMBER 2001 **************
...EXCEPTIONALLY NICE AND TRANQUIL NOVEMBER...TURNS STORMY IN THE END... ...SECOND WARMEST NOVEMBER ON RECORD IS FLAGGED BY RECORD HIGHS THANKSGIVING WEEKEND...
NOVEMBER SWAPPED WITH OCTOBER THIS YEAR AS FAR AS GENERAL WEATHER TRENDS OF THE FALL ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN. THIS PAST OCTOBER WAS MUCH MORE IN CHARACTER OF THE TYPICAL NOVEMBER WITH ITS FREQUENT STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS AND FLUCTUATING TEMPERATURES...WHEREAS MUCH OF NOVEMBER...CONTAINED THE TRANQUIL INDIAN SUMMER WEATHER GENERALLY ENJOYED IN OCTOBER.
WHILE THE MONTH DID HAVE ITS OCCASIONAL POLAR OUTBREAK...STRANGELY ENOUGH...THEY OCCURRED MAINLY DURING THE FIRST HALF. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 47.6 WAS AN INCREDIBLE 7.4 DEGREES ABOVE THE NORMAL OF 40.2. THEREFORE...NOVEMBER 2001 ENDED UP TO BE THE WARMEST NOVEMBER IN DETROIT SINCE 1931 WHEN THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS JUST SLIGHTLY WARMER AT 47.9 DEGREES. TEMPERATURES PUSHED INTO THE LOWER 60S OVER THANKSGIVING WEEKEND WHEN TWO RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE TIED AND THUS...SUPERSEDED. A HIGH OF 62 ON THE 24TH AND 63 ON THE 25TH TIED THE RECORDS FOR EACH DATE. IN ADDITION...THE 63 DEGREE READING ON THE 25TH BROKE A LONG STANDING RECORD THAT HAD HELD SINCE 1908. A COLD FRONT CONTAINING STRONG WINDS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS PIVOTED ACROSS THE REGION EARLY ON THE 25TH AND BROUGHT AN END TO THE UNSEASONABLY MILD AIR.
NOT ONLY WAS THIS NOVEMBER MILD...IT WAS ALSO UNUSUALLY DRY UNTIL REALLY...JUST THE LAST FEW DAYS WHEN HEAVY RAINS HIT THE AREA. UP THROUGH THE 28TH...LESS THAN AN INCH OF RAIN HAD FALLEN...A MONTH THAT GENERALLY RECEIVES OVER TWO AND HALF INCHES /2.67/. THE DRY STREAK WAS DOUSED...HOWEVER...ON THE 29-30TH WHEN 1.38 INCHES OF RAIN FELL...WHICH WAS NEARLY ONE AND A HALF TIMES THE MONTHLY TOTAL BEFOREHAND. UP UNTIL THAT TIME...THIS NOVEMBER HAD BEEN TIED WITH 6TH PLACE FOR DRIEST NOVEMBER.
*************
DECEMBER 2001
*************
...A TALE OF THREE DECEMBERS...
...8TH WARMEST DECEMBER ON RECORD AFTER 4TH COLDEST DECEMBER LAST YEAR...
...UNSEASONABLY WARM WEATHER HITS THE ROAD IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS...
...FIRST THREE WEEKS OF THE MONTH AVERAGES 12 1/2 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL...
...SNOW VIRTUALLY ABSENT UNTIL CHRISTMAS...
INHABITANTS OF SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN ONLY HAVE TO THINK BACK JUST A FEW YEARS TO DECEMBER OF 1998 TO SEE THE STRIKING SIMILARITIES TO THIS PAST DECEMBER. DECEMBER OF 1998 WAS ALSO UNUSUALLY MILD WITH TEMPERATURES AVERAGING 7.0 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THIS PAST DECEMBER TEMPERATURES ALSO AVERAGED A SUBSTANTIAL 7.6 DEGREES ABOVE THE NORM OF 28.3...OR AT 35.9 DEGREES. THIS MADE THIS PAST DECEMBER THE 8TH WARMEST DECEMBER /TIED WITH 1917/ ON RECORD. DECEMBER OF 2001 ALSO STRONGLY RESEMBLED DECEMBER OF 1998 IN THE WAY OF LITTLE SNOWFALL (DECEMBER 1998 HAD THE LATEST OBSERVANCE OF SNOW...TRACE ON 12/16/98 AND MEASURABLE /.1/ ON 12/29/98 WITH A MINISCULE 1.2 INCHES FOR THE MONTH). SNOWFALL THIS DECEMBER WAS LIGHT AND CAME IN ABOUT HALF THE NORM WITH JUST 4.9 OF THE NORMAL 10.0 INCHES FALLING. DESPITE THE LACK OF SNOW...THIS DECEMBER DID NOT PLACE IN THE TOP 20 SNOWLESS DECEMBERS WITH 20TH SPOT AT 3.6 INCHES /1912/. MEASURABLE SNOW WAS NOT RECORDED UNTIL THE 23RD... OR CLOSE TO TWO MONTHS LATE. TOTAL PRECIPITATION AVERAGED ABOUT SIX TENTHS /.59/ BELOW THE NORMAL FOR THE MONTH.
IRONICALLY...WHILE PARALLELING DECEMBER 1998...THIS DECEMBER WAS IN STARK CONTRAST TO LAST DECEMBER'S (2000) WEATHER AND WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES! DECEMBER OF 2000 WAS THE WORST DECEMBER IN RECORDED WEATHER HISTORY (SINCE 1870) AROUND METRO DETROIT WHEN COMBINING BOTH SNOW AND COLD. SNOWFALLS OF TWO TO THREE FEET WERE COMMONPLACE ALONG WITH TEMPERATURES AVERAGING A BONE CHILLING 19.3 /-9.0/.
THE FIRST WEEK OF THIS PAST DECEMBER (ALSO LIKE DECEMBER 1998) WAS EXCEPTIONALLY MILD WITH TEMPERATURES AVERAGING 15 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL AND TOPPING OUT IN LOWER TO MID 60S (4-6TH). THE MAX READING OF 67 ON THE 5TH BROKE THE OLD RECORD OF 65 SET BACK...AND MAYBE NOT SURPRISINGLY NOW...IN 1998. WHILE THAT 67 WAS VERY WARM FOR DECEMBER... IT DID NOT BREAK THE ALL-TIME RECORD HIGH FOR DECEMBER IN DETROIT WHICH STANDS AT 69 AND...YOU GUESSED IT...IN 1998 (12/6/98). IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE...HOWEVER...THAT UNOFFICIALLY SOME LOWER 70S WERE INDEED REPORTED AROUND SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN ON THE 5TH. THE MILD WEATHER DID NOT STOP THERE...HOWEVER...WITH THE NEXT TWO WEEKS (THROUGH THE 23RD) HAVING ABOVE NORMAL READINGS. IN FACT...THROUGH THE 23RD... TEMPERATURES AVERAGED IN AT 40.8...OR A HUGE 12 1/2 DEGREES ABOVE THE DECEMBER NORMAL OF 28.3 DEGREES. THIS WAS EVEN A BIT WARMER THAN NOVEMBER'S NORMAL MEAN WHICH IS 40.2.
A SHARP REVERSAL IN THE JET STREAM TO THE NORTH AFTER THE 23RD... BROUGHT MUCH COLDER WEATHER TO THE REGION. FROM THE 23RD THROUGH THE 31ST...TEMPERATURES AVERAGED ABOUT THREE DEGREES BELOW NORMAL AND LIGHT SNOW FELL ON A DAILY BASIS IN TIME FOR THE CHRISTMAS WEEK.
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| 2001 | ||||
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| Month | Temp/Depart | Precip/Depart | Snowfall/Depart | Season/Depart |
| January | 26.2/+3.3 | 0.69/-1.07 | 3.4/-7.1 | |
| February | 29.7/+4.3 | 2.88/+1.14 | 2.9/-6.3 | |
| March | 35.1/-0.6 | 0.93/-1.62 | 5.4/-1.4 | |
| April | 51.2/+3.9 | 3.20/+0.25 | 0.9/-0.8 | 39.0/-2.2 |
| May | 61.2/+2.8 | 3.70/+0.78 | ||
| June | 69.6/+2.0 | 3.41/+0.40 | ||
| July | 73.6/+1.3 | 1.16/-2.02 | ||
| August | 74.1/+3.6 | 2.92/-0.51 | ||
| September | 62.3/-0.9 | 4.28/+1.39 | ||
| October | 52.5/+1.3 | 6.76/+4.66 | T/-0.2 | |
| November | 47.6/+7.4 | 2.35/-0.32 | T/-2.9 | |
| December | 35.9/+7.6 | 2.23/-0.59 | 4.9/-5.1 | |
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| Year | 51.6/+3.0 | 34.51/+1.89 | ||
| 1961-1990 Normals |
48.6 | 32.62 | ||
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| Average High | 59.8/+1.7 | |||
| Normal High | 58.1 | |||
| Average Low | 43.3/+4.3 | |||
| Normal Low | 39.0 | |||
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DEEDLER
