ANNUAL CLIMATOLOGICAL SUMMARY FOR FLINT - 1998
...1998 - WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD AND FIFTH DRIEST SINCE 1942...
JANUARY - FOURTH WARMEST/WETTEST ON RECORD
THE WARMING EFFECTS OF EL NINO GOT INTO HIGH GEAR DURING JANUARY...
PUSHING THE MONTHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE UP TO OF 29.9 DEGREES...
WHICH WAS 8.4 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THIS WAS THE FOURTH WARMEST
JANUARY ON RECORD AND IT ALSO WAS THE FIRST JANUARY SINCE 1990...
WHERE THE TEMPERATURE FAILED TO FALL TO ZERO OR BELOW.
ALONG WITH BEING UNSEASONABLY MILD...IT WAS UNUSUALLY WET FOR A JANUARY.
THE TOTAL PRECIPITATION OF 3.16 INCHES WAS OVER 1 3/4 INCHES ABOVE
NORMAL. THIS ABUNDANCE OF MOSTLY RAIN PLACED JANUARY 1998 IN AGAIN...
FOURTH PLACE...FOR THE WETTEST JANUARY IN FLINT. PRECIPITATION WAS
SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE MONTH WITH THE HEAVIEST FALLING THE FIRST
HALF. EIGHT INCHES OF SNOW ALSO FELL BUT THIS WAS 4.3 BELOW NORMAL.
FEBRUARY - WARMEST FEBRUARY ON RECORD
LEAST SNOW EVER RECORDED IN FEBRUARY OR A WINTER MONTH
THE EFFECTS OF EL NINO ONLY GOT STRONGER DURING FEBRUARY IN THE
FLINT AREA. THE MONTHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 34.6 WAS A HUGE 11.1
DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THIS DEPARTURE ABOVE NORMAL SHOT FEBRUARY 1998
INTO FIRST PLACE AS THE WARMEST FEBRUARY EVER RECORDED IN FLINT. THE
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 34.6 SUPERSEDED THE OLD FIRST PLACE WARMEST
FEBRUARY /31.8 IN 1983...ALSO AN EL NINO YEAR/ BY NEARLY 3 DEGREES.
EVEN SO...ONLY ONE RECORD HIGH WAS ATTAINED DURING THE MONTH AND THAT
WAS 56 DEGREES ON THE 28TH. THERE WERE NO SINGLE DIGITS RECORDED DURING
THE MONTH /THERE WERE HOWEVER...A FEW IN JANUARY/.
ANOTHER OUTSTANDING FEATURE DURING THE MONTH WAS THE ALMOST NON-
EXISTENCE OF SNOW. JUST UNDER A HALF AN INCH /.4/ OF SNOW FELL DURING
THE MONTH. THIS WAS THE LOWEST AMOUNT OF SNOW EVER RECORDED AT FLINT
DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY...AND DECEMBER AND JANUARY FOR THAT
MATTER...SINCE 1950. FEBRUARY WAS ALSO A LITTLE WETTER THAN NORMAL
/+.37/. AN UNUSUALLY NICE STRETCH OF EARLY SPRING-LIKE WEATHER DID
VISIT THE AREA DURING THE FIRST 10 DAYS...WHEN TEMPERATURES AVERAGED
ABOUT 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL AND ONLY A TRACE OF RAIN FELL.
MARCH - SHOWS IT TWO FACES: THE LION AND THE LAMB
FIFTH WETTEST MARCH ON RECORD
MARCH STARTED OUT LIKE A LAMB WITH TEMPERATURES AVERAGING ABOUT 5
DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL DURING THE FIRST WEEK. THE WARM WEATHER ENDED
ABRUPTLY DURING THE SECOND AND THIRD WEEK THOUGH...WHEN MUCH COLDER
WEATHER DROPPED TEMPERATURES BELOW NORMAL. MARCH DID ANOTHER ABOUT-
FACE LATE IN THE MONTH WHEN UNSEASONABLY WARM WEATHER MOVED BACK IN.
READINGS AVERAGED 20 TO 30 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL AS HIGHS PUSHED INTO
THE 70S. A RECORD HIGH WAS SET ON THE 26TH WITH 74 DEGREES AND A
RECORD HIGH MINIMUM WITH 50. RECORD HIGH MINIMUMS WERE ALSO SET ON THE
27TH WITH 62...THE 28TH WITH 57 AND THE 30TH WITH 62. BECAUSE OF THE
ABUNDANCE OF RAIN ALONG WITH THE WARM TEMPERATURES...A RAPID SPRING
GREEN-UP TOOK PLACE A FEW WEEKS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.
AFTER VIRTUALLY NO SNOW IN FEBRUARY...NEARLY SEVEN INCHES OF SNOW FELL
DURING THE FIRST HALF OF MARCH. THE LION CAME OUT OF HIS DEN AND ROARED
ON FRIDAY THE 13TH...WHEN A POTENT STORM CENTER DROPPED 3 - 5 INCHES OF
SNOW. THIS WAS ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG WINDS...COLDER TEMPERATURES AND
NEAR ZERO DEGREE WIND CHILLS. ANOTHER STRONG LOW PRESSURE MOVED SOUTH
OF THE REGION ON THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING...CREATING A STRONG EAST TO
NORTHEAST WIND. THIS SYSTEM CAUSED SOME MINOR SHORELINE FLOODING AND
BEACH EROSION ALONG THE LAKE HURON. WITH PRECIPITATION EVENTS BEING
FREQUENT...MARCH 1998 BECAME THE 5TH WETTEST ON RECORD.
APRIL - MILDER WEATHER CONTINUED BUT WITH LESS RAIN
SEVENTH DRIEST APRIL ON RECORD
FLINT RECEIVED LESS RAINFALL DURING APRIL THAN NORMAL. AT 1.45 INCHES...
ONLY ABOUT HALF OF THE NORMAL RAIN FELL DURING THE MONTH. THIS MADE IT
THE SEVENTH DRIEST APRIL ON RECORD IN FLINT AND WAS NOTICEABLY LESS
THAN THE NEARLY FOUR INCHES THAT FELL IN DETROIT. THIS WAS MAINLY DUE
TO THE STORM TRACK HOLDING SOUTH OF THE FLINT AREA. THIS REVERSED AN
ONGOING TREND OF WETTER THAN NORMAL CONDITIONS SINCE JANUARY AND WAS
JUST THE START OF THE DRY WEATHER TO COME.
A BOUT OF SEVERE WEATHER HIT PORTIONS OF THE AREA...ESPECIALLY THE
SAGINAW VALLEY AND THUMB REGION...ON THE 16TH. AN AREA OF STRONG TO
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVED THROUGH THIS AREA IN THE AFTERNOON AND
EVENING AND SPAWNED A TORNADO IN SANILAC COUNTY. THE TORNADO CUT A
NARROW PATH FROM NEAR CARSONVILLE EAST TO PORT SANILAC.
THE MILDER THAN NORMAL WEATHER CONTINUED THE TREND SEEN BACK THROUGH
LAST DECEMBER. THE RAPID GREEN UP IN THE AREA...HOWEVER...WAS DAMPENED
BY A COLD HIGH PRESSURE AREA LATE IN THE MONTH THAT CAUSED SOME FROST/
FREEZING CONDITIONS. NO SNOW WAS SEEN DURING THE MONTH...WHICH IS
UNUSUAL SINCE...ON AVERAGE...NEARLY THREE INCHES FALL. ONLY 28.3 INCHES
OF SNOW FELL DURING THE 1997-98 SEASON...WELL BELOW THE NORMAL OF 49.
MAY - THIRD WARMEST AND SEVENTH DRIEST MAY ON RECORD ENDS ON A STORMY
TEMPERATURES DURING MAY IN FLINT AVERAGED WELL ABOVE NORMAL. IN FACT...
EVERY DAY UP THROUGH THE 20TH AVERAGED ABOUT 9 1/2 DEGREES ABOVE
NORMAL. A COOL SPELL OVER THE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND (OF ALL WEEKENDS)...
HELPED BRING THE MONTHLY DEPARTURE BACK DOWN TO JUST OVER 6 DEGREES
ABOVE NORMAL. BUT THIS STILL PLACED MAY OF 1998 AS THIRD WARMEST MAY
ON RECORD. AS WARM AS THE MONTH WAS...ONLY TWO NEW RECORD HIGHS WERE
SET...90 ON THE 15TH AND THE 18TH.
ALONG WITH BEING A UNUSUALLY WARM MONTH...FOR THE MOST PART...MAY WAS
DRY. THERE WERE INTERVALS OF ONLY LIGHT RAINFALL DURING THE FIRST WEEK
THEN...MUCH OF THE REMAINDER OF THE MONTH WAS RAIN FREE WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF THE LAST DAY. ON THIS DAY /31ST/...A LINE OF SEVERE STORMS
MOVED THROUGH SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN AROUND SUNRISE. THESE STORMS
PRODUCED WIDESPREAD STRAIGHT-LINE WIND GUSTS OF AT LEAST 50 MPH TO AS
HIGH AS 100 MPH WITH TRI-CITIES AIRPORT NEAR SAGINAW RECORDING A WIND
GUST OF 86 MPH.
JUNE - RECORD COLD FOLLOWED BY NEAR RECORD HEAT
SIXTH DRIEST JUNE ON RECORD
EVEN THOUGH JUNE'S TEMPERATURE DEPARTURE WAS SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL...
THE TEMPERATURES WERE ANYTHING BUT SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL. THE BEGINNING
OF THE MONTH WAS UNSEASONABLY COLD. WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE COLD AIR THAT
HAD STORED UP DURING OUR MILD WINTER PLUNGED SOUTHEAST INTO THE GREAT
LAKES DURING THE FIRST WEEK. BY THE END OF THE FIRST 10 DAYS OF JUNE...
TEMPERATURES AVERAGED 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THIS WAS QUITE A
REVERSAL FROM MAY WHICH AVERAGED OVER 6 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE COLD
WEATHER FOR JUNE WAS WELL REPRESENTED BY THE RECORD LOWS SET DURING THE
FIRST WEEK. ON THE 3RD...A LOW OF 36 TIED THE RECORD LOW FOR THE DATE.
THEN ON THE 4TH...A FROSTY LOW OF 33 SET A RECORD LOW...AND A LOW OF 34
ON THE 6TH SET ANOTHER. EVEN A LOW OF 36 ON THE 5TH...CAME WITHIN ONE
DEGREE OF TYING THE OLD RECORD OF 35. MOTHER NATURE DID AN ABOUT-FACE
BY POURING ON THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY DURING THE THIRD AND THE FOURTH
WEEK. WHILE NO RECORD HIGHS WERE SET...ON SEVEN DAYS THE TEMPERATURE
ROSE TO 90 OR BETTER. THE MISERABLE HEAT AND HUMIDITY REACHED AN APEX
ON THE 25TH WITH A HIGH OF 94 AND A TEMPERATURE HUMIDITY INDEX OF 105.
ALONG WITH THE HEAT DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THE MONTH...STORMS OFTEN
POPPED UP AND OCCASIONALLY BECAME SEVERE. IN FACT...FROM THE 16TH TO
THE 30TH...THERE WERE NINE SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOWER
MICHIGAN. THIS CERTAINLY MADE UP FOR A RELATIVELY BENIGN SEVERE WEATHER
SEASON UP UNTIL THEN. EVEN WITH THE FREQUENT STORMS AND SPOTTY
RAINFALL...RAINFALL GENERALLY AVERAGED BELOW NORMAL WITH ONLY 1.25
INCHES FALLING IN FLINT. THIS MADE JUNE OF 1998 THE SIXTH DRIEST JUNE
ON RECORD.
JULY - FOURTH DRIEST JULY ON RECORD
PERIODS OF RELATIVELY HOT AND COOL WEATHER DURING JULY RESULTED IN
THE MONTHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE BEING JUST SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL.
WHILE TEMPERATURES AVERAGED NEARLY TWO DEGREES BELOW NORMAL THE FIRST
HALF OF THE MONTH...A HOT AND HUMID SPELL DURING THE THIRD WEEK ERASED
THE BELOW NORMAL DEPARTURE. WITH THAT HOT SPELL...IT WAS EASY TO FORGET
THE NEAR RECORD LOW OF 43 DEGREES /RECORD 41-1945/ ON THE 11TH. THE
HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS PEAKED ON THE 21ST WHEN THE TEMPERATURE HIT 95
BUT WITH THE HUMIDITY...IT FELT MORE LIKE 110 DEGREES. THIS 95 DEGREE
READING BROKE THE OLD RECORD OF HIGH OF 94 SET BACK IN 1987.
WITH THE SURPLUS OF HEAT AND HUMIDITY AND THE OCCASIONAL COLD FRONT TO
ACT AS A CATALYST...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS MOVED ACROSS THE REGION
DURING THE MONTH. WHILE RAINFALL VARIED OVER THE AREA DURING JULY...
MOST LOCATIONS AGAIN RECEIVED LIGHT AMOUNTS OF RAIN. AT FLINT BISHOP
AIRPORT...JUST A LITTLE BETTER THAN AN INCH /1.13/ OF RAIN WAS RECORDED.
THIS WAS ABOUT 1 1/2 INCHES BELOW THE NORMAL AND PLACED JULY 1998 AS
THE FOURTH DRIEST ON RECORD AT THE AIRPORT SINCE 1942 AND IT WAS THE
WAS THE DRIEST JULY SINCE 1978 /DRIEST ON RECORD/. SCATTERED SEVERE
WEATHER EVENTS CONTINUED DURING THE MONTH WITH THE STRONGEST WIND GUST
/49 MPH/ ON THE EVENING OF THE 14TH.
AUGUST - DRY SPELL WORSENS
TIES FOR NINTH WARMEST
RAINFALL FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST CONTINUED TO BE WELL BELOW NORMAL.
WITH 2.62 FALLING...AUGUST BECAME THE FIFTH CONSECUTIVE MONTH WITH
SIGNIFICANTLY BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL /-.87/. OBVIOUSLY...THE DRY
WEATHER COULD NOT COME AT A WORSE TIME...DURING THE 1998 GROWING
SEASON. NORMALLY...RAINFALL FOR THE FIVE MONTH PERIOD /APRIL THROUGH
AUGUST/ AVERAGES 15 INCHES IN AND AROUND FLINT AND THIS YEAR...ONLY
ABOUT HALF THAT AMOUNT FELL. A TOTAL OF 7.69 INCHES WAS RECORDED DURING
THE FIVE MONTH PERIOD...7.31 BELOW NORMAL AND THIS MADE IT THE DRIEST
APRIL THROUGH AUGUST PERIOD EVER RECORDED IN FLINT. THESE DRY
CONDITIONS WERE COMMONPLACE FURTHER NORTH IN THE SAGINAW VALLEY AND
THUMB REGION OF SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN. EVEN THOUGH DRY...SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH TREMENDOUS LIGHTENING DISPLAYS AND SCATTERED
SEVERE WEATHER...OCCURRED THE 6TH THROUGH THE 10TH.
EVEN WITH TEMPERATURES AVERAGING OVER 2 DEGREES /2.2/ ABOVE NORMAL
DURING AUGUST...THERE WERE NO RECORD HIGHS BUT...THERE WAS A RECORD
LOW. THE TEMPERATURE FELL TO 41 DEGREES ON THE 19TH AND BROKE THE OLD
RECORD OF 43. ALSO...WE JUST MISSED SETTING ANOTHER RECORD LOW ON THE
1ST WHEN THE TEMPERATURE DIPPED TO 45 /RECORD 43/. ON THE WARM
SIDE...THREE 90 DEGREE DAYS WERE RECORDED WITH 93 THE HIGHEST ON THE
24TH. MANY OF THE WARM OR HOT DAYS WERE ACCOMPANIED BY HUMID
CONDITIONS.
SEPTEMBER - DRIEST GROWING SEASON ON RECORD
THIRD WARMEST/NINTH DRIEST SEPTEMBER ON RECORD
WITHOUT QUESTION THE BIGGEST ONGOING WEATHER STORY ABOUT FLINT...THE
SAGINAW VALLEY AND THUMB REGION DURING THE GROWING SEASON /APRIL-
SEPTEMBER/ OF 1998...WAS THE PERSISTENT DRY SPELL WHICH DOMINATED THE
REGION. SEPTEMBER'S LACK OF RAINFALL WAS JUST AS BAD AS THE REST OF
THE SEASON WITH ONLY 1.28 /2.28 BELOW NORMAL/ FALLING. FOR THE ENTIRE
GROWING SEASON /APRIL-SEPTEMBER/...JUST UNDER NINE INCHES /8.97/...
OFFICIALLY FELL AT FLINT BISHOP AIRPORT WHICH WAS 9.59 BELOW NORMAL.
THIS BIG DEFICIT MADE IT THE DRIEST GROWING SEASON ON RECORD. THE LACK
OF RAIN WAS MAINLY DUE TO A LACK CONVECTIVE RAINFALL MID AND LATE
MONTH.
NOT ONLY WAS IT DRY BUT...TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY /CROP AND PLANTWISE/
...THERE WAS A SURPLUS OF HEAT. TEMPERATURES AVERAGED 4.0 DEGREES ABOVE
NORMAL DURING THE MONTH WITH A MEAN TEMPERATURE OF 65.4. THIS TIED IT
WITH SEPTEMBER 1978 FOR THIRD WARMEST SEPTEMBER ON RECORD. A RECORD
HIGH WAS TIED ON THE 6TH WITH 91 DEGREES...THEN LATE IN THE MONTH...
THREE CONSECUTIVE RECORD HIGHS WERE ESTABLISHED ON THE 25TH...26TH AND
27TH WITH 81...90 AND 86...RESPECTIVELY. THAT 90 DEGREE TEMPERATURE ON
THE 26TH WAS THE LATEST 90 OR BETTER TEMPERATURE EVER RECORDED IN FLINT
IN THE FALL. IT WAS INTERESTING TO NOTE...THE "SEMI-ARID" CLIMATE WAS
REFLECTED WELL BY THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HIGHS AND LOWS AND THE
NORMALS. WHILE THE AVERAGE HIGH OF 78.9 WAS A BIG 7.3 DEGREES ABOVE THE
NORMAL OF 71.6...THE AVERAGE LOW OF 51.8 WAS ONLY .7 OF A DEGREE ABOVE
THE NORMAL OF 51.1. THESE LARGE AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE SWINGS REFLECT
MORE OF A DRIER CLIMATE WITH LOWER MOISTURE IN THE SOIL /SIMILAR TO A
DESERT/. NICE WEATHER...ALONG WITH TEMPERATURES PEAKING...OCCURRED
EVERY WEEKEND.
OCTOBER - EXTRAORDINARILY NICE OCTOBER...BUT STILL DRY
WITHOUT A DOUBT...OCTOBER OF 1998 WAS ONE OF THE NICEST IN RECENT
MEMORY ACROSS THE REGION. CONSIDERABLE DAILY SUNSHINE AND ABOVE NORMAL
TEMPERATURES OCCURRED. TEMPERATURES AVERAGED ABOUT A DEGREE AND A HALF
ABOVE NORMAL. THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH...HOWEVER...WAS QUITE A
CONTRAST WITH COOL AND WET CONDITIONS. IN FACT...THE MAJORITY OF
OCTOBER'S RAINFALL /2.23/ OCCURRED THE FIRST WEEK WITH 1.84 INCHES
MEASURED. EVEN WITH THE RAINFALL...ONLY 11.20 INCHES OF THE NORMAL
20.74 FELL SINCE APRIL. THIS MADE IT THE DRIEST APRIL THROUGH OCTOBER
PERIOD EVER RECORDED IN FLINT. THERE WAS HOWEVER...LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINFALL ON THE 6TH IN SOME AREAS. FOR INSTANCE...TRI-CITIES AIRPORT
NEAR SAGINAW RECORDED 3.06 INCHES.
THE TREND OF GOOD WEEKEND WEATHER HELD THROUGH MOST OF OCTOBER WITH
THE EXCEPTION OF 17-18TH IN WHICH RAIN FELL BOTH DAYS. EVEN WITH THE
RAIN...IT MANAGED TO REACH 77 DEGREES ON THE 17TH... NOT BAD WHEN YOU
CONSIDER THE NORMAL HIGH WAS 59.
NOVEMBER - TIES FOR SIXTH WARMEST NOVEMBER
THE RELATIVELY TRANQUIL WEATHER MARRED BY ONE STORM
OCTOBER'S PLEASANT WEATHER TREND CONTINUED RIGHT THROUGH NOVEMBER WITH
TEMPERATURES ABOVE NORMAL AND RELATIVELY DRY WEATHER. ALSO...ABOVE
NORMAL SUNSHINE WAS A BIG PLUS /NOVEMBER IS USUALLY SECOND TO DECEMBER
FOR LACK OF SUNSHINE/. THROUGH MID MONTH...TEMPERATURES AVERAGED ABOUT
TWO DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. BUT DURING THE LAST WEEK...UNSEASONABLY WARM
WEATHER CAUSED READINGS TO AVERAGE OVER 11 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THIS
PUSHED UP NOVEMBER'S AVERAGE TEMPERATURE TO 41.8 AND THIS TIED WITH
SIXTH PLACE /1953/ FOR WARMEST NOVEMBER. THE WARM WEATHER PRODUCED TWO
RECORD HIGHS AT THE END OF THE MONTH. THE TEMPERATURE REACHED 64 ON THE
29TH...BUSTING THE OLD RECORD OF 56 BY 8 DEGREES. THEN ON THE 30TH...
ANOTHER 64 READING BROKE THE OLD RECORD 61 BY 3 DEGREES. UNFORTUNATELY
THE NICE WEATHER...DID LITTLE TO RELIEVE THE DROUGHT LIKE CONDITIONS
OVER THE REGION SINCE SPRING. THERE WAS HOWEVER...ONE VERY INTENSE
STORM CENTER THAT PUSHED THROUGH THE REGION ON 10TH AND 11TH...VETERANS
DAY. THE INTENSE LOW PRESSURE AREA PRODUCED VERY STRONG AND DAMAGING
WINDS. WIND GUSTS REACHED 54 MPH AT BISHOP AIRPORT ON THE 10TH AND 55
MPH ON THE 11TH.
DECEMBER - LIKE SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE IT IN 1998...DECEMBER ALSO
RANKED IN THE TOP TEN WARMEST /FIFTH/
UNUSUALLY MILD AND SUNNY WITH VERY LITTLE SNOW
TEMPERATURES DURING DECEMBER AVERAGED ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH THE 21ST
(WINTER ARRIVED THAT EVENING)...THEN RETURNED TO MORE NORMAL READINGS
THEREAFTER. THE MILD DECEMBER WEATHER MADE THIS THE 5TH WARMEST
DECEMBER ON RECORD IN FLINT. THE FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER WAS EXCEPTION-
ALLY MILD WITH TEMPERATURES AVERAGING CLOSE TO 20 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL.
A RECORD HIGH WAS SET ON THE 5TH WITH 63 DEGREES...AND ON THE 6TH WITH
66 DEGREES /ONE DEGREE SHY OF THE ALL-TIME HIGH TEMPERATURE IN DECEMBER
FOR FLINT /67/. THE PERCENTAGE OF SUNSHINE WAS ALSO UNUSUALLY HIGH FOR
DECEMBER...A MONTH THAT NORMALLY PRODUCES OUR LOWEST SUNSHINE /APPROX
30 PERCENT/. AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WHITE LAKE (JUST SOUTH
OF FLINT)... 49 PERCENT OF THE OF POSSIBLE SUNSHINE OCCURRED. THIS WAS
THE SECOND MOST SUNSHINE EVER OBSERVED DURING THE MONTH OF DECEMBER IN
SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN.
SNOWFALL WAS WELL BELOW NORMAL FOR DECEMBER WITH ONLY 3.4 INCHES
FALLING. THAT PUT THE MONTH IN FOURTH PLACE FOR SNOWLESS DECEMBERS.
A STRONG COLD FRONT PLOWED THROUGH THE REGION LATE ON 6TH AND CREATED
A STRONG SQUALL-LINE OF HEAVY SHOWERS AND GUSTY WIND /46 MPH AT FLINT
BISHOP AIRPORT/.
THE FOLLOWING THE TABLE SHOWS A MONTHLY BREAKDOWN OF TEMPERATURES
AT FLINT BISHOP AIRPORT DURING 1998
1998 MONTHLY TEMPERATURES AT FLINT BISHOP AIRPORT
AVERAGE DEPARTURE RANK FOR WARMEST
MONTH TEMPERATURE FROM NORMAL DURING THE MONTH
----- ----------- ----------- ----------------
JANUARY 29.9 DEGREES +8.4 DEGREES 4TH
FEBRUARY 34.6 DEGREES +11.1 DEGREES 1ST
MARCH 36.4 DEGREES +2.4 DEGREES 11TH
APRIL 47.6 DEGREES +1.6 DEGREES 13TH
MAY 62.9 DEGREES +6.1 DEGREES 3RD
JUNE 66.8 DEGREES +0.9 DEGREES 19TH
JULY 70.4 DEGREES -0.2 DEGREES 20TH
AUGUST 71.1 DEGREES +2.2 DEGREES 9TH-TIED
SEPTEMBER 65.4 DEGREES +4.0 DEGREES 3RD
OCTOBER 51.7 DEGREES +1.6 DEGREES 40TH
NOVEMBER 41.8 DEGREES +2.4 DEGREES 6TH-TIED
DECEMBER 32.2 DEGREES +5.1 DEGREES 5TH
--------- ------------ ------------ ----
OVERALL 50.8 DEGREES +3.1 DEGREES 1ST
THE FOLLOWING TABLE GIVES A MONTHLY BREAK DOWN OF THE PRECIPITATION
DURING 1998...
1998 MONTHLY BREAK DOWN FOR PRECIPITATION AT FLINT BISHOP AIRPORT
AMOUNT OF NORMAL DEPARTURE RANK FOR DRIEST/
MONTH PRECIPITATION PRECIPITATION FROM NORMAL WETTEST MONTH*
----- ------------- ------------- ----------- ----------------
JANUARY 3.16 INCHES 1.39 INCHES +1.77 INCHES 4TH WETTEST
FEBRUARY 1.65 INCHES 1.28 INCHES +0.37 INCHES 22ND WETTEST
MARCH 3.67 INCHES 2.16 INCHES +1.51 INCHES 5TH WETTEST
APRIL 1.45 INCHES 2.94 INCHES -1.49 INCHES 7TH DRIEST
MAY 1.24 INCHES 2.65 INCHES -1.41 INCHES 7TH DRIEST
JUNE 1.25 INCHES 3.21 INCHES -1.96 INCHES 6TH DRIEST
JULY 1.13 INCHES 2.71 INCHES -1.58 INCHES 4TH DRIEST
AUGUST 2.62 INCHES 3.49 INCHES -0.87 INCHES 18TH DRIEST
SEPTEMBER 1.28 INCHES 3.56 INCHES -2.28 INCHES 9TH DRIEST
OCTOBER 2.23 INCHES 2.18 INCHES +0.05 INCHES 30TH DRIEST
NOVEMBER 1.58 INCHES 2.60 INCHES -1.02 INCHES 18TH DRIEST
DECEMBER 1.50 INCHES 2.11 INCHES -0.61 INCHES 24TH DRIEST
-------- ------------ ------------ ------------ -----------
OVERALL 22.76 INCHES 30.28 INCHES -7.52 INCHES 5TH DRIEST
* RANKINGS ARE FOR FLINT BISHOP AIRPORT BASED ON 56 YEARS OF
RECORDS.
*****DEEDLER/BOYNE*****
