Labor Day Weather Extremes for Southwest Lower Michigan

Labor Day was first celebrated by the Central Labor Union in New York City on Tuesday, September 5th, 1882.  The observance of Labor Day spread through other Labor organizations through 1885, when governmental recognition began in some local municipalities. From 1886 through 1894, individual states and territories began to observe the holiday. Finally on June 28th, 1894, the U.S. Congress passed a law that made Labor Day a legal holiday to be observed the first Monday of September each year.

With the change of the calendar date each year for the holiday, climate records for a holiday like this are not easily obtained. We have researched the date the holiday has fallen on each year back to when Labor Day became a legal holiday in 1894. We then researched the data for Labor Day each year for our three main climate sites, Grand Rapids, Muskegon, and Lansing. Grand Rapids period of record is 1894-2011, Muskegon period of record is 1896-2011, and Lansing period of record is 1894-2011. The results are below. 

  

Grand Rapids

Period of Record 1894-2011
Warmest High Temperature

1. 97 degrees - 9/6/1954

2. 96 degrees - 9/1/1913

3. 94 degrees - 9/7/1971
Coldest High Temperature

1. 53 degrees - 9/2/1974

2. 60 degrees - 9/5/1988

3. 61 degrees - 9/7/1914
Warmest Low Temperature

1. 71 degrees - 9/7/1959

(t)2. 70 degrees - 9/2/1957

        70 degrees - 9/1/1930

2 others tied at 70 degrees
Coldest Low Temperature

1. 37 degrees - 9/2/1946

2. 42 degrees - 9/2/1974

(t)3. 43 degrees - 9/6/1976

(t)3. 43 degrees - 9/6/1909
Wettest

1. 1.44 inches - 9/7/1942

2. 1.11 inches - 9/7/1970

3. 1.02 inches - 9/6/1971

  Muskegon

Period of Record 1894-2011
Warmest High Temperature

1. 95 degrees - 9/6/1954

2. 90 degrees - 9/1/1913

3. 89 degrees - 9/3/1973
Coldest High Temperature

1. 58 degrees - 9/2/1974

(t)2. 62 degrees - 9/5/1988

        62 degrees - 9/2/1946
Warmest Low Temperature

1. 75 degrees - 9/7/1959

2. 72 degrees - 9/5/1983

(t)3. 70 degrees - 9/2/1957

        70 degrees - 9/2/1912
Coldest Low Temperature

(t)1. 40 degrees - 9/2/1946

        40 degrees - 9/7/1908

3. 41 degrees - 9/2/1974
Wettest

1. 1.49 inches - 9/4/1939

2. 0.72 inches - 9/6/1915

3. 0.66 inches - 9/1/1952

Lansing

Period of Record 1863-2011
Warmest High Temperature

1. 97 degrees - 9/3/1973

2. 94 degrees - 9/6/1954

3. 92 degrees - 9/2/1929
Coldest High Temperature

1. 57 degrees - 9/2/1974

2. 59 degrees - 9/5/1988

3. 61 degrees - 9/5/2011
Warmest Low Temperature

1. 70 degrees - 9/2/1957

2. 69 degrees - 9/7/1970

(t)3. 68 degrees - 9/5/1983

4 others tied at 68 degrees
Coldest Low Temperature

1. 37 degrees - 9/6/1976

2. 40 degrees - 9/2/1946

(t)3. 43 degrees - 9/2/1991

4 others tied at 43 degrees
Wettest

1. 1.10 inches - 9/7/1936

2. 0.92 inches - 9/6/1971

3. 0.69 inches - 9/5/1898



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