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000
CXUS53 KGRR 011229
CLMGRR

CLIMATE REPORT...WITH NARRATIVE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS, MI
829 AM EDT WED AUG 1 2012

...................................

...THE GRAND RAPIDS MI CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF JULY 2012...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1892 TO 2012

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH             108   07/13/1936
 LOW               41   07/06/1983
HIGHEST           104   07/06        93      11       97  07/20
LOWEST             60   07/29        48      12       58  07/14
                        07/21                             07/07
                        07/11
AVG. MAXIMUM     91.1R             82.8     8.3     87.0
AVG. MINIMUM     67.4              62.2     5.2     67.1
MEAN             79.2              72.5     6.7     77.0
DAYS MAX >= 90     18               3.5    14.5        7
DAYS MAX <= 32      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MIN <= 32      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MIN <= 0       0               0.0     0.0        0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM         8.83   1992
 MINIMUM         0.25   1894
TOTALS           2.56              3.78   -1.22     6.87
DAILY AVG.       0.08              0.12   -0.04     0.22
DAYS >= .01         7               9.7    -2.7        9
DAYS >= .10         5               6.1    -1.1        6
DAYS >= .50         2               2.5    -0.5        4
DAYS >= 1.00        0               1.0    -1.0        2
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.78   07/26 TO 07/27

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL              T   1990
 24 HR TOTAL        T   MM
 SNOW DEPTH         T   MM
TOTALS            0.0               0.0     0.0      0.0
 LIQUID EQUIV    0.00              0.00    0.00     0.00
SINCE 7/1         0.0               0.0     0.0      0.0
 LIQUID 7/1      0.00              0.00    0.00     0.00
SNOWDEPTH AVG.      0                MM      MM        0
DAYS >= TRACE       0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS >= 1.0         0               0.0     0.0        0
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH         0   MM                             0  MM
 24 HR TOTAL      0.0

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL       0                 6      -6        0
 SINCE 7/1          0                 6      -6        0
COOLING TOTAL     449               239     210      381
 SINCE 1/1        765               431     334      596

FREEZE DATES
RECORD
 EARLIEST     09/03/1946
 LATEST       06/04/1945
EARLIEST                        10/13
LATEST                          05/02
..................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              7.3
RESULTANT WIND SPEED/DIRECTION   2/254
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    36/010    DATE  07/31
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    45/360    DATE  07/31

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   80
AVERAGE SKY COVER           0.40
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR           11
NUMBER OF DAYS PC             19
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY          1

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     61

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              6     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                4     RAIN                       4
LIGHT RAIN               12     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       0
LIGHT SNOW                0     SLEET                      0
FOG                       7     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      1
HAZE                      6

-  INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R  INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T  INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.

&&

JULY 2012 WAS ONE FOR THE RECORD BOOKS. THE WORST HEAT WAVE IN
DECADES STRUCK SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF THE
MONTH AS THE THERMOMETER ROSE TO LEVELS NOT REACHED IN SOME
LOCATIONS SINCE RECORD KEEPING BEGAN IN THE MID TO LATE 1800S. A
POTENT AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE BECAME ENTRENCHED ACROSS THE
MIDWEST...HELPING TO PROLONG THE VERY DRY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREA
WHICH ULTIMATELY LED TO A DROUGHT SITUATION. HIGH TEMPERATURES
SOARED INTO THE 100S...WITH EVEN SOME LOCATIONS NEAR LAKE MICHIGAN
REMARKABLY REACHING THE UPPER 90S TO LOW 100S AS WELL. A NEW ALL
TIME RECORD OF 103 DEGREES WAS REACHED AT LANSING ON THE 6TH AND
MUSKEGON TIED THEIR ALL TIME RECORD OF 99 ON THE 6TH AS WELL. GRAND
RAPIDS RECORDED THE 3RD HIGHEST TEMPERATURE EVER WITH 104 DEGREES ON
THE 6TH.

THE SECOND AND THIRD WEEKS OF THE MONTH WERE NOT AS HOT AS THE
FIRST...BUT NEVERTHELESS 90S WERE COMMONPLACE. IT BECAME READILY
APPARENT THAT THIS JULY WAS GOING TO RANK AT OR NEAR THE TOP IN
TERMS OF OVERALL TEMPERATURE. GRAND RAPIDS NEVER DIPPED BELOW 60
DEGREES FOR A LOW TEMPERATURE...THE FIRST TIME THAT HAS EVER
HAPPENED. THE FINAL WEEK OF THE MONTH OFFERED MORE PLEASANT
TEMPERATURES IN THE MID TO UPPER 80S AND NEAR 90...BUT ULTIMATELY
THE MONTH ENDED WITH RECORD NUMBERS. LANSING AND MUSKEGON BOTH
RECORDED THEIR WARMEST JULY EVER...WITH GRAND RAPIDS COMING IN AT
NUMBER TWO. IN ADDITION...GRAND RAPIDS AND MUSKEGON BOTH SET NEW
RECORDS FOR THE AVERAGE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE READINGS OF 91.1 AND
88.0 RESPECTIVELY.

DROUGHT CONDITIONS WORSENED DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH AS SOME
AREAS RECEIVED LITTLE TO NO RAINFALL DURING THE PREVIOUS 4 WEEKS OR
SO. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THE MONTH
PROVIDED SOME LOCAL RELIEF IN SPOTS...BUT DID NOT WIPE OUT THE
OVERALL DROUGHT BY ANY MEANS. A SQUALL LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS PRESSED THROUGH THE REGION ON THE 31ST...KNOCKING DOWN
PLENTY OF TREES AND TAKING OUT POWER TO THOUSANDS WITH PROLIFIC
LIGHTNING. OTHERWISE...FEW SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS WERE OBSERVED
DURING THE MONTH.


$$

HOVING