GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — This September sure loves the 80s! West Michigan is currently in a several-day stretch where the high temperature has exceeded 80°, with a few more warm days ahead.
A stagnant weather pattern across the Great Lakes region has led to a near repeat forecast for over a week, with warm and dry conditions persisting. This is mostly expected to hold through the weekend before a more typical late September weather pattern begins to return next week.
Grand Rapids has recorded ten 80°+ days so far in September, including eight in a row, starting September 10. The longest consecutive stretch of 80°+ high temperatures in the month of September is 11 days, set in 1961.
The abnormal warmth has been felt at the lakeshore too, with Muskegon on a current seven day stretch of 80+. In this stretch, Muskegon has broken three record high temperatures – September 14 (90°), 15 (89°), 16 (90°). The old high temperature record of September 14 and 15 was set back in 1897! The 90 recorded September 16 is the latest 90° day in a year for Muskegon since 2017.
If the current forecast holds, both Grand Rapids and Muskegon will set a new consecutive record of 80°+ days during the month of September.
On top of the warmth, it’s been abnormally dry throughout the first half of September. There have only been two days of recorded rainfall this month, occurring on September 5 and 6. As a result, West Michigan is currently 1” to 2” below average in rainfall.
No meaningful rain is expected through the weekend, but recent model trends do point to rainfall returning next week.
While signs point to an end to the 80s next week, above-average warmth is likely to continue through the end of the month. Putting it in perspective, average high temperatures towards the end of September settle in the upper 60s to lower 70s.
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