Back-to-back powerful Pacific storm systems to impact the Pacific Northwest and northern California through the end of this week with heavy rain, flooding, strong winds, and higher elevation mountain snow. A strong, long-duration atmospheric river will accompany the Pacific storms, bringing excessive rainfall and flash flooding to southwest Oregon and northwest California through the week. Read More >
Upper Michigan Heat Wave 2013
Now that the heat and humidity have given way to cooler weather we thought we would take a look back at the recent heat wave over Upper Michigan. Overall, the duration of such warm temperatures both at day and night and the prolonged oppressive higher dewpoints and humidity ended up being most significant about this heat wave.
The stretch of very warm conditions started on Saturday July 13th when the high temperature at our office in Negaunee township reached 86 degrees. High temperatures then reached at least 85 degrees through Thursday July 18th. The warmest reading was a toasty 92 degrees achieved on Tuesday July 16th. The next day the mercury topped out at 91 degrees. Neither day set a record high though and neither is even in the top 20 as far as warmest temperatures on record at NWS Marquette, MI. By the way, the warmest high temperature on record at our office is 99 degrees set multiple times, the most recent time on July 28th 1988.
These high temperatures also came along with oppressive humidity – especially on Tuesday July 16th when dewpoints were in the lower 70s which resulted in heat indices around 100 degrees. Keep in mind that when the dewpoint reaches above 60 degrees it starts to get uncomfortable and when it pushes past 70 degrees it can be downright miserable.
Here is a sampling of high temperatures across the area during this recent warm spell (warmest temp during the period is in red):
Locations | July 13th | July 14th | July 15th | July 16th | July 17th | July 18th | July 19th |
Ironwood | 82 | 82 | 86 | 90 | 88 | 91 | 82 |
Houghton | 83 | 83 | 82 | 87 | 85 | 89 | 75 |
Copper Harbor | 79 | 77 | 80 | 89 | 83 | 79 | 77 |
Iron Mountain | 87 | 88 | 91 | 94 | 93 | 94 | 87 |
NWS Marquette | 86 | 88 | 89 | 92 | 91 | 85 | 79 |
Marquette Lakeshore | 82 | 85 | 75 | 83 | 84 | 81 | 81 |
Escanaba | 79 | 82 | 84 | 84 | 91 | 84 | 88 |
Menominee | 82 | 84 | 86 | 88 | 88 | 91 | 90 |
Munising Lakeshore | 89 | 90 | 85 | 95 | 85 | 86 | 82 |
Newberry | 82 | 86 | 90 | 90 | 91 | 81 | 81 |
Manistique | 72 | 77 | 82 | 81 | 89 | 77 | 87 |
So the question now is how did this stretch of warm temperatures compare to periods of hotter temperatures in previous years?
Consecutive Days with Max Temperatures at or Above 85 Degrees at NWS Marquette, MI:
Duration | Year | Dates | Max Temp |
10 Days | 1995 | June 15th - 24th | 96 |
10 Days | 1983 | July 11th - 20th | 95 (twice) |
7 Days | 2011 | July 16th - 22nd | 94 (twice) |
6 Days | 2013** | July 13th - 18th | 92 |
6 Days | 2007 | June 10th - 15th | 91 |
6 Days | 1991 | August 25th - 30th | 93 |
Consecutive Days with Low Temperatures at or Above 65 Degrees at NWS Marquette, MI:
Duration | Year | Dates | Highest Min Temp |
6 Days | 2013** | July 13th - 18th | 68 |
5 Days | 2010 | July 3rd - 7th | 68 |
5 Days | 1988 | July 5th - 9th | 73 |
4 Days | 2001 | August 5th - 8th | 71 |
4 Days | 1995 | August 8th - 11th | 67 |