Now that 2012 is over the Grand Rapids National Weather Service has finished calculating the numbers and last year was the warmest year ever. For Grand Rapids the records date back to 1896. Here are the top three warmest years:
- 52.9° 2012
- 52.4° 1921
- 52.3° 1931
Here are a few of the events that the weather service highlighted:
2012 ended up being the warmest year on record as a result of the extremely warm March in which average temperatures were over 14 degrees above average, and as a result of 11 out of the 12 months being above average. Below are a few other highlights that helped to make 2012 the warmest year on record across the area:
1) March was the warmest on record for all of Southwest Lower Michigan.
2) March had the highest daily departure from normal ever recorded for any day in any month of any year on record at Grand Rapids, 37 degrees, on March 21st. The previous record was 34 degrees, March 8th 2000.
3) July's mean temperature was the warmest on record at Grand Rapids.
4) July 2012 was the first time since 1988 many locations in Southwest Michigan had highs of 100 degrees or higher.
5) Grand Rapids recorded the 3rd highest temperature ever with 104 degrees on the 6th.
6) At Grand Rapids, the 54.9% sunshine for 2012 was the 5th sunniest on record going back to 1903. The top two years with most sunshine were 1939 with 57.8% and 1946 was close with 57.7%. In a normal year Grand Rapids gets about 46% of the possible sunshine. The last year with more shine than this was 1963 with 55.4%.
7) At Grand Rapids there were 5 months that averaged at least 5 degrees above normal, this has happened only twice (2012 and 1921).
8) At Grand Rapids 2012 was the first year on record with no month being even 1/2 a degree below normal.
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