The new year has started just like 2023 - mild! Most of Northern Michigan had above-average temps and dry conditions.
The year began with limited snow and only bursts of cold air. The snow that did fall lasted only a few weeks and then melted just as fast. There was enough cold air to make enough ice to go fishing, but the ice fishing season didn’t last long.
Snowfall was below average for most areas, leading to an extended fire danger season. There was a significant fire just south of Grayling that impacted travelers along I-75. The spring was dry and warm but not all the time.
April 1st was an incredibly snowy day for Sault Ste. Marie. They received 18.6″ making it the snowiest April calendar day on record!
The summer had its ups and downs with a burst of hot weather in late May and early June. More notable were waves of thick smoke from wildfires in western and eastern Canada from late Spring through at least mid-summer.
Our summer heat didn’t want to end either with some of the warmest temps arriving on Labor Day. Gaylord and Alpena reached 94 degrees on September 4th and Traverse City hit 94 on the 5th.
There was even more heat in early October. While everyone had the heat, Sault Ste. Marie was really toasty. They broke record highs 2 days in a row and the 83 made for an all-time record high for the Month!
This fall and winter did feature some snow but what fell didn’t last long as skies remained fairly dry and temperatures were above average.
