000 CXUS53 KMQT 102308 CLMMQT CLIMATE REPORT...FINAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 715 PM EDT FRI SEP 10 2004 ................................... ...THE MARQUETTE CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST 2004... CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1971 TO 2000 CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1961 TO 2004 WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR'S VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE DATE(S) NORMAL ................................................................ TEMPERATURE (F) RECORD HIGH 96 08/06/2001 LOW 31 08/30/1976 HIGHEST 84 08/01 MM MM 92 08/19 LOWEST 37 08/19 MM MM 43 08/30 08/29 08/12 AVG. MAXIMUM 70.7 73.6 -2.9 77.3 AVG. MINIMUM 48.0 52.3 -4.3 54.5 MEAN 59.4 63.0 -3.6 65.9 DAYS MAX >= 90 0 MM MM 1 DAYS MAX <= 32 0 MM MM 0 DAYS MIN <= 32 0 MM MM 0 DAYS MIN <= 0 0 MM MM 0 PRECIPITATION (INCHES) RECORD MAXIMUM MM MM MINIMUM MM MM TOTALS 3.18 3.55 -0.37 1.36 DAILY AVG. 0.10 0.11 -0.01 0.04 DAYS >= .01 16 MM MM 8 DAYS >= .10 8 MM MM 5 DAYS >= .50 2 MM MM 0 DAYS >= 1.00 1 MM MM 0 GREATEST 24 HR. TOTAL 1.53 08/24 TO 08/25 SNOWFALL (INCHES) RECORDS TOTAL 0.0 MM TOTALS 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 SINCE 7/1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 SNOWDEPTH AVG. 0 MM MM 0 DAYS >= 1.0 0 MM MM 0 GREATEST SNOW DEPTH 0 MM 0 MM 24 HR TOTAL 0.0 08/31 TO 08/31 DEGREE_DAYS HEATING TOTAL 195 119 76 62 SINCE 7/1 332 202 130 140 COOLING TOTAL 29 64 -35 100 SINCE 1/1 104 213 -109 224 ................................................................. WIND (MPH) AVERAGE WIND SPEED MM HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION MM DATE MM HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 44/270 DATE 08/18 SKY COVER POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT) 68 AVERAGE SKY COVER MM NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR 0 NUMBER OF DAYS PC 0 NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY 0 AVERAGE RH (PERCENT) MM WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH THUNDERSTORM 3 MIXED PRECIP 0 HEAVY RAIN 1 RAIN 1 LIGHT RAIN 17 FREEZING RAIN 0 LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0 HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 0 LIGHT SNOW 0 SLEET 0 FOG 6 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 0 HAZE 0 - INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS. R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED. MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING. T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT. && ...AUGUST 2004 MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR UPPER MICHIGAN... ...TEMPERATURES WELL BELOW NORMAL... ...SECOND COOLEST AUGUST AT MUNISING... ...THIRD COOLEST AUGUST AT IRONWOOD... ...FOURTH COOLEST AUGUST AT THE MARQUETTE NWS AND IRON MOUNTAIN... ...SIXTH COOLEST AUGUST AT MARQUETTE CITY... ...EIGHTH COOLEST AUGUST AT MANISTIQUE... ...TENTH COOLEST AUGUST AT NEWBERRY... ...RAINFALL NEAR NORMAL TO ABOVE NORMAL AT MOST SPOTS... ...FIFTH WETTEST AUGUST AT MUNISING... AUGUST CLIMATE STATISTICS FOR THE MARQUETTE NWS IN NEGAUNEE TOWNSHIP NORMAL DEPARTURE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 59.4 63.0 MINUS 3.6 AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE 70.7 73.6 MINUS 2.9 AVERAGE LOW TEMPERATURE 48.0 52.3 MINUS 4.3 HEATING DEGREE DAYS 195 119 PLUS 76 COOLING DEGREE DAYS 29 64 MINUS 35 TOTAL PRECIPITATION 3.18 3.55 MINUS 0.37 TOTAL SNOWFALL 0 0 0 HIGHEST TEMPERATURE: 84 ON 8/1 LOWEST TEMPERATURE: 37 ON 8/19 GREATEST CALENDAR DAY PRECIPITATION: 1.28 ON 8/25 GREATEST 24 HOUR PRECIPITATION: 1.53 ON 8/24-8/25 GREATEST CALENDAR DAY SNOWFALL: 0 GREATEST 24 HOUR SNOWFALL: 0 PEAK WIND SPEED: 44 MPH FROM THE WEST ON 8/18 DAILY RECORD PRECIPITATION ON 8/11...0.52 (OLD RECORD 0.38...1989) DAILY RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE ON 8/11...52 (60...1992) DAILY RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE TIED ON 8/28...55 (55...1965) GREAT LAKES WATER LEVELS (FEET/METERS ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL) LAKE SUPERIOR LAKE MICHIGAN-HURON 8/01/04 DAILY MEAN 601.7/183.41 578.6/176.36 8/31/04 DAILY MEAN 601.9/183.45 578.5/176.32 AVG JUL 2004 DAILY MEAN 601.8/183.42 578.7/176.38 AVG AUG 2003 DAILY MEAN 601.3/183.29 577.5/176.02 LONG TERM AUG DAILY MEAN 602.2/183.56 579.4/176.60 MAXIMUM AUG DAILY MEAN 603.2/183.86 582.0/177.39 (1952) (1986) MINIMUM AUG DAILY MEAN 600.5/183.02 576.7/175.77 (1926) (1964) OBTAIN GREAT LAKES WATER LEVEL DATA AS REPORTED BY THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS AT HTTP://WWW.LRE.USACE.ARMY.MIL/GREATLAKES/HH/GREATLAKESWATERLEVELS/ CURRENTCONDITIONS/GREATLAKESWATERLEVELS (ALL LOWER CASE). AUGUST CLIMATE HIGHLIGHTS A PERSISTENT UPPER TROUGH BROUGHT A FIFTH MONTH IN A ROW OF COOLER THAN NORMAL WEATHER TO UPPER MICHIGAN IN AUGUST 2004 AS A NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT DROVE NUMEROUS CANADIAN COLD FRONTS THROUGH THE UPPER GREAT LAKES. JUST LIKE IN JULY...THERE WAS A LACK OF REAL SUMMER HEAT AND NO 90-DEGREE TEMPERATURES REPORTED. AUGUST TEMPERATURES AVERAGED THREE TO SIX DEGREES BELOW NORMAL AT MOST PLACES...AND THIS MONTH PLACED IN THE TOP TEN COOLEST OF EIGHTH MONTHS AT ALMOST ALL REPORTING STATIONS. MUNISING LOGGED A MONTHLY TEMPERATURE DEPARTURE OF -6.2 DEGREES AND THE SECOND COOLEST AUGUST ON RECORD. ONLY AUGUST IN 1950 WAS COOLER AT MUNISING THAN IN 2004 (MEAN TEMPERATURE 57.6 DEGREES VERSUS 58.7 IN 2004). AT IRONWOOD...WHERE RECORDS DATE BACK TO 1901...AUGUST 2004 (58.6 DEGREES) WAS THE THIRD COOLEST IN THE LAST 103 YEARS...TRAILING ONLY 1977 (56.5) AND 1907 (58.5) FOR FIRST PLACE AS THE COOLEST AUGUST IN OVER A CENTURY. DESPITE FAIRLY ABUNDANT AUGUST PRECIPITATION THAT MINIMIZED FIRE DANGER AND MAINTAINED FAVORABLE SOIL MOISTURE FOR LUSH PLANT GROWTH...CROPS LIKE TOMATOES THAT THRIVE ON WARMER WEATHER FARED POORLY DURING SUMMER 2004 BECAUSE OF THIS AUGUST (AND JULY) CHILL. ALTHOUGH THE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT TENDED TO KEEP STRONGER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS AND MORE SUBSTANTIAL GULF OF MEXICO MOISTURE FROM INVADING THE UPPER GREAT LAKES AND INTERACTING WITH THE NUMEROUS COLD FRONTAL PASSAGES...PRECIPITATION OPPORTUNITIES WERE FAIRLY FREQUENT. SO MONTHLY RAINFALL WAS NORMAL TO ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE MOST PART. FAR WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN WAS PARTICULARLY WET BECAUSE THESE COUNTIES WERE IN A FAVORABLE LOCATION RELATIVE TO THE TRACK OF UPPER AIR DISTURBANCES WHEN THE TROUGH DEEPENED AROUND 8/10 AND WHEN A STRONGER SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT ADVECTED MORE SUMMER-LIKE MOISTURE INTO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES AROUND 8/25. IN FACT...A SWATH FROM IRONWOOD THROUGH ONTONAGON COUNTY AND INTO THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA AND BARAGA COUNTY PICKED UP 5 TO 7 INCHES OF RAIN IN AUGUST...ABOUT 150 TO 200 PERCENT OF NORMAL. BARAGA WAS THE WET SPOT WITH 6.71 INCHES TOTAL AUGUST RAINFALL...BUOYED BY A 3.88-INCH DOWNPOUR DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 8/25-8/26. THERE WAS ANOTHER AXIS OF HEAVIER RAIN AROUND MUNISING IN ALGER COUNTY. IN FACT... MUNISING EXPERIENCED ITS FIFTH WETTEST AUGUST WITH 4.95 INCHES OF RAIN (ABOUT 150 PERCENT OF NORMAL). THE ONLY AREAS THAT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIALLY LESS PRECIPITATION THAN NORMAL WERE ACROSS THE FAR SOUTH NEAR MENOMINEE AND CENTERED AROUND IRON COUNTY...WHICH JUST MISSED THE HEAVIER RAINS THAT HIT THE FAR WEST AROUND 8/25. STAMBAUGH IN IRON COUNTY AND MENOMINEE MEASURED ONLY 1.83 INCHES AND 1.74 INCHES RESPECTIVELY...ABOUT 50 PERCENT OF USUAL AUGUST RAINFALL. ALTHOUGH AUGUST STARTED ON A WARM NOTE WITH DAILY TEMPERATURES AVERAGING 5 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL ON 8/1 AND 8/2...A POTENT COLD FRONT THAT TRACKED ACROSS THE U.P. LATE ON 8/2 ADVECTED A COOLER AIRMASS INTO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES ON 8/3. THIS FRONT SERVED AS A FOCAL POINT FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ACROSS MAINLY SOUTH CENTRAL AND EASTERN UPPER MICHIGAN ON 8/2...AND SOME OF THE STORMS IN DELTA AND SCHOOLCRAFT COUNTY BECAME SEVERE AND PRODUCED TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS. GLADSTONE IN DELTA COUNTY WAS DELUGED BY 3.30 INCHES OF RAIN. THIS HEAVY RAIN CAUSED SOME FLOODING...WHICH CLOSED PORTIONS OF M-35. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WERE NOTED AS WELL ACROSS PORTIONS OF DELTA AND SCHOOLCRAFT COUNTIES. TEMPERATURES DURING THE PERIOD 8/4-8/7 AVERAGED ABOUT 5 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL AS DRY CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE DOMINATED AND BROUGHT SOME DELIGHTFUL MID-SUMMER WEATHER TO THE AREA. OVERNIGHT LOWS FELL INTO THE 30S AT SOME OF THE COOLER INLAND LOCATIONS...INCLUDING A FROSTY 33-DEGREE READING AT WATERSMEET IN GOGEBIC COUNTY AT DAWN ON 8/5. THERE WAS A BRIEF WARMUP ON 8/8 AND 8/9 AS THE UPPER TROUGH DEEPENED JUST TO THE WEST...INCREASING THE SOUTHWEST FLOW OF WARMER AND MOISTER AIR INTO THE UPPER LAKES. THE INTERACTION OF THIS MORE HUMID AND UNSTABLE FLOW AND THE NEXT IN THE SERIES OF STRONG COLD FRONTS WAS MORE THAN ENOUGH TO TRIGGER NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ON 8/8 AND 8/9. SOME OF THE HEAVIER SHOWERS PRODUCED HEAVY RAIN... INCLUDING 1.06 INCHES AT MUNISING ON 8/8 AND AS MUCH AS 1.25 INCH AT PELKIE ON THE BARAGA-HOUGHTON COUNTY LINE ON 8/9. SOME OF THE STORMS ALSO BECAME SEVERE ON 8/9 EAST OF IRON MOUNTAIN AND MARQUETTE... DROPPING LARGE HAIL AND/OR CAUSING DAMAGING WINDS IN MENOMINEE... MARQUETTE...AND DELTA COUNTIES. HAIL AS LARGE AS GOLFBALLS FELL JUST SOUTH OF HARVEY IN MARQUETTE COUNTY UNDER THE MOST INTENSE THUNDERSTORM. VERY COOL AIR FOLLOWED THIS FRONT INTO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES ON 8/10-8/14...WHEN DAILY TEMPERATURES AVERAGED 10 DEGREES BELOW THE MEAN. A STRONG UPPER AIR DISTURBANCE BROUGHT SOME HEAVY RAIN TO WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN ON 8/10-8/11...INCLUDING 2.20 INCHES AT ATLANTIC MINE IN HOUGHTON COUNTY...2.00 INCHES AT PHOENIX IN KEWEENAW COUNTY...1.48 INCHES AT IRONWOOD...1.40 INCHES AT BIG BAY IN MARQUETTE COUNTY... AND 1.37 INCHES AT BRUCE CROSSING IN ONTONAGON COUNTY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS FELL OFF SHARPLY TO THE EAST. THE COMBINATION OF THE CLOUDS...RAINFALL...AND COOLER AIR RESULTED IN UNSEASONABLY LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES ON 8/10 AND 8/11...READINGS MORE TYPICAL OF MID-APRIL OR MID-OCTOBER. THE 51-DEGREE HIGH AT IRONWOOD ON 8/10 SMASHED THE PREVIOUS RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 59 FOR THE DATE THAT HAD STOOD SINCE 1903. FOR THE SECOND DAY IN A ROW...IRONWOOD ON 8/11 SAW ITS PREVIOUS RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE DEMOLISHED...WITH THE 49-DEGREE HIGH EASILY ECLIPSING THE STANDARD OF 55 LOGGED ON 8/11/1964. THE MARQUETTE NWS RECORDED A HIGH OF 52...ALMOST 10 DEGREES LOWER THAN THE PREVIOUS RECORD LOW MAXIMUM OF 60 OBSERVED ON 8/11/1992. ONCE SKIES CLEARED WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE CENTER ON 8/12...OVERNIGHT LOWS ON 8/13... 8/14 AND 8/15 BOTTOMED OUT IN THE 30S AT THE COOLER INLAND PLACES. THE MERCURY REACHED AS LOW AS 31 AT WATERSMEET ON 8/13...31 AT CHAMPION IN MARQUETTE COUNTY ON 8/14...AND 35 AT CHAMPION ON 8/15. TEMPERATURES RECOVERED TO NEAR NORMAL ON 8/15 THROUGH 8/18. BUT THE PASSAGE OF ANOTHER STRONG COLD FRONT DELIVERED THE NEXT PUNCH OF COOL CANADIAN AIR. THERE WERE THUNDERSTORMS IN ADVANCE OF THIS FRONT ON 8/18...INCLUDING ONE THAT DELUGED DAGGETT IN MENOMINEE COUNTY WITH 0.91 INCH OF RAIN IN JUST 15 MINUTES. ANOTHER THUNDERSTORM IN MENOMINEE COUNTY PRODUCED WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND FELLED LARGE TREES NEAR STEPHENSON. STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT APPROACHED 60 MPH OVER THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA...RESULTING IN DOWNED TREES AND POWER OUTAGES OVER THE KEWEENAW. COOL WEATHER WAS THEN THE RULE FROM 8/19 THROUGH 8/23. DAILY TEMPERATURES DURING THIS 5-DAY PERIOD AVERAGED CLOSE TO 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THERE WERE MORE LOWS IN THE 30S DURING THIS TIME AWAY FROM THE WARMER LAKESHORES... INCLUDING 33 AT CHAMPION ON 8/19...36 AT CHAMPION ON 8/20...AND 34 NEAR IRON MOUNTAIN ON 8/21. SINCE THIS AIRMASS WAS DRIER THAN THE ONE WHICH BROUGHT THE COOL PERIOD ON 8/10-8/14...THERE WAS MORE SUNSHINE AND NO RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES. THE UPPER AIR PATTERN UNDERWENT A MAJOR CHANGE ON 8/24 TO ONE THAT FEATURED AN UPPER RIDGE IN THE EASTERN U.S. AND THE GREAT LAKES. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN AUGUST...DAILY TEMPERATURES AVERAGED WELL ABOVE NORMAL 8/25-8/27...AS MUCH AS 10 DEGREES ABOVE THE MEAN. A FRONTAL BOUNDARY ON THE NORTHERN EDGE OF THE BUILDING WARM AIR MASS REMAINED NOT FAR FROM THE U.P. ON 8/24-8/27 AND SERVED AS THE FOCUS FOR NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AS THIS FRONT INTERACTED WITH INCREASINGLY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR. THE FIRST ROUND OF HEAVY RAIN FELL OVER THE EASTERN TWO-THIRDS OF UPPER MICHIGAN AND WAS COINCIDENT WITH THE PASSAGE OF A WARM FRONT DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 8/24-8/25. AS MUCH AS 1.57 INCHES FELL AT COOKS IN SCHOOLCRAFT COUNTY AND 1.53 INCHES AT THE MARQUETTE NWS. ANOTHER ROUND OF WIDESPREAD HEAVY SHOWERS STRUCK FAR WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN ON 8/25- 8/26. RAINFALL FROM IRONWOOD TO BARAGA BECAME EXCESSIVE IN SOME AREAS...WITH UP TO 5 INCHES FALLING NEAR BOB LAKE IN HOUGHTON COUNTY...3.88 INCHES AT BARAGA...2.25 INCHES AT PELKIE NEAR THE BARAGA-HOUGHTON COUNTY LINE...1.60 INCHES AT IRONWOOD AND 1.52 INCHES AT MASS CITY IN ONTONAGON COUNTY. PRECIPITATION TOTALS JUST TO THE EAST DECREASED RAPIDLY...AND A SWATH FROM IRON COUNTY TO MARQUETTE PICKED UP LESS THAN 0.10 INCH OF RAIN. A FINAL ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTED UPPER MICHIGAN ON 8/26-8/27 AS A COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH A DEEPENING UPPER TROUGH IN SOUTHERN CANADA SMASHED INTO THE RIDGE AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS IN PLACE. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS DROPPED HEAVY RAIN AND TURNED SEVERE. IN MARQUETTE COUNTY...ONE STORM BOMBARDED A LOCATION JUST SOUTHEAST OF HARVEY WITH GOLFBALL-SIZED HAIL. AT LEAST AN INCH OF RAIN FELL ALONG A LINE FROM NORWAY IN DICKINSON COUNTY TO MUNISING...AND SKANDIA IN EASTERN MARQUETTE COUNTY LOGGED 1.61 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION. RAINFALL TOTALS OVER THE FAR WEST AND NEAR LAKE MICHIGAN WERE MUCH LESS. THE STRENGTHENING TROUGH DROPPED YET ANOTHER CHILLY AIRMASS INTO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES AT MONTH'S END. DAILY TEMPERATURES ON 8/28-8/31 RAN CLOSE TO 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF CLOUD COVER AND EVEN A FEW SHOWERS DURING THIS TIME...AND A FEW MORE RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WERE ESTABLISHED ON 8/28 AND 8/29. BOTH THE MARQUETTE NWS AND IRONWOOD OBSERVED A HIGH OF 55 ON 8/28...TYING THE PREVIOUS RECORD LOW MAXIMUM FOR THE DATE AT BOTH SPOTS. THE RECORD AT IRONWOOD HAD STOOD ALONE SINCE 1903. THE CLOUD COVER TENDED TO HOLD UP MORNING TEMPERATURES...BUT THE MERCURY AT IRONWOOD REACHED 36 AT DAWN ON 8/29. SOME OTHER TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION OBSERVATIONS ACROSS UPPER MICHIGAN IN AUGUST 2004 INCLUDE: IRONWOOD...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 58.6 (4.9 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL) PRECIPITATION 5.44 INCHES (1.72 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL) WAKEFIELD (GOGEBIC COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 5.43 INCHES WATERSMEET (GOGEBIC COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 57.3 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 2.58 INCHES ROCKLAND (ONTONAGON COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 6.31 INCHES BERGLAND DAM (ONTONAGON COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 58.1 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 4.94 INCHES BRUCE CROSSING (ONTONAGON COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 2.90 INCHES CALUMET...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 60.5 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 4.97 INCHES PHOENIX (KEWEENAW COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 56.6 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 5.03 INCHES COPPER HARBOR...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 61.1 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 6.00 INCHES PELKIE (BARAGA/HOUGHTON COUNTY LINE)...PRECIPITATION 6.21 INCHES BARAGA...PRECIPITATION 6.71 INCHES WATTON (BARAGA COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 57.0 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 2.18 INCHES BIG BAY (MARQUETTE COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 59.5 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 3.63 INCHES MARQUETTE CITY...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 62.5 (3.4 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL) PRECIPITATION 2.99 INCHES (0.02 INCH BELOW NORMAL) GWINN (MARQUETTE COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 3.36 INCHES CHATHAM (ALGER COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 58.1 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 5.74 INCHES MUNISING...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 58.7 (6.2 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL) PRECIPITATION 4.95 INCHES (1.75 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL) GRAND MARAIS (ALGER COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 60.3 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 3.55 INCHES NEWBERRY...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 59.9 (3.9 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL) PRECIPITATION 3.12 INCHES (0.37 INCH BELOW NORMAL) STAMBAUGH (IRON COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 61.0 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 1.83 INCHES FORTUNE LAKE (IRON COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 59.3 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 2.10 INCHES PAINT LAKE (IRON COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 2.28 INCHES IRON MOUNTAIN...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 62.1 (3.7 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL) PRECIPITATION 3.48 INCHES (0.30 INCH BELOW NORMAL) RANDVILLE (DICKINSON COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 2.49 INCHES LA BRANCHE (MENOMINEE COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 3.59 INCHES DAGGETT (MENOMINEE COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 2.45 INCHES STEPHENSON (MENOMINEE COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 61.6 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 1.46 INCHES MENOMINEE...PRECIPITATION 1.74 INCHES BARK RIVER (DELTA COUNTY)...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 61.1 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 2.76 INCHES COOKS (SCHOOLCRAFT COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 4.27 INCHES MANISTIQUE...AVERAGE TEMPERATURE 60.6 DEGREES PRECIPITATION 3.90 INCHES SENEY (SCHOOLCRAFT COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 2.99 INCHES ELKHORN (SCHOOLCRAFT COUNTY)...PRECIPITATION 4.84 INCHES AUGUST WEATHER SUMMARY TRANQUIL WEATHER WAS THE RULE AS THE CALENDAR CHANGED FROM JULY TO AUGUST. A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE PASSED TO THE EAST DURING THE MORNING...AND A WARMER AND MORE HUMID SOUTH WIND DEVELOPED ON 8/1. THE MERCURY STARTED THE DAY BETWEEN 49 AND 57...THEN ROSE TO 77 TO 87 DURING THE AFTERNOON...EXCEPT ONLY 70 TO 76 ALONG THE COOLER LAKE MICHIGAN SHORE. MORNING SUNSHINE GAVE WAY TO A MIX OF SUN AND CLOUDS. ALTHOUGH SOME ISOLATED SHOWERS DEVELOPED WITH THE HEATING OF THE DAY OVER SOUTHERN UPPER MICHIGAN...RAINFALL AMOUNTS WERE LESS THAN 0.10 INCH. LOWS DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 8/1-8/2 WERE 55 TO 65. THEN A STRONG COLD FRONT PASSED OVER UPPER MICHIGAN ON 8/2. THE ARRIVAL OF THIS FRONT AND DAYTIME HEATING TRIGGERED SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY OVER SOUTH CENTRAL AND EASTERN UPPER MICHIGAN. SOME OF THE STORMS BECAME SEVERE AND PRODUCED TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS. GLADSTONE IN DELTA COUNTY WAS DELUGED BY 3.30 INCHES OF RAIN. THIS HEAVY RAIN CAUSED SOME FLOODING...WHICH CLOSED PORTIONS OF M-35. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WERE NOTED AS WELL ACROSS PORTIONS OF DELTA AND SCHOOLCRAFT COUNTIES. COOLER AIR ARRIVED BEHIND THE FRONT IN THE AFTERNOON OVER THE NORTHWEST AND IN THE EVENING ACROSS THE SOUTH CENTRAL AND EAST BEHIND THE FRONT. DAYTIME HIGHS REACHED 75 TO 85 AT MOST PLACES...EXCEPT 70 TO 75 OVER THE WEST WHERE THE FRONT ARRIVED EARLIER IN THE DAY. COOLER AIR CONTINUED TO PUSH SLOWLY INTO UPPER MICHIGAN DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 8/2-8/3 AS A NORTH FLOW DEVELOPED IN ADVANCE OF A CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE CENTER. TEMPERATURES AT DAWN ON 8/3 RANGED FROM 47 AT CHAMPION IN MARQUETTE COUNTY TO 63 AT MENOMINEE UNDER A MAINLY CLEAR SKY. BUT THE MORNING SUNSHINE GAVE WAY TO PARTLY SUNNY SKIES AS DAYTIME HEATING DESTABILIZED THE COOLER AIRMASS MAKING GREATER INROADS INTO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES. AFTERNOON HIGHS REACHED BETWEEN 70 ALONG LAKE SUPERIOR AND 82 AT STEPHENSON IN MENOMINEE COUNTY AND MCMILLAN IN LUCE COUNTY. THE CLOUDS TENDED TO DISSOLVE AFTER THE SUN WENT DOWN ON 8/3...AND THE MERCURY FELL OFF SHARPLY TO AS LOW AS 39 AT CHAMPION AND 42 AT WATERSMEET IN GOGEBIC COUNTY BY DAWN ON 8/4. THE LOW AT MOST PLACES WAS 45 TO 55...BUT REMAINED AS HIGH AS 58 AT STEPHENSON AND IN THE CITY OF MARQUETTE RIGHT ALONG THE RELATIVELY WARM NEARSHORE WATERS OF LAKE SUPERIOR. THE AFTERNOON OF 8/4 WAS A CARBON COPY OF THE DAY BEFORE WITH A MIX OF SUN AND CLOUDS. BUT HIGHS WERE QUITE A BIT COOLER THAN ON 8/3 WITH READINGS RANGING FROM 65 ALONG THE LAKE SUPERIOR SHORE TO 79 AT CORNELL IN DELTA COUNTY. SKIES BECAME CRYSTAL CLEAR DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 8/4-8/5...AND TEMPERATURES PLUMMETED AS LOW AS 33 AT WATERSMEET. READINGS WERE IN THE 40S AT MOST OTHER PLACES...EXCEPT THE LOW 50S RIGHT ALONG THE LAKESHORES. THE CENTER OF THE HIGH WAS CLOSER ON 8/5 THAN ON THE PREVIOUS TWO DAYS...SO BRIGHT BLUE SKIES WERE THE RULE DURING THE DAY. DESPITE THE BRILLIANT SUNSHINE...A COOL NORTH WIND OFF LAKE SUPERIOR HELD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES IN THE 65 TO 75 RANGE. THE OVERNIGHT OF 8/5-8/6 WAS ANOTHER CHILLY ONE WITH CLEAR SKIES UNDER THE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM. BUT TEMPERATURES DID NOT FALL AS SHARPLY BECAUSE THE WIND WAS A BIT STRONGER THAN THE NIGHT BEFORE. TEMPERATURES AT THE INTERIOR COOL SPOTS FELL INTO THE 40S AND EVEN AS LOW AS 36 AT WATERSMEET BUT REMAINED IN THE 50S AT PLACES WHERE THE WIND WAS A LITTLE STRONGER. ALTHOUGH AFTERNOON READINGS ALONG THE LAKE SUPERIOR SHORE REACHED ONLY THE UPPER 60S ON 8/6... THERMOMETERS PEAKED IN THE 70S OVER MOST INLAND LOCATIONS AND UP TO 80 AT STEPHENSON AND MCMILLAN. THE OVERNIGHT ON 8/6-8/7 WAS CLEAR AGAIN...AND TEMPERATURES FELL TO 35 AT CHAMPION. LOWS ELSEWHERE WERE GENERALLY IN THE 40S...EXCEPT 50 TO 55 ALONG THE LAKE SUPERIOR SHORE. THE DOMINATING RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BEGAN TO BREAK DOWN ON 8/7 AS AN UPPER AIR DISTURBANCE MOVED TOWARD THE UPPER GREAT LAKES. ALTHOUGH SOME LIGHT SHOWERS FELL WEST OF A LINE FROM ONTONAGON TO IRON RIVER...THE HIGH WAS STILL STRONG ENOUGH TO DRY UP ANY PRECIPITATION THAT TRIED TO MOVE FARTHER EAST. EVEN WHERE RAIN FELL...AMOUNTS WERE LESS THAN 0.10 INCH. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WERE 72 TO 82 AT MOST SPOTS...BUT ONLY 65 TO 70 OVER THE FAR WEST WHERE THERE WAS MORE CLOUD COVER AND SOME LIGHT RAIN. LOWS DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 8/7-8/8 WERE HELD UP BY MORE CLOUD COVER AND MAINLY IN THE 50S...EXCEPT 45 TO 50 AT SOME OF THE COOLER INLAND PLACES. THE APPROACH OF ANOTHER UPPER AIR DISTURBANCE ON 8/8 WEAKENED THE HIGH EVEN MORE...RESULTING IN A GREATER COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND EVEN A FEW THUNDERSTORMS. THE MOST PRECIPITATION FELL ACROSS THE NORTH... WHERE MUNISING MEASURED 1.06 INCHES OF RAIN. MOST PLACES ACROSS THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES SAW LESS THAN 0.10 INCH. WIDESPREAD CLOUD COVER SUPPRESSED THE DIURNAL TEMPERATURE INCREASE...AND HIGHS ON 8/8 WERE MAINLY IN THE 70S. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 8/8-8/9. WITH THE CLOUD COVER REMAINING IN PLACE AND A HUMID SOUTHWEST WIND...LOWS REMAINED 60 TO 66. THE CLOUDS GAVE WAY TO SOME SUNSHINE BY THE AFTERNOON ON 8/9. SOLAR HEATING AND DESTABILIZATION OF THE WARM AND HUMID AIRMASS AS WELL AS THE APPROACH OF A STRONG UPPER DISTURBANCE AND COLD FRONT WERE MORE THAN ENOUGH TO TRIGGER NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. SOME OF THESE STORMS EAST OF IRON MOUNTAIN AND MARQUETTE BECAME SEVERE...DROPPING LARGE HAIL AND/OR CAUSING DAMAGING WINDS IN MENOMINEE...MARQUETTE...AND DELTA COUNTIES. HAIL AS LARGE AS GOLFBALLS FELL JUST SOUTH OF HARVEY IN MARQUETTE COUNTY UNDER THE MOST INTENSE THUNDERSTORM. ALMOST EVERYWHERE EXCEPT THE SOUTHERN HALF OF MENOMINEE COUNTY PICKED UP AT LEAST 0.25 INCH OF RAIN...AND AS MUCH AS 1.25 INCH FELL AT PELKIE ON THE BARAGA-HOUGHTON COUNTY LINE. IRON MOUNTAIN AND IRONWOOD BOTH LOGGED 1.12 INCHES IN THE GAUGE...AND JACOBSVILLE IN HOUGHTON COUNTY MEASURED 1.03 INCHES. DAYTIME TEMPERATURES PEAKED BETWEEN 67 AT MCMILLAN AND 82 AT STEPHENSON AND SPALDING IN MENOMINEE COUNTY. COOLER AIR MOVED INTO THE U.P. FOLLOWING A WEAK COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 8/9-8/10...AND LOWS AT DAWN ON 8/10 FELL INTO THE 50S WITH READINGS DOWN TO 49 AT PHOENIX IN KEWEENAW COUNTY. A STRONGER COLD FRONT...ACCOMPANIED BY SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS... PLOWED ACROSS THE AREA IN THE MORNING ON 8/10. THE WIDESPREAD CLOUD COVER AND SURGE OF COOLER AIR BEHIND THE FRONT MADE THE DAY FEEL MORE LIKE AUTUMN THAN MID SUMMER. ALTHOUGH THE MERCURY REACHED 66 AT NEWBERRY AND STEPHENSON...TEMPERATURES WHERE THE FRONT PASSED EARLIEST TOPPED OUT AT ONLY 51 AT IRONWOOD AND 52 AT PHOENIX. THE 51 DEGREE HIGH AT IRONWOOD SMASHED THE PREVIOUS RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 59 FOR 8/10 THAT HAD STOOD SINCE 1903. SHOWERS PICKED UP LATER IN THE DAY OVER WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN WITH THE APPROACH OF ANOTHER STRONG UPPER AIR DISTURBANCE...ADDING TO THE GLOOM OF THE DAY. THE CLOUDS...SHOWERS...AND AUTUMNAL CHILL CONTINUED THROUGH THE DAY ON 8/11. TEMPERATURES AT DAWN ON 8/11 WERE 42 TO 50...AND READINGS COULD REBOUND ONLY TO BETWEEN 49 AT IRONWOOD AND WATTON AND 61 AT STEPHENSON...READINGS MORE NORMAL FOR MID APRIL OR MID OCTOBER. FOR THE SECOND DAY IN A ROW...IRONWOOD ON 8/11 SAW ITS PREVIOUS RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE DEMOLISHED...WITH THE 49 DEGREE HIGH EASILY ECLIPSING THE STANDARD OF 55 LOGGED ON 8/11/1964. THE MARQUETTE NWS RECORDED A HIGH OF 52...ALMOST 10 DEGREES LOWER THAN THE PREVIOUS RECORD LOW MAXIMUM OF 60 OBSERVED ON 8/11/1992. TOTAL RAINFALL ON 8/10-8/11 WAS HEAVIEST ACROSS THE WEST...INCLUDING 2.20 INCHES AT ATLANTIC MINE IN HOUGHTON COUNTY...2.00 INCHES AT PHOENIX...1.48 INCHES AT IRONWOOD...1.40 INCHES AT BIG BAY IN MARQUETTE COUNTY...AND 1.37 INCHES AT BRUCE CROSSING IN ONTONAGON COUNTY. PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS TAILED OFF SHARPLY FARTHER EAST...0.61 INCH AT MUNISING...0.55 INCH AT THE MARQUETTE NWS...0.25 INCH AT NEWBERRY...0.24 INCH AT STEPHENSON... AND A MINUSCULE 0.01 INCH AT IRON MOUNTAIN. SKIES CLEARED OVER WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 8/11-8/12 AND OVER THE EAST DURING THE DAY ON 8/12 AS CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE APPROACHED FROM THE WEST. THE THERMOMETER RESPONDED TO THE CLEARING OVER THE WEST BY DROPPING AS LOW AS A FROSTY 32 AT WATERSMEET...37 AT PHOENIX...AND 39 AT BARAGA. LOWS FARTHER EAST WERE IN THE 40S. ALTHOUGH THE AIRMASS REMAINED QUITE CHILLY...THE RETURN OF SUNSHINE HELPED WARM AFTERNOON HIGHS ON 8/12 INTO THE 60S. THE OVERNIGHT ON 8/12-8/13 WAS ANOTHER CHILLY ONE AS WINDS DIMINISHED AS THE HIGH CLOSED IN ON THE AREA. THERE WAS PATCHY FROST OVER INTERIOR WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN...WHERE THE MERCURY FELL INTO THE 30S AND AS LOW AS 31 AT WATERSMEET...33 AT CHAMPION...AND 35 AT WATTON. TEMPERATURES NEAR THE SHORE AND FARTHER EAST WERE IN THE 40S. THE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM BROUGHT PARTLY TO MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES ON 8/13 AND 8/14 EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE A FEW LIGHT INSTABILITY SHOWERS NEAR THE WISCONSIN BORDER ON 8/13. HIGHS ON 8/13 WERE 62 TO 72...AND 66 TO 75 ON 8/14. TEMPERATURES DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 8/13-8/14 BOTTOMED OUT IN THE 30S OVER THE INTERIOR COLDER AREAS AND DOWN TO 31 AT CHAMPION BUT REMAINED IN THE 40S NEAR THE GREAT LAKES SHORES. THE HIGH REMAINED DOMINANT ON 8/15...BUT THE DAY TURNED WARMER ONCE THE CENTER SHIFTED TO THE EAST AND A SOUTHERLY FLOW DEVELOPED. THE WARMING TREND BEGAN DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 8/14-8/15 WITH THE SOUTH WIND HOLDING MINIMUM TEMPERATURES UP IN THE 44 TO 54 RANGE AT MOST PLACES EVEN UNDER CLEAR SKIES. A FEW COLD SPOTS LIKE CHAMPION DID RECORD LOWS BETWEEN 35 AND 40. THE MERCURY ROSE WELL INTO THE 70S EVERYWHERE ON 8/15...BUT REMAINED IN THE 65 TO 70 RANGE DOWNWIND OF LAKE MICHIGAN. OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES ON 8/15-8/16 FELL INTO THE 50S...EXCEPT INTO THE 40S OVER SHELTERED INTERIOR LOCATIONS. A LOW PRESSURE TROUGH APPROACHING FROM THE WEST CAUSED AN INCREASE IN CLOUDS ON 8/16. SCATTERED SHOWERS ACCOMPANYING THIS SYSTEM DEVELOPED OVER WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN IN THE AFTERNOON...THEN SPREAD INTO THE EASTERN U.P. DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 8/16-8/17 BEFORE ENDING BY DAWN ON 8/17. MOST PLACES RECORDED NO MORE THAN 0.10 INCH OF RAIN...BUT COOKS IN SCHOOLCRAFT COUNTY MEASURED 0.26 INCH. HIGHS ON 8/16 RANGED FROM 61 AT IRONWOOD TO 75 AT CORNELL IN DELTA COUNTY...BIG BAY...AND MARQUETTE. TEMPERATURES AT DAWN ON 8/17 FELL INTO THE 50S AT MOST PLACES...BUT REMAINED AS HIGH AS 62 AT MANISTIQUE. 8/17 TURNED OUT TO BE PARTLY SUNNY AND RATHER HUMID... WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES CLIMBING TO BETWEEN 68 AND 76. SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ERUPTED DURING THE AFTERNOON AS ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE TROUGH PASSED THE UPPER GREAT LAKES. MANISTIQUE REPORTED THE MOST RAIN...0.19 INCH. UNDER A PARTLY CLOUDY SKY...OVERNIGHT LOWS ON 8/17-8/18 WERE 43 AT CHAMPION TO 59 ALONG THE LAKESHORE IN MARQUETTE. THE MORNING OF 8/18 WAS DRY...BUT A POWERFUL COLD FRONT SWEPT ACROSS THE U.P. DURING THE AFTERNOON. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ACCOMPANIED THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. A THUNDERSTORM IN MENOMINEE COUNTY PRODUCED WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND FELLED LARGE TREES NEAR STEPHENSON. A FEW PLACES GOT BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS AS WELL...INCLUDING A 0.91 INCH DELUGE IN 15 MINUTES AT DAGGETT IN MENOMINEE COUNTY. BUT THE HEAVIER RAINFALL WAS VERY SPOTTY WITH SOME PLACES PICKING UP JUST A FEW HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH. STRONG WINDS WERE THE MOST NOTABLE ASPECT OF THIS SYSTEM. A GUSTY SOUTHWEST WIND TURNED SHARPLY TO THE NORTHWEST SOON AFTER THE FRONTAL PASSAGE...AND WIND GUSTS APPROACHED 60 MPH OVER THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA. THE STRONG WINDS BLEW DOWN SOME TREES AND CAUSED POWER OUTAGES OVER THE KEWEENAW. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES ON 8/18 WERE IN THE 70S AT MOST SPOTS BUT UP TO 80 AT STEPHENSON. AFTER A SECOND UPPER DISTURBANCE TRACKING ACROSS ONTARIO CAUSED SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS OVER THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 8/18-8/19 AND DROPPED UP TO 0.19 INCH OF RAIN AT PHOENIX...A COOL AND GUSTY WEST WIND BEHIND THE COLD FRONT AND IN ADVANCE OF HIGH PRESSURE SINKING SOUTH THROUGH THE CANADIAN PRAIRIES DOMINATED THE WEATHER ON 8/19. LOWS AT DAWN BOTTOMED OUT IN THE 30S OVER MOST INTERIOR LOCATIONS AND AS LOW AS 33 AT CHAMPION...BUT REMAINED IN THE 40S NEAR THE WARMER LAKESHORES. DESPITE PARTLY TO MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES IN THE AFTERNOON ON 8/19...THE MERCURY CLIMBED ONLY TO 62 TO 70 IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH OVER THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA MADE THE AIR FEEL EVEN COOLER. THE CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM BROUGHT A MOSTLY SUNNY BUT COOL AND BREEZY DAY TO UPPER MICHIGAN ON 8/20. TEMPERATURES STARTED THE DAY BETWEEN 36 AT CHAMPION AND 53 AT MANISTIQUE...THEN RECOVERED TO 57 OVER THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA TO 68 AT STEPHENSON DURING THE AFTERNOON. THE HIGH PRESSURE BROUGHT ANOTHER MOSTLY SUNNY DAY ON 8/21. SINCE THE HIGH CENTER PUSHED CLOSER TO THE U.P....THE WIND WAS NOT AS STRONG AS ON THE DAYS BEFORE. AT DAWN...THE THERMOMETER READ 35 TO 40 AT MOST INTERIOR LOCATIONS AND EVEN A FROSTY 34 AT FORD AIRPORT NEAR IRON MOUNTAIN...BUT REGISTERED 40 TO 50 NEAR THE SHORES. HIGHS ON 8/21 WERE 61 AT MUNISING TO 72 AT BARAGA...STEPHENSON...AND CHAMPION. ANOTHER COOL FRONT IN THE PERSISTENT NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT CROSSED UPPER MICHIGAN ON 8/22...BRINGING SCATTERED SHOWERS TO THE AREA. THE SOUTHERLY FLOW AHEAD OF THIS FRONT DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 8/21-8/22 PREVENTED TEMPERATURES FROM FALLING ANYWHERE NEAR AS LOW AS AT DAWN 8/21...BUT THE MERCURY STILL REACHED 37 AT CHAMPION EARLY IN THE NIGHT BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF THE STRONGER WINDS. MOST PLACES SAW LOWS IN THE 45 TO 55 RANGE...BUT THE THERMOMETER NEVER FELL BELOW 58 AT MANISTIQUE. THE HEAVIEST RAIN ON 8/22 FELL OVER NORTHERN UPPER MICHIGAN...WHERE MOST PLACES LOGGED AT LEAST 0.25 INCH. CALUMET MEASURED 0.72 INCH...BUT LOCATIONS ACROSS THE SOUTH PICKED UP NOTHING TO JUST A FEW HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES TOPPED OUT BETWEEN 66 AT MANISTIQUE AND 82 AT STEPHENSON. COOL AIR WAS SLOW TO FILTER IN BEHIND THE COOL FRONT...AND LOWS AT DAWN ON 8/23 WERE 43 TO 52. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING ACROSS ONTARIO BROUGHT A PARTLY SUNNY AND COOL DAY TO THE AREA ON 8/23. HIGHS REACHED 70 AT STEPHENSON...BUT REMAINED IN THE UPPER 50S NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR. THE UPPER AIR PATTERN BEGAN SHIFTING TO A RIDGE OVER THE GREAT LAKES BY 8/24. READINGS DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 8/23-8/24 FELL AS LOW AS 39 AT CHAMPION BEFORE INCREASING CLOUDS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING WARM FRONT HALTED THE DIURNAL FALL IN TEMPERATURE. THE MERCURY REACHED THE 40S AT MOST PLACES...BUT REMAINED AS HIGH AS 58 AT MANISTIQUE AND 57 AT ESCANABA AND MENOMINEE WHERE THE CLOUD COVER MOVED IN FASTER CLOSER TO THE WARM FRONT. SOME SHOWERS ASSOCIATED WITH THE WARM FRONT DEVELOPED ON 8/24...AND SOME OF THE RAIN OVER CENTRAL AND EASTERN UPPER MICHIGAN WAS HEAVY BEFORE ENDING DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 8/24-8/25 WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE WARM FRONT. MOST LOCATIONS FROM MARQUETTE AND IRON MOUNTAIN EAST SAW 0.50 TO 1.00 INCH OF RAIN...BUT MANY PLACES OVER THE FAR WEST RECORDED ONLY A FEW HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH. SOME OF THE MORE SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION REPORTS INCLUDE 1.57 INCHES AT COOKS AND 1.53 INCHES AT THE MARQUETTE NWS. THE CLOUDS AND RAIN HELD HIGH TEMPERATURES ON 8/24 BETWEEN 65 AND 75 DESPITE THE ARRIVAL OF THE WARM FRONT. THIS FRONT PASSED DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 8/24-8/25...AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES FELL TO ONLY 57 TO 64 WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE WARMER AIR. THE WEATHER ON 8/25 WAS WARM AND RATHER HUMID...BUT HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE HELD DOWN A BIT BY CLOUD COVER. READINGS RANGED FROM 68 BY THE LAKE MICHIGAN SHORE AT MANISTIQUE AND 83 AT BARAGA. THE SURFACE HEATING RESULTED IN SOME ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE WESTERN U.P. DURING THE AFTERNOON... AND THESE SHOWERS BECAME MORE WIDESPREAD DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 8/25-8/26 OVER ALL BUT CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN. RAINFALL OVER THE WEST FROM IRONWOOD TO BARAGA BECAME EXCESSIVE IN SOME AREAS...WITH UP TO 5 INCHES FALLING NEAR BOB LAKE IN HOUGHTON COUNTY...3.88 INCHES AT BARAGA...2.25 INCHES AT PELKIE NEAR THE BARAGA-HOUGHTON COUNTY LINE...1.60 INCHES AT IRONWOOD AND 1.52 INCHES AT MASS CITY IN ONTONAGON COUNTY. MOST PLACES FROM MENOMINEE TO NEWBERRY LOGGED 0.25 TO 0.50 INCH OF RAIN...BUT THE AREA BETWEEN THIS SWATH AND THE AXIS OF HEAVY RAIN IN THE WEST SAW NO MORE THAN 0.10 INCH. LOWS AT DAWN ON 8/26 WERE A HUMID 58 TO 66. WARM AND HUMID WEATHER CONTINUED ON 8/26 AS UPPER MICHIGAN REMAINED IN A SOUTHWEST FLOW UNDER THE UPPER RIDGE. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES PEAKED IN THE 73 TO 83 RANGE... BUT REMAINED 65 TO 73 FROM MANISTIQUE TO NEWBERRY WHERE MORE CLOUD COVER LINGERED THROUGH THE DAY DOWNWIND OF LAKE MICHIGAN. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED DURING THE DAY AND CONTINUED DURING THE OVERNIGHT OF 8/26-8/27 WITH THE APPROACH OF A LOW PRESSURE TROUGH. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS DROPPED HEAVY RAIN AND TURNED SEVERE. IN MARQUETTE COUNTY...ONE STORM BOMBARDED A LOCATION JUST SOUTHEAST OF HARVEY WITH GOLFBALL-SIZED HAIL. AT LEAST AN INCH OF RAIN FELL ALONG A LINE FROM NORWAY IN DICKINSON COUNTY TO MUNISING...AND SKANDIA IN EASTERN MARQUETTE COUNTY LOGGED 1.61 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION. MOST PLACES FROM IRONWOOD THROUGH THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA AND AROUND MANISTIQUE SAW NO MORE THAN 0.10 INCH OF RAIN. DRIER AIR ARRIVED OVER THE WESTERN COUNTIES OF UPPER MICHIGAN BEHIND THE LOW PRESSURE TROUGH DURING THE OVERNIGHT ON 8/26-8/27...AND TEMPERATURES AT DAWN ON 8/27 FELL OFF INTO THE 50S OVER THE WEST AND AS LOW AS 53 AT WATERSMEET. READINGS OVER THE EAST REMAINED 60 TO 65. COOLER AIR BEGAN FILTERING INTO UPPER MICHIGAN ON 8/27 AS A GUSTY WEST WIND THAT EXCEEDED 40 MPH AT HOUGHTON FOLLOWED THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT. THERE WAS A MIX OF SUN AND CLOUDS...BUT MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES REACHED ONLY 65 TO 70 OVER THE WEST. HIGHS ROSE TO 80 TO 85 OVER THE EAST WHERE THE COOLER AIR WAS LAST TO ARRIVE. BY DAWN ON 8/28...THERMOMETERS HAD FALLEN OFF TO BETWEEN 46 AND 54. A NORTH WIND OFF LAKE SUPERIOR BETWEEN HIGH PRESSURE IN THE PLAINS AND A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TRACKING THROUGH THE CENTRAL GREAT LAKES DELIVERED MUCH COOLER DAYS ON 8/28 AND 8/29. SKIES WERE MOSTLY CLOUDY AND THERE WERE SOME SHOWERS...ESPECIALLY OVER THE EAST CLOSER TO THE LOW PRESSURE PATH AND JUST DOWNWIND OF LAKE SUPERIOR. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WERE 0.10 INCH OR LESS. HIGHS REACHED ONLY THE 50S TO 65...AND SOME RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WERE TIED OR BROKEN. BOTH THE MARQUETTE NWS AND IRONWOOD OBSERVED A HIGH OF 55 ON 8/28...TYING THE PREVIOUS RECORD LOW MAXIMUM FOR THE DATE. THE RECORD AT IRONWOOD HAD STOOD ALONE SINCE 1903. MORNING LOWS ON 8/29 WERE 36 AT IRONWOOD TO 52 AT THE LAKESHORE IN COPPER HARBOR. SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS DEVELOPED DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON 8/30 AS A LOW PRESSURE TROUGH SWUNG THROUGH THE NORTHWEST GREAT LAKES. THESE SHOWERS ENDED BY NOON OVER THE WEST AND DURING THE AFTERNOON ACROSS THE EAST. ALTHOUGH MOST PLACES SAW 0.10 INCH OF RAIN OR LESS...MANISTIQUE MEASURED 0.32 INCH AND IRONWOOD 0.24 INCH. LOWS AT DAWN ON 8/30 WERE GENERALLY 40 TO 50...BUT AS HIGH AS 54 AT MANISTIQUE. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES ON 8/30 RANGED FROM 61 AT MCMILLAN TO 75 AT IRON MOUNTAIN AND STEPHENSON. THE MERCURY FELL AS LOW AS 39 AT CHAMPION AND REMAINED AS HIGH AS 56 AT MANISTIQUE AT DAWN ON 8/31...BUT REACHED 43 TO 53 AT MOST PLACES. MORNING SUNSHINE ON 8/31 GAVE WAY TO MORE CLOUDS AND SCATTERED SHOWERS DURING THE DAY ON 8/31 AS ANOTHER QUICK-MOVING LOW PRESSURE TROUGH MOVED ACROSS THE U.P. RAINFALL WAS GENERALLY JUST A FEW HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH. AFTERNOON HIGHS WERE 57 AT COPPER HARBOR TO 75 AT STEPHENSON. SEPTEMBER CLIMATOLOGY AVERAGE TEMPERATURES IN SEPTEMBER BEGIN TO FALL SHARPLY...ABOUT 8 TO 9 DEGREES LOWER THAN IN AUGUST...AS SUMMER TRANSITIONS TO AUTUMN AND DAYLIGHT GROWS SHORTER. THE AUTUMNAL EQUINOX THIS YEAR ARRIVES AT 1225 AM EDT ON 9/22. POSSIBLE SUNSHINE IN SEPTEMBER DECLINES FROM 800 MINUTES ON 9/1 TO 706 MINUTES ON 9/30...A DECREASE OF 3 TO 4 MINUTES EACH DAY. ALTHOUGH THE DAYS GROW SHORTER DURING THE NINTH MONTH...MID SUMMER LIKE WARMTH CAN STILL GRIP UPPER MICHIGAN DURING SEPTEMBER. ON 9/12/98...RESIDENTS OF IRON MOUNTAIN SIZZLED IN 98 DEGREE HEAT. BOTH IRON MOUNTAIN AND IRONWOOD RECORDED HIGH TEMPERATURES ABOVE 90 FIVE DAYS IN A ROW DURING A TORRID MID SEPTEMBER HEATWAVE BETWEEN 9/8 AND 9/12 IN 1931. WITH TEMPERATURES AVERAGING 7 TO 8 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL...SEPTEMBER 1931 GOES DOWN IN THE RECORD BOOKS AS THE WARMEST SEPTEMBER EVER OBSERVED AT IRON MOUNTAIN AND IRONWOOD. RECENT SEPTEMBERS HAVE AVERAGED ON THE WARM SIDE. IN FACT AT THE MARQUETTE NWS...NEWBERRY...AND MANISTIQUE...SEPTEMBER 2002 IS THE WARMEST SINCE RECORDS BEGAN AT THOSE SITES. MUNISING...ONTONAGON...AND MICHIGAN TECH UNIVERSITY RECORDED THEIR SECOND WARMEST SEPTEMBER IN 2002...AND IRON MOUNTAIN LOGGED THE FIFTH WARMEST. BUT WINTER OFTEN MAKES ITS FIRST RETURN BY LATE IN THE MONTH. THE GROWING SEASON ENDS EVERYWHERE EXCEPT ALONG THE WARMER GREAT LAKES SHORES DURING SEPTEMBER WITH AN INCREASED PROBABILITY OF KILLING FROST. RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES OVER INLAND AREAS FALL INTO THE 20S DURING THE MONTH AND EVEN INTO THE UPPER TEENS AT MANY LOCATIONS TOWARD MONTHS END. ON 9/22/95...THE WESTERN UPPER PENINSULA WAS STRUCK WITH AN EARLY SEASON SNOWSTORM. IRONWOOD PICKED UP 6.5 INCHES...AND HOUGHTON ALSO SAW 3 INCHES OF THE WHITE STUFF THAT DAY. AT LEAST AN INCH OF SNOW HAS FALLEN ON PORTIONS OF UPPER MICHIGAN DURING LATE SEPTEMBER IN 1965...1974...1989...AND 1993. AS THE JET STREAM SINKS FARTHER SOUTH DURING SEPTEMBER AND INTERACTS WITH FAIRLY WARM AND HUMID AIRMASSES STILL RESIDENT OVER THE UNITED STATES...AVERAGE MONTHLY PRECIPITATION OVER MUCH OF UPPER MICHIGAN PEAKS AT A YEARLY MAXIMUM BETWEEN 3.5 AND 4.0 INCHES. ALTHOUGH CONVECTION OCCURS LESS FREQUENTLY THAN DURING MID SUMMER... THUNDERSTORMS STILL PRESENT A SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAIN THREAT. IRONWOOD WAS INUNDATED WITH 10.74" OF RAIN DURING SEPTEMBER 1926. SEPTEMBER FORECAST THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER (CPC) IS FORECASTING A GREATER CHANCE OF BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION OVER UPPER MICHIGAN DURING SEPTEMBER 2004. OUTLOOK FOR FALL AND EARLY WINTER THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER IS FORECASTING EQUAL CHANCES OF ABOVE AND BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND PRECIPITATION OVER UPPER MICHIGAN FOR THE PERIOD OCTOBER THROUGH DECEMBER 2004. CHECK OUT HTTP://WWW.CPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER AND MORE LONG RANGE PREDICTIONS. NOTE THAT STATISTICS FOR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN NEGAUNEE TOWNSHIP ARE BASED ON RECORDS WHICH BEGAN IN OCTOBER 1961. THIRTY YEAR NORMALS USED ARE FOR THE PERIOD OF 1971 THROUGH 2000. NOTE ALL TEMPERATURES ARE IN FAHRENHEIT AND PRECIPITATION IS IN INCHES. ALL CLIMATE DATA LISTED IN THIS PRODUCT ARE UNOFFICIAL. FOR OFFICIAL DATA...PLEASE REFER TO THE NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER. NWS MARQUETTE WEB PAGE IS AT HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/MQT/INDEX.HTM (ALL LOWER CASE). CONTACT THE NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER AT (828) 271-4800 OR WWW.NCDC.NOAA.GOV. KC