You’re not crazy, this really is Michigan’s warmest winter on record
While we're all enjoying the unseasonably warm February, it feels a little weird, right? The lack of snow, the mild temperatures and some flowers even popping up earlier than normal- it seems like a sign that winter may really be gone for the year. (And, it's not even been much of a winter to start.)
And if you're thinking, "This has to be a winter for the record books!" it turns out, you're absolutely correct.
Over the weekend, WoodTV meteorologist Blake Harms broke down the numbers to find out exactly where the winter of 2024 stands when it comes to warmest in history, and if things keep trending the way they do, we're currently living in the warmest one on record (by quite a large margin, too.)
Previously, the warmest winter in Michigan history was back in 1931-1932. This year we're seeing temperatures sitting around 8 degrees warmer than average. Michigan isn't the only state doing it either- both Wisconsin and Minnesota are also experiencing their warmest winters on record.
But if you think that means we are in the beginning of a warming trend, that may not be true. Just two years after our last record breaking warm winter, we recorded our record lowest temperature of all time in 1934, -61 degrees Fahrenheit.
Normally by now we would have also seen at least 50+ days with at least an inch of snow on the ground. However, we've only seen 40" so far this season, which is almost half of the average snowfall we would have (down 37 inches from average)
Even weirder- Lake Michigan currently only has 2% ice covering, which is down from an over 50% average covering for this time of year.
So, do we just assume that spring has sprung and that we are out of the way of white stuff, you may not want to assume. Because to wrap up the end of the month, we're seeing a massive temperature shift (And some light snow) on Tuesday / Wednesday February 27th and 28th, which may lead us in to a cooler, snowier March.
Either way, if you're thinking to yourself "I never remembered February being this mild", it turns out your memory is serving you well. And hey, I'm sure we'll be back to comparing how bad our winters are to other states soon...
Each State Ranked by How Miserable Their Winters Are
Gallery Credit: Kristen Matthews