Michigan's winter records

If you're anything like me, you're sick and tired of winter (and have been since the first snowflake of the season fell). In the interest of helping us weather (pun intended) the ridiculous amounts of snow and the bitter polar winds that have kept much of the state under advisories for days at a time, I thought I'd uncover some facts about winter extremes in Michigan. Maybe by reading about the crazy conditions that have occurred throughout history, we can put our current cold snap in perspective.

1. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Michigan (not including wind chill) was -51 degrees Fahrenheit. The lucky recipient of that weather was the Otsego County village of Vanderbilt, which hit the mark on February 4, 1934.

2. During the winter of 1978 to 1979, 335.90 inches of snow fell at the Michigan Tech Keweenaw Research Center in Calumet. That's the highest seasonal snowfall total the state has ever seen, and is roughly equivalent in height to an 11-story building.

3. The record for the deepest snow in Michigan at one time is 117 inches, which the community of Eagle Harbor, in the Keweenaw Peninsula, sat under from January 27 through January 31, 1948.

4. The community of Herman, in Baraga County, received a state-record-setting 32 inches of snow in a single day, December 2, 1985.


Do any of these facts make you feel better about our current situation? Me neither, but at least it's February and hopefully we can see a light, very far away, at the end of the tunnel. In the meantime, dress warm, drive carefully, and stay safe!

My dog Henry, frolicking in the grass last spring, also says
to bring your pets inside when the temperatures drop.
Thanks, Henry, for the reminder, and for the glimpse of green.