Looks like we’re gonna have a warm one this week. Here’s hoping you have a little time to enjoy sunbathing … or lots of shade if you don’t!
Laura shared this way back in August of 2017. See more on her Flickr.
More sunflowers on Michigan in Pictures.
Fox Squirrels in Ann Arbor at University of Michigan Aug 21 2021 by Corey Seeman
Five years ago I shared the news that July 2021 was the hottest July on planet Earth in the modern era. Life (and temperature) comes at you fast in the age of runaway climate change, so you probably won’t be surprised that just five years later, PBS reports that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the contiguous United States had its hottest month ever last month:
July averaged 76.89 degrees Fahrenheit (24.94 degrees Celsius) across the Lower 48 states, eclipsing the Dust Bowl’s July 1936 by an eighth of a degree. Records go back to 1895.
“It’s not good when you’re breaking records from the Dust Bowl, which we are in this case,” said meteorologist Jeff Masters of Yale Climate Connections. “And that was a crazy sort of situation where you put tens of millions of people in motion. You had this great migration because of the drought and the heat that hit the center of the U.S. — just a cataclysmic event in U. S. history. If we’re exceeding records from The Dust Bowl, that says that we’re in deep trouble.”
Although it was unusually cool in Alaska, hotter-than-normal conditions blanketed the Lower 48, with the most excessive heat in the Mountain West, Southwest, Northern Plains and Southeast. The heat was so widespread that every one of the Lower 48 states was at least 1 degree Fahrenheit (nearly 0.6 degrees Celsius) warmer than the 20th century average, said Russ Vose, chief of monitoring at NOAA’s National Center for Environmental Information.
The heat in the Dust Bowl years was more concentrated in parts of the Midwest and was aggravated by agricultural practices at the time, Vose said. What’s happening now is due to the burning of coal, oil and gas, scientists said.
“Extremely high temperatures across the continental U.S. this summer, along with intense drought and fire conditions, are absolutely consistent with the climate change signal,’ said Katharine Jacobs, a climate scientist at the University of Arizona.
If you’ve been following Michigan in Pictures for a while, you probably recognize Corey Seeman as Michigan’s leader in squirrel photography. Corey shared this photo back in the summer of 2021. See his latest on Flickr!
PS: You may also recognize Jeff Masters as the founder of Ann Arbor-based Weather Underground!
It wouldn’t take much to convince me to move to Buttercup World...
Michigan has almost 20 species of buttercup, but I’m pretty sure this is Swamp Buttercup (Ranunculus hispidus). Michigan Flora from the University of Michigan Herbarium says that one place it’s found is in Houdek Dunes on the Leelanau Peninsula and that it grows in moist to usually dry upland places (oak forests, sandy knolls, etc.). The other two, more widespread varieties have practically the same habitats and may indeed grow together; they are characteristic of wet areas in forests and thickets along streams, ponds, and lakes, as well as ravines and in deciduous or cedar swamps.
I also just learned that UM Herbarium released a new Michigan plant identification app earlier this month!
Wikipedia adds the fun fact that “Ranunculus” means “little frog” in Latin & refers to its preference for wet environments. They also add the un-fun fact that all parts of the plant are mildly toxic if eaten and could cause minor skin irritation if touched. The foliage is poisonous for mammals such as cows, which avoid eating it, but small rodents and birds like turkey & grouse love the seeds!
Mark took this a while back in late June. You can see his latest on Facebook and view & purchase his work at Leelanau Landscapes.
Sunset at the Beach by charles hildebrandt
I shared this photo 6 years ago today on June 30, 2020 along with a West Michigan Fox-17 report that the longest heatwave in West Michigan history was on the way. mLive’s Mark Torregrossa shares that although this year’s heatwave won’t be particularly long, it also won’t be particularly comfortable:
Michigan is under an extreme heat warning for the south and southwest regions, with an extreme heat watch for the east side of the state. Heat indexes are expected to reach 105 degrees, which is significant for Michigan’s climate despite being relatively common in southern states like Texas. An afternoon above 90 degrees is considered hot for Michigan in the middle of summer, and residents should take this heat seriously, regardless of comparisons to warmer climates. The warnings use a sliding scale based on what populations are accustomed to experiencing.
The hottest days of this heat wave will be Wednesday and Thursday, with temperatures reaching 90 to 95 degrees across most of the state. In the southeast, particularly in paved areas with lots of concrete and asphalt, temperatures may approach 100 degrees. This would be the first 100-degree reading in southeast Michigan since 2012, making it a 14-year gap. Tuesday through Thursday will see the state fully under the “hot dome,” with even northern areas like Traverse City reaching near 90 degrees. The capped atmosphere will be too hot to produce many thunderstorms during the peak heat.
I shared this photo that Charles took on Ottawa Beach in Holland with the 2020 post – felt perfect to bring it back. Check out his latest on his Flickr & stay cool everyone!
Barefoot Aurora by Lake Superior Photo
The weather has been getting a lot of (justifiable) bad press lately so I figured I’d try and put a little positive spin on news shared by Michigan Public that NOAA is forecasting a potentially strong El Niño weather pattern developing for Michigan this summer:
“Even though the evidence is still early, this could be a very significant event in 2026 and lingering into 2027,” says Daniel Swain, climate scientist with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.
A strong El Niño would drive up average global temperatures. The hottest years on record generally occur in years when El Niño is active, because El Niño occurs when the Eastern Pacific is hotter than usual. “Its function in the global earth system is to release heat from the deeper oceans that has been temporarily stored there,” Swain says. “El Niño allows that subducted heat to be unearthed.”
That dynamic played out in a big way in 2023 and 2024, when a long, strong El Niño pattern helped shatter global temperature records. 2023 smashed the record for the hottest year ever recorded on Earth, only to be surpassed by temperatures in 2024.
Last week Shawn shared this photo saying that she’s eagerly anticipating the return of nights watching the aurora barefoot so it looks like El Niño is gonna help with that. You can see lots more amazing photos from Lake Superior Photo on Facebook. You can also visit the Lake Superior Photo website to view & purchase photos and for information about their Marquette gallery along with photography workshops, tours, and guiding.
Let’s get Backpacking by Lee Eckstrom
The post about summer jobs available through the Michigan DNR was really popular so here’s a related opportunity via Leelanau.com …
The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is currently seeking summer interns interested in gaining hands-on experience in areas including wildlife and plant communities, history and cultural resources & outdoor recreation and stewardship while exploring one of the most beautiful places in the country.
Head over to the Lakeshore’s website for available internship opportunities and all the details.
Lee took this while backpacking with his Boy Scout Troop on North Manitou Island way back in 2008. You can see more from the island & Leelanau County in his Manitou Island Backpacking gallery on Flickr.
Tiki Resort-Oscoda MI by Charles Bonham
Since tomorrow’s post is already reserved for everyone’s favorite long range winter weather forecaster, I figured it was about time to remind everyone that summer will come. Eventually.
Here are two pics from Charles of the joyfully painted Mai Tiki Resort on Lake Huron in Oscoda demonstrating that you can find a little spot of summer in Michigan even on the coldest day. See his latest on Flickr & stay warm!
Mai Tiki Resort by Charles Bonham
Summer is pretty much in the books, and Fox 2 Detroit shares that Summer 2025 was a hot one for a unique reason that bodes poorly for our future:
Because the summer of 2025 is not over, it’s not included in the rankings. But as of Aug. 14, the average daily temperature is 74.3 degrees – making it one of the hottest.
Here’s the difference: this year’s overnight lows have been some of the highest ever. The region has dealt with multi-day periods of sustained heat unlike any other year.
“When people talk about how hot it was back in 88, they’re right to do so,” FOX 2’s meteorologist Derek Kevra said. “But what they got was some relief days. We have had very few relief days this year.”
In the summer of 1988, there were seven days when overnight lows fell into the 40s and 26 days with overnight lows in the 50s. The summer this year has had barely any nights when temperatures fell that low. That included a 150-hour stretch where temperatures didn’t even fall below 70 degrees. Over the entire month of July, only three days have fallen into the 50s.
This isn’t the first time I’ve shared Diann’s photo of the coal powered SS Badger steaming out of its home port of Ludington back on Labor Day 2008 & it won’t be the last! Here are a few others that I’ve featured over the years – see more in her Third Coast gallery on Flickr.
More Michigan-focused climate change posts on Michigan in Pictures.
Summer officially begins with the summer solstice at 10:42pm tonight, and to make sure we get the memo, Mother Nature is including a weeklong heatwave that starts today!
Sue took this way back in 2007. See more in her Superb Skies gallery on Flickr!
More summer fun on Michigan in Pictures!
Formal Day at the Beach by Jonathan Brandt
I just realized that summer is almost over, and I hope that we can all act accordingly!!
I have featured Jonathan’s photo of Grand Haven’s “Formal Day at the Beach” before & I will undoubtedly share it again!! Near as I can tell, the event no longer happens but it looks super fun. See the latest from Jonathan on his Flickr.
