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Finally above freezing

Discussion pertaining to Detroit, Ann Arbor, Port Huron, and SW Ontario
jadednihilist
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Joined: Sun Jun 16, 2019 3:31 am

Finally above freezing

Post by jadednihilist » Mon Feb 22, 2021 9:16 pm

We had a pretty long stretch of temps below freezing at Metro Airport topping out at 406 hours (~17 days) from Feb 5 through just after midnight this morning (Feb 22).

Battling insomnia last night, I looked at data at DTW available since Jan 1, 1921 through today and ran a quick script to see how long this stretch of sub-32F weather compares to other extended freezes. This ranks rather modestly in the top 25 at 21st place. The longest freeze we had was 1098 hours (45.75 days!) beginning on December 25, 1976 and ending on February 9, 1977; yeah, the 70s were cold.

Here's a list of the rest of the top 25 longest freezes in Metro Detroit:
(Data source: https://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/reque ... load.phtml)

Code: Select all

Rank   Total Hours Below 32F   Date Streak Began       Date Streak Ended
1 	     1098 	    Dec.25,1976 -  7:00 PM    Feb.09,1977 -  1:00 PM
2 	     825 	    Jan.07,1985 - 10:00 PM    Feb.11,1985 -  7:00 AM
3 	     712 	    Jan.26,1978 -  9:00 AM    Feb.25,1978 -  1:00 AM
4 	     597 	    Jan.13,1966 -  2:00 PM    Feb.07,1966 - 11:00 AM
5 	     593 	    Jan.18,2011 -  8:00 PM    Feb.12,2011 -  1:00 PM
6 	     564 	    Jan.28,1979 -  5:00 PM    Feb.21,1979 -  5:00 AM
7 	     548 	    Jan.22,1980 -  8:00 PM    Feb.14,1980 -  4:00 PM
8 	     548 	    Jan.27,2007 -  7:00 PM    Feb.19,2007 -  3:00 PM
9 	     524 	    Feb.20,1960 -  5:00 PM    Mar.13,1960 -  1:00 PM
10 	     519 	    Jan.09,2003 - 10:00 PM    Jan.31,2003 -  1:00 PM
11 	     482 	    Dec.10,1989 -  6:00 PM    Dec.30,1989 -  8:00 PM
12 	     476 	    Feb.11,2015 -  8:00 PM    Mar.03,2015 -  4:00 PM
13 	     472 	    Dec.25,1967 -  5:00 PM    Jan.14,1968 -  9:00 AM
14 	     472 	    Dec.29,1980 -  8:00 PM    Jan.18,1981 - 12:00 PM
15 	     466 	    Jan.01,1979 -  4:00 AM    Jan.20,1979 -  2:00 PM
16 	     457 	    Dec.17,2000 -  7:00 AM    Jan.05,2001 -  8:00 AM
17 	     439 	    Jan.18,1961 -  6:00 AM    Feb.05,1961 -  1:00 PM
18 	     435 	    Jan.16,2000 - 10:00 AM    Feb.03,2000 -  1:00 PM
19 	     419 	    Dec.12,2010 -  4:00 PM    Dec.30,2010 -  3:00 AM
20 	     414 	    Jan.06,1984 -  4:00 PM    Jan.23,1984 - 10:00 PM
21 	     406 	    Feb.05,2021 -  2:00 AM    Feb.22,2021 - 12:00 AM
22 	     401 	    Feb.01,2014 - 10:00 PM    Feb.18,2014 -  3:00 PM
23 	     396 	    Jan.14,2014 - 11:00 PM    Jan.31,2014 - 11:00 AM
24 	     391 	    Jan.06,1982 -  6:00 PM    Jan.23,1982 -  1:00 AM
25 	     388 	    Dec.31,1968 -  6:00 AM    Jan.16,1969 - 10:00 AM


I'm here for a good, hearty debate, to agree and disagree respectfully, and commiserate on the current state of terrestrial radio.

Mega Hertz
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Location: Brighton

Re: Finally above freezing

Post by Mega Hertz » Mon Feb 22, 2021 9:59 pm

I only had to wear 3 layers at work today instead of 4. I'd forgotten how warm my hands could be!


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MWmetalhead
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Re: Finally above freezing

Post by MWmetalhead » Wed Feb 24, 2021 5:41 pm

Great info, Jaded. Thank you for the research and data.

So, on average, that type of cold snap occurs once every five years. Certainly nothing to sneeze at!

At my home near 14 Mile and Woodward, it reached 53 degrees during the 1PM hour today! A full 9 degrees warmer than the forecast I saw on local TV this morning. Our local weather people obviously were "off" on the strength of SW flow prior to frontal passage. The front passed through here around 2:30.



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Rate This
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Re: Finally above freezing

Post by Rate This » Wed Feb 24, 2021 6:22 pm

MWmetalhead wrote:
Wed Feb 24, 2021 5:41 pm
Great info, Jaded. Thank you for the research and data.

So, on average, that type of cold snap occurs once every five years. Certainly nothing to sneeze at!

At my home near 14 Mile and Woodward, it reached 53 degrees during the 1PM hour today! A full 9 degrees warmer than the forecast I saw on local TV this morning. Our local weather people obviously were "off" on the strength of SW flow prior to frontal passage. The front passed through here around 2:30.
The high at Metro was 52 just as the front was coming by.



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MWmetalhead
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Re: Finally above freezing

Post by MWmetalhead » Thu Feb 25, 2021 7:09 am

I'm optimistic a decent amount of my lawn will become visible by Sunday afternoon! :)

Unfortunately, some of the latest model data suggests Sunday will now be a rather cloudy day. The good news? Saturday is now looking increasingly nice after the early morning hours.

Since Monday, the snow pack has whittled down from about ten inches of depth to about three in my neck of the woods.



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Rate This
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Re: Finally above freezing

Post by Rate This » Thu Feb 25, 2021 7:11 am

MWmetalhead wrote:
Thu Feb 25, 2021 7:09 am
I'm optimistic a decent amount of my lawn will become visible by Sunday afternoon! :)

Unfortunately, some of the latest model data suggests Sunday will now be a rather cloudy day. The good news? Saturday is now looking increasingly nice after the early morning hours.

Since Monday, the snow pack has whittled down from about ten inches of depth to about three in my neck of the woods.
I’ve got a good Chunk of mine whittled down on the south side of an east-west street. On the north side of the same street it’s almost 100% grass already. Didn’t take long once that sun worked on it!



km1125
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Re: Finally above freezing

Post by km1125 » Thu Feb 25, 2021 11:00 am

Great info!

Aside from a blip over 32 that must have occurred on Jan 31 and Feb 1, 2014 would have been in the top three:
22 401 Feb.01,2014 - 10:00 PM Feb.18,2014 - 3:00 PM
23 396 Jan.14,2014 - 11:00 PM Jan.31,2014 - 11:00 AM

Yes, the 70's were certainly cold. It aligned with all the talk of the coming 'mini ice age'!



Trophyhead
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Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 6:36 am

Re: Finally above freezing

Post by Trophyhead » Thu Feb 25, 2021 11:22 am

I could play the sympathy card for my Free Press delivery job in the mid 70s, but Mom would haul me around in our Nova and do about half the apartments herself, when the weather was its coldest.

Since Michigan colleges and universities are wacky enough to schedule baseball and softball games starting about 2-3 weeks from now, the thaw is certainly welcomed.



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lidoshuffle
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Re: Finally above freezing

Post by lidoshuffle » Thu Feb 25, 2021 11:39 am

I was 14 back in Dec 1976 thru Feb 1977, freshman in HS, and I remember that winter, still the coldest I can recall, seems everyday it was bitter cold and snow snow snow...



Bobbert
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Re: Finally above freezing

Post by Bobbert » Thu Feb 25, 2021 6:17 pm

I didn't mind the cold stretch so much. It made for a couple of weeks of picture perfect winter weather with the sparkling snow. Winter sports enthusiasts had the chance to safely enjoy themselves, including some pond hockey players near where I live. And it postponed the inevitable potholes that are now popping up everywhere. I even felt a little sad the other day when all the beautiful icicles hanging from my home fell off.

Of course now that it's warmed up, I'm glad for the melting snow packs that affect driving and the wonderful feeling of early spring fever. :)



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