News

Cold continues in Great Lakes forecasts

An ag meteorologist says chances for snow in parts of the Great Lakes are finally subsiding.

State climatologist for Michigan Jeff Andresen says temperatures have been averaging 15 to 20 degrees cooler than normal for mid-April.

“The air loft is really abnormally cold for this time of year—very, very cold—certainly subfreezing leading to more instability,” he explains.

Unfortunately, the medium-range forecast into the first week of May includes more of the same: cold and wet conditions.

“The temperature [forecast] is looking more likely, especially the first week maybe a little bit more than that into the second week of May, that we do continue this cooler than normal pattern,” he says.

Andresen says the latest outlooks from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration also expect La Nina conditions to continue into the summer which would bring extended cool temperatures.

Andresen gave his outlook during this week’s MSU Extension ag weather forecast.