GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — This spring in West Michigan has been calm in terms of severe weather, but we could see more storms as the summer wears on.
Across the United States, more tornadoes happen in May than in any other month of the year. But in Michigan, tornado season peaks in June.
Michigan averages 16 tornadoes per year. With most classified as weak EF-0s or EF-1s, they are relatively short-lived.
Right now, we have a strong contrast of temperature east of the Rocky Mountains, with warmer than average weather in the Southeast and cooler-than-average weather in the upper Midwest.
That contrast should continue, giving much of the Central and Eastern U.S. — including Michigan — above-average rainfall and thunderstorm activity.
Because of the cooler-than-average pattern in Michigan, most severe weather has been south of us this spring.
That will change as temperatures warm. The Gulf of Mexico, our source region for moisture, is warmer than average and should provide the fuel for late spring and early summer storms.
Severe weather should taper off this year, as it often does, in late summer.
The greatest threat will be isolated wind damage and flooding. We’ll also continue to deal with significantly higher water levels on the Great Lakes.
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