West Michigan drought eases, but not gone yet

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — While West Michigan remains abnormally dry, last weekend’s rain has begun to chip away at the deficit.

Only seven days this fall have produced measurable rain in Grand Rapids. The dry weather took a hiatus this past weekend as long-awaited showers and thunderstorms rolled through.

DROUGHT MONITOR

As of the latest drought update from last week, most of West Michigan is in a D0 drought, known as “abnormally dry.” It is the lowest level drought and first indication of drier-than-normal conditions.

In the past seven days, West Michigan has seen anywhere between .5 to 2 inches of rain. That rainfall will be factored into the next drought monitor. Each week’s drought monitor is valid from Tuesday morning through the following Tuesday, meaning any rain that falls during that time is included. The new map is released each Thursday morning.

While the rainfall deficit is a heavily-weighed factor in the drought monitor, other indications such as streamflow, soil moisture, crop status, temperatures and ground reports from more than 450 experts are also incorporated. The drought monitor is a blend of these factors representing what has occurred, rather than a forecast model for future conditions.

GRAND RIVER AT GRAND RAPIDS

Incredibly low water levels have been recorded in the Grand River at Grand Rapids for the past several weeks. On Oct. 11, the river dropped to 0.85 feet. For reference, the record holds at 21.9 feet with an action level of 12 feet.

YEAR-TO-DATE RAINFALL

Despite the lack of rain this fall, year-to-date rainfall remains on track. Major recording sites in West Michigan, with the exception of Grand Rapids, remain above normal.

The dry pattern we’ve gotten used to this fall will settle back in through the rest of the week and into next, with no major rain chances in sight.

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