- Parts of Michigan is in the worst drought since 2012, with rainfall well below normal and river levels falling
- Cities like Grand Rapids, Detroit, Lansing and Traverse City have all recorded major precipitation shortfalls this year
- Meteorologists say it will take multiple widespread rain events to restore soil moisture and river flow
If you’ve noticed more dust swirling at construction sites, lawns struggling to grow or trees dropping leaves ahead of schedule, Michigan’s lingering drought is likely to blame.
The state is facing its worst drought in more than a decade, with much of the Lower Peninsula parched after months of below-average rainfall. The region has seen only about two-thirds of its normal precipitation since January, leaving rivers running low, according to the National Weather Service.
Parts of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula are in the midst of “the most significant drought since 2012,” the NWS in Grand Rapids said this week, with conditions ranging from moderate to severe.
For farmers, the dry conditions are hitting hard, stressing crops and raising concerns about lower yields and tighter margins heading into harvest season.
‘Abnormally dry’
Rainfall has been far below normal in several cities.
So far this month, Grand Rapids has received 0.62 inches of rain, compared to a normal 1.97 inches. Detroit has recorded less than half an inch, far below its usual 2 inches. Lansing has seen about 1 inch of rain, short of the typical 1.6 inches. And Traverse City has measured only 0.9 inches, less than half of its normal 2 inches.
“It’s not uncommon to be on the dry side this time of year but it’s been abnormally dry,” said Trent Frey, meteorologist for the NWS Detroit office. “We’re going to need a few widespread rainfall events that occur over the course of a couple of weeks to make up for the rainfall deficits that we see.”
Frey noted Michigan is in a transition between summer weather with frequent thunderstorms and high humidity and the fall pattern of low-pressure systems that bring more widespread rainfall.
But this isn’t a sudden development. Rainfall has lagged behind normal totals across much of the state throughout the year.
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In Grand Rapids, there has been 19.55 inches of rain since January, compared to a normal 28.34 inches. Detroit has received 24.03 inches, slightly short of its typical 25.76. Lansing has measured 19.94 inches, nearly 5 inches below the average of 24.62.
Traverse City is an exception, with 20.91 inches of rain so far this year, just above its normal 20.14.
Rivers running slow
Michigan’s drought is taking a toll on rivers across the Lower Peninsula. Streamflow — the amount of water flowing in a river or stream at a given time — has dropped well below normal in several waterways.
In Lansing, the Grand River is moving at 85 cubic feet per second, down from 241 a year ago and its slowest rate since 1999. In Grand Rapids, the Grand River has fallen from 1,260 to 1,010 cubic feet per second, its lowest rate since 2012.
The Muskegon River at Evart has dropped from 404 to 291 cubic feet per second. The south branch of the Au Sable River near Luzerne has seen only a slight dip, from 101 to 98 cubic feet per second. Even the Detroit River is down, from 199,000 to about 195,000 cubic feet per second.
Low streamflow can limit recreational activities like kayaking, though officials say the drought hasn’t lasted long enough yet to cause major impacts on lakes.
“It’s not going to be an instantaneous change once it does start to rain again,” Frey said. “It’s going to take several occasions where there’s widespread rainfall that will be able to replenish the soil moisture, replenish the water table and bring those streamflows back up to where they typically are for the year.”