Latest news, weather, high school sports for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

We’re heading into nearly as cool a pattern as nature can deliver here in late May.  Some spots over the northern U.P. may not get to 50 degrees tomorrow for a high and there’s a good chance of frost and freezing temperatures over the interior western U.P. tomorrow night.  Six years ago, the extremes tilted the other way and gave us a sizzling Memorial Day. 

May 2006 started warm.  Through the first 10 days the average, or mean, temperature was over four degrees above normal.  Then a record-breaking May storm hit on the 11th and the mean temperature stayed well below average from then through the third week of the month.  A big “flip” to warmer occurred on May 24 and reached a climax on May 29—Memorial Day when a record high of 93 degrees was recorded at the National Weather Service (NWS) near Negaunee. 

The warmth was generated by huge upper level ridge that crested just east of us on the holiday (Image 1 above).  That put us in the sweet spot for heat.  The pattern was progressive, however, and things cooled down the last two days of the month. 

The cool weather this time around will linger into the beginning of June.  In fact, a system more typical of the cold season is forecast to develop over the Plains and lift into the Great Lakes at week’s end (Image 2).  It appears that the U.P. will be on the western edge of the rain shield.  If this turns out to be the case, the eastern end of the U.P. will have the best chance of picking up meaningful rain amounts from the system.  That would further aid in mop up efforts in Luce County.