Magnolia tree in bloom at WZZM 13 (March 19, 2012)
(WZZM) - For the past week, West Michigan's basked in record warmth. Temperatures have skyrocketed 35 degrees above average into the 70s and even low 80s, feeling more like June than mid March.
Tuesday is the first day of spring, but it will feel more like summer with a temperature reading we've never seen in March. The 13 On Target Weather team is forecasting a high of 86 degrees today in Grand Rapids. That would be not only a record high for the date, but the warmest temperature ever in the month of March.
The warm weather even has the magnolia tree outside the WZZM 13 studios blooming three to four weeks earlier than normal.
How do you plan to enjoy the balmy spring weather? Are you headed to Lake Michigan? While the sun and sand may feel nice, the water is still frigid. Michigan State University researchers estimate water temperatures in the upper 30s and low 40s from Holland north to Muskegon.
Share your photos of this beautiful weather with WZZM 13 through Send It. You can also follow Chief Meteorologist George Lessens on Twitter.