We get it: it's Michigan, it's winter, it's cloudy. But even so, it's not always this cloudy so many days in a row. And it's starting to get a little old....
Grand Rapids is one of the few locations (if not the last National Weather Service office) in the country to measure minutes (and percentage) of sunshine. It uses a 1950s device called a Foster photoelectric sunshine switch or "shade-ring pyranometer", which, according to various sources is no longer being made.
Turns out, measuring sunshine is somewhat hard to do, perhaps the reason why so few (if any) remain today: How Sunshine is Measured
Since January 22, 2020 Grand Rapids has recorded 0 minutes of possible sunshine, which equates to 0% each day through January 30, 2020 - 8 days in a row. While not yet breaking the top ten, it is possible to reach it if the next two days are cloudy as forecast. Most recently, it has been cloudy for ten consecutive days in late 2018 and in early 2017. Notice the longest stretch of sunless days occurs in the 'winter' months. If cloudy skies persist over the weekend the record of 16 days could be in jeopardy.
Nonetheless, January 2020 will be the sixth cloudiest January on record and one of the cloudiest months on record (notice all 30 of the cloudiest months are in November, December, and January), placing eighteenth on the list, and the cloudiest since November, 2018.
Not surprisingly, November, December and January are the cloudiest months in Grand Rapids, but since May 2018 it has been cloudier than average 19 out of the last 20 months (August 2019 was the only month with more sunshine).
That long stretch of 'less-sunny' months meant 2019 became the fourth cloudiest year on record.
The lack of sunshine has a large impact on higher Great Lakes water levels. Evaporation is the leading factor of removing water and lowering levels, other than water moving downstream out of the the Great Lakes basin. When the sun doesn't shine as often, the water sticks around longer.
Here's hoping for sunnier and drier days ahead!
Chief Meteorologist George Lessens
George is a graduate of Penn State University working for 13 On Your Side for 39 years. He is a twelve-time MAB® Weathercast Award Winner and two-time EMMY® Award Winner.
Contact me at: GeorgeLessens@13OnYourSide.com
Follow me on Twitter @glessens and Facebook GeorgeLessensWZZM
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