Karl Bohnak

The final month of meteorological summer begins early next week. So far, summer 2023 is a split temperature-wise. June ended a degree above average, while July will probably come in over a degree below the long-term normal.

An unknown philosopher wrote that “August is like the Sunday of summer.” Thoughts of the new week enter the mind on the last day of the weekend, while we can be reminded of the coming autumn season as the month of August unfolds.

The month begins at peak summer warmth. On August 1, the average high is still 76 with a low of 55 at the National Weather Service (NWS). The very next day, the average low slips a degree. By month’s end, the average high and low are down to 72 and 51. The hottest temperatures usually occur early in the month. For instance, the greatest August heat wave on record baked the U.P. during the first week of the month in 1947. Marquette, Iron Mountain and Ironwood all topped 100 degrees. Most recently, there was a stretch of three consecutive low-to-mid 90 days at the NWS in early August 2001.

Just after mid-month, winds begin to increase as the storm track drifts southward, closer to Upper Michigan. The wind signals the beginning of the seasonal cooling trend. While there are occasional heat waves in late August, it’s more likely that record monthly lows are set. Marquette dropped to 33 for a record August low on the 23rd in 1885, while Houghton’s August low was set on the 26th in 1950 at 34. The NWS fell below freezing to 31 on the 26th in 1976 and Iron Mountain froze at 30 on August 26, 1945.

No freezing temperatures are expected, but it should average out near to a bit cooler than normal over the weekend with a warming trend next week. Rainfall looks minimal.