Frost/Freeze — Charlevoix, Michigan

2012-04-27 to 2012-04-29 · Charlevoix, Michigan

Wider weather episode

A killing freeze caused extreme damage to agriculture, particularly in the fruit belt of Northwest Lower Michigan. Traverse City saw low temperatures of 25 degrees on the 27th, 31 degrees on the 28th, and 26 degrees on the 29th. These values were not exceptionally colder than normal lows, which are in the middle 30s. Ultimately, the main culprit was a stretch of unprecedented warmth in mid-March, which included five consecutive 80-degree days (17th-21st). This caused fruit trees to bud out far, far ahead of schedule, and left them vulnerable to even relatively normal weather as the spring progressed. The tart cherry crop was a total loss, while other orchard fruits such as sweet cherries, apples, pears, and peaches saw losses in excess of 90% of the expected crop.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 379830. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.