Will hot summer lead to warm winter in southeast Michigan?
WHITE LAKE, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - After months of record-breaking heatwaves resulted in the hottest summer on record, many are welcoming cooler temperatures as we approach the autumnal equinox on Saturday, Sept. 23.
"Year over year, we end up with hotter temperatures, and this year happened to be the hottest temperatures on record," said Rich Pollman, Meteorologist in Charge at the National Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac Forecast Office
Pollman says although heatwaves impacted many regions throughout the country, here in southeast Michigan, we made it through most of the summer unscathed.
"Actually, in the state of Michigan, our temperatures were at average or a little bit below average," he said.
As we shift to cooler temperatures, the question now is, what can we expect for the winter, especially with El Nino, a natural climate event marked by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures at play?
"It should lead to a better chance for a warmer winter and a better chance for a drier winter," Pollman said.
Pollman notes with a warmer planet, when we experience severe thunderstorms in Detroit and the metro area, we'll likely get more rainfall, too, which could lead to even more flooding concerns.
