This is Every Annoying Quirk about Michigan Weather

Michigan weather is often meme-worthy. Just look at many of the tired posting on many Facebook groups about the state. Jokes about needing the heat in the morning and air conditioning in the evening abound. Real knee-slappers. But what are some legitimate quirks that make Michigan weather annoying?

The question came up recently on Reddit in a forum dedicated to Geography,

What’s the most annoying weather quirk about your hometown in the US? Is it the humidity in Florida, the snow in Minnesota, or something else?

Many were quick to chime in from Michigan and the answers landed in three general areas,

• lake effect snow
• grey winters
• humidity

Michigan Annoying Weather Quirk #1: Lake Effect Snow

Lake Effect is a weather phenomenon many around the Great Lakes know, but in particular it hits MIchigan and New York the hardest. Lake effect snow is a storm system that is enhanced by moving colder air over the warmer, by comparison, waters of the open lakes. Because it needs that water to fuel the snow, Michigan's west side, New York off both the Lake Erie and Lake Ontario coasts and eastern Ohio at the curve in Lake Erie.

READ MORE: Mackinac Island in Michigan Was the First Cold Weather Location Ever Featured in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue

Snowfalls in these areas can be feet above what nearby areas can see from the same storm.

Michigan Annoying Weather Quirk #2: Sunless, Gray Winters

A redditor commented,

The worst is how grey it is here during the winter months. Being that we’re a frozen land surrounded by a relatively warm lake, weather coming off the northern planes moves over the lake and just blankets us in grey for months!

Michigan can certainly see a sunshine drought during the winter months. Over a 10 day stretch of late January-early February of 2024, Grand Rapids saw just 6 minutes of sunshine over that stretch of time. That equates to 99.958% of the time it was grey and clouds.

Earlier that same winter, West Michigan saw as much sunshine in one month as it usually sees in a single sunny summer day.

Michigan Annoying Weather Quirk #3: It's the Humidity

Humidity is the worst in the American South, right? After all, that's the region for which the phrase, it's not the heat, it's the humidity was invented. So why then is Michigan the 7th most humid state in the nation? An article in Forbes found that when comparing the relative humidity of each state, desert states like Arizona and Nevada were the least humid. Surprisingly, after the southern states, comes Midwestern Iowa (6th most humid) Michigan (7th) and Indiana (8th).

So should you find yourself getting annoyed at any of the Michigan weather quirks. Take heed of another extremely tired cliche: if you don't like the weather in Michigan, wait five minutes and it'll change.