Traverse City set a record high temperature of 92 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday before dropping 31 degrees in just 10 minutes, the National Weather Service said.
The city hit the record-breaking 92 degrees Fahrenheit around 5 pm, before dropping from 88 degrees Fahrenheit at 6:35 pm to 57 degrees Fahrenheit at 6:45 pm, National Weather Service data shows.
The dramatic temperature drop was caused by a northerly lake breeze pushing through, the National Weather Service said.
Previously, the record high temperature for May 10 in Traverse City was 89 degrees Fahrenheit, and the average high for the date is 64 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tuesday’s record high temperature makes it the 12th hottest day in the month of May in history.
Traverse City broke the record among a heat wave covering a 2,000-mile swath of the United States, including much of Michigan.
More records could be broken later in the week, with temperatures expected to reach as high as 91 degrees Fahrenheit again by Friday.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Traverse City in May is 95 degrees Fahrenheit, which has happened just four times: on May 31, 1934; May 20, 1977; May 28, 1978; and May 29, 2018.
The heat wave began in the south-central United States over the weekend, with Texas having its earliest 100-degree day on record, the National Weather Service said. The average first 100-degree day is June 20.
Studies indicate that record-breaking weather patterns are becoming more frequent, more severe, and longer lasting as a result of human-induced climate change, with projections suggesting the trends will continue to worsen in the future.
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