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Drought worsens in West Michigan with little rain in sight
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Last week's rain did little to ease worsening drought conditions across West Michigan, an updated report shows. The drought monitor update released Thursday shows worsening drought conditions, especially north of Grand Rapids where late-September soaking rains were largely absent. West MI’s ‘severe’ drought now worst since 2012 Severe drought now encompasses much of the US-10 corridor, including Ludington, Big Rapids and Mount Pleasant. Much of Ottawa County also remains in severe drought. Much of West Michigan is in a moderate drought, though Kalamazoo and Battle Creek are only designated as abnormally dry. Ask Ellen: Is the saying ‘drought begets drought’ true? A dry, quiet pattern has been in place in West Michigan for nearly four months now, allowing rainfall deficits to grow. If it weren't for last week's soaking rains, the deficits would be much larger. Still, the late-September rains mainly soaked into the parched soil, didn't produce much runoff and subsequently didn't do much to ease drought conditions. How this season’s drought affects the farmers market Little, if any meaningful rain is in the forecast for the next 10 days. Model data suggests under a half-inch of rain is possible through Oct. 12, which while is subject to change, underscores the likelihood of continually worsening drought conditions through the middle of the month.
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Fall Foliage Outlook: Oct. 2, 2025
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — October is known as the month when most of Michigan's fall colors pop. Drought is impacting some areas, but spots to the north are right on schedule. CURRENT FALL FOLIAGE Fall color is in full swing in parts of the western Upper Peninsula. Clear skies allowed satellites to take some stunning pictures of our state from space, showing where the trees are already fully changed. This image was taken by NASA's VIIRS satellite on Sept. 29: Harvest in West Michigan delivers mixed results following challenging growing season Drought conditions across a good portion of the Lower Peninsula are leading to early browning, with muted colors. Deepening drought will likely rob some trees of leaves before they can undergo a classic fall transformation. Low color is apparent across the entire Lower Peninsula. Some of that low color is attributed to worsening drought conditions. In the new drought monitor released Thursday, severe drought has expanded across parts of Muskegon, Newaygo, Mecosta, Oceana, Ottawa and Kent counties. Moderate drought regions have also expanded. WHERE WILL PEAK COLOR OCCUR THIS WEEK? Peak color will continue to unfold in the Upper Peninsula. Trees located at the highest elevations in the western U.P. have changed first. Lower elevations like Houghton will likely follow suit in the next two weeks. The best fall foliage develops with sunny days and cool nights, which are abundant in this week's forecast. Moderate to severe drought will be a continued concern for West Michigan, where peak color usually arrives toward the end of October. Stressed trees with low water tend to let their leaves go brown early. Storm Team 8 Forecast Early leaf drop will minimize the color show this year. Warm temperatures and little rain will likely exacerbate the problem in the week ahead. A return to more typical fall-like weather is expected by the middle of October.
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Harvest in West Michigan delivers mixed results following challenging growing season
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The harvest season is getting underway in West Michigan and the results are underwhelming in some cases as farmers collect their crops. Lindsey Visser is a part of a legacy farm family in rural Ottawa county near Holland. "I love that our kids are interested in it and that we can continue this legacy." Visser said. "A sixth-generation farm is pretty rare. And it's just so neat to watch my kids work with my husband, to watch them learn from him, to see the trade be carried on from generation to generation." Dry weather stunts some West Michigan pumpkin, corn growth The farm spans 150 acres and includes several large greenhouses, allowing it to sell a variety of different fruits and vegetables through the family's business, Crisp Country Acres, including strawberries, tomatoes and squash. Temperatures in the month of May ran cooler than average The growing season started with cooler-than-average temperatures and even frost advisories issued for parts of West Michigan dragging into the month of June. ‘We need a lot more rain’: West Michigan’s blueberries hit by drought Morning low temperatures on June 1st The relatively cold conditions were responsible for delayed planting in some cases, according to Eric Anderson, a soybean educator with the Michigan State Extension office. "There are some places that stayed on the cooler end, it was pretty wet. And so those folks got planted I would say at least a couple weeks later, and sometimes a month later than they wanted to," Anderson said. Temperatures quickly took off and while some plants responded well to the hot and dry summer locally, other crops struggled. Recent rain brings some relief to dry crops, but not enough "Things that blossom like tomatoes, zucchini, that kind of thing when it gets those super high temperatures like we had ... it didn't produce the way that it should," Visser said.
Visser points to her potatoes as a crop that had an especially difficult summer. "My husband harvested a field of potatoes ... and was expecting to get about seventy cribs, which is the big boxes of potatoes. We got thirteen from that field, so that was pretty devastating." The United States Department of Agriculture tracks the progress and condition of field crops in eighteen different states and Michigan has placed near the bottom throughout the summer. It's expected to be the worst quality corn crop of the decade so far. Statistics courtesy of USDA September 15th Report Levi Wenger is the owner of the Double W Farm in Middleville and grows rye, corn and soybeans while helping to raise heifers for a nearby farm. He was frustrated by the inconsistent rain. Hastings farmer creates book to teach children about agricultural machinery "Throughout the summer, our rain, it varied quite a bit. It seemed like we didn't quite have the storms that swept the whole state that came across, and we didn't have the nice, steady rains. It seemed like we just had hit-and-miss pop up showers, which definitely put a toll on a lot of the stuff that we dealt with," Wenger said. Most recent Drought Monitor update highlighting Moderate Drought in much of West Michigan Soybeans are faring slightly better, but may also underachieve. "I would expect that the number of pods and the number of seeds per pod is going to be pretty close to on par," said Eric Anderson with the MSU Extension office. "But for those areas that have have had that extended dry spell over the last, you know, one or two months, I think we're going to expect to see, lower what we call test weights. So in other words, each of those seeds are going to be smaller in the pods. And so it's going to impact yields, in those drier areas." Statistics courtesy of the USDA September 15th Report Dry weather has been favorable in that it helps to reduce diseases in crops such as white mold and tar spot. Farmers now aim to quickly turn the page and harvest before rain creates muddy conditions and adds greater input costs in having to dry the product. "It looks like everything's going to dry out quite quickly. So we're going to be pushing that, guys will be in the beans before they know it here. And then corn's going to be shortly after that I believe," Wenger with Double W Farm adds. -
Imelda and Humberto close in: Could the Fujiwhara effect occur?
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Tropical Storm Imelda and Hurricane Humberto have both strengthened, now lurking a few hundred miles away from one another. As of Monday afternoon, the two tropical systems are around 600 to 700 miles apart. The small amount of ocean in between the outer bands is even less — around 100 miles. Ask Ellen: What causes lightning? It is quite rare that two storms are in such close proximity. When two systems that are rotating in the same direction pass closely to each other, they often find a shared common point to rotate around. Often, the stronger storm will try to absorb the weaker one. This is known as the Fujiwhara effect. Despite how close Humberto and Imelda currently are, the Fujiwhara effect looks unlikely. Current forecasts suggest the two storms will remain separate systems as they track into the central Atlantic. This easterly trend for Imelda is a fairly new development. Just last week, most models were indicating the storm would track toward the United States with the potential of making landfall near South Carolina. Tornadic waterspout spins over Torch Lake A tropical storm warning remains in effect on the east coast of Florida for now.
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Agriculture supports tourism and innovation in Michigan
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Agriculture is the second-largest contributor to Michigan's economy, behind only the automotive industry — establishing itself as a significant driver of tourism to the state while also spearheading new innovative processes to enhance the future of farming. Michigan offers a level of agricultural diversity matched by few other states. Steven Miller from the MSU Extension Office, who specializes in the economic value of rural resources and land use impacts, said Michigan ranks second in the nation in agricultural diversity, runner up to California. October is Michigan Agritourism Month. What is it? Miller says that standing is rooted back in history. "We got the glaciers, made the Great Lakes, created this diverse soil profile which is good for all kinds of different commodities and different crops. You have these microclimates that are very unique to Michigan that allow us to have cooler environments for cold weather crops in parts of the state and a little bit more warmer weather and drier areas, wetter areas and sandy soil. It's just a great diversity, a tapestry of different environments that make it perfect for many crops," Miller said. Growing agritourism industry The variety of produce grown in Michigan has spurred numerous agricultural-themed events like the National Blueberry Festival in South Haven and the National Cherry Festival up in Traverse City, which attract hundreds of thousands of guests each year to celebrate with the community plus enjoy specialty foods and entertainment. On a smaller scale, farms are leaning into creating tourism opportunities to engage with more visitors, too. "We see more value of resiliency, diversity, of the fact that there's when we can have a farm that's producing a wider array of products and gives it a little bit more agronomic or economic stability," said Tim Boring, the Director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Boring sees an uptick in consumers interested in locally grown meats, berries and vegetables while producers are also creating more activities such as corn mazes and seasonal events to entice guests. As we shift into the fall, West Michigan businesses had mixed experiences navigating through the erratic weather patterns of the summer. For instance, sunflowers at Deep Roots Farm in Alto fell short of expectations. "Some did better than others. The branching varieties kind of held on where the pro cuts really don't like the heat and dry weather and we had nowhere to irrigate them," said Deep Roots Farm owner and operator Stephen McDaniel. ‘We need a lot more rain’: West Michigan’s blueberries hit by drought However, Lavender Life Farm in Caledonia say that their plants thrive on heat and dry soil with some varieties now in line for a second harvest. Sara Winstrom with Lavender Life Farm says the initial cold conditions in the spring were a limiting factor. "It was a very, very slow start. So even the first people that came through it, we did not have full fields, which are typically like bursting with lavender. It kind of came in phases, but once it came it was absolutely beautiful," Winstrom said. Given current economic uncertainty, Boring believes Michigan residents might be more inclined to seek out local opportunities for entertainment and experiences. "I think it's going to be logical here that people might pivot to be looking to explore a little bit more in their backyards or within the region. They might be a car drive away rather than a plane ride, as it would have been in the past," Boring said. According to Miller, farmers may have to do more with less as development chews away at agricultural land. "Kent County is the fifth-most urban county in Michigan as far as land space and it's also the largest producer of fruit, berries and tree nuts. So it's a significant agricultural producer, but a large share of its land is actually in urban space. Ottawa is much worse. They lost about 16% of its agricultural lands so it lost 23,000 acres," Miller said. Innovative operations at West Michigan farms Farmers in West Michigan are maximizing their margins by employing smart design. From meat to milk to crops, technology is helping farmers stay ahead of the curve. The primary threats to farming in America are the volatile markets, high labor costs, and the erratic weather conditions that can make or break a season. Deer and wildlife also take a big bite out of profit each year in the agricultural world, especially in West Michigan. Drones are being used by farms in the state to plant and spray during windows of opportunity that classic equipment would not be able to function in. If a field is too wet, for example, and needs fungicide applied, a farmer can employ a programmable drone to get the job done well before a classic crop sprayer could. Kruithoff Farms in Kent City currently uses drones to plant and spray. The trend from drones and artificial intelligence is growing nationwide. "Pest management with drones is pretty awesome. We see mechanical drones on wheels pull weeds or lasers shoot weeds to kill them, pretty neat stuff." Miller said. Dry weather stunts some West Michigan pumpkin, corn growth This approach is both good for the environment and cost-effective for the farmer. At Fruit Ridge Farms in Sparta, cherry trees are protected by wildlife, rain and frost by new canopies that can be deployed season-round. Too much rain in June or July can cause cherries to split. German-designed canopies can protect the plants, while still letting wind through, keeping the coverage stable even when severe weather rolls in. Milking robots in Coopersville are changing the game for dairy farms in the state. Family farms with no desire to expand are using AI to stay profitable. Collars around the necks of dairy cows constantly collect data and stream information in real time to farmers' phones and desktops. These collars automatically sync with milking robots on the farm. Cows know the robot will give them a tasty treat if they file in on their own. Once a cow approaches the robot, the collar immediately tells the machine if the cow should be milked or gently encouraged to make room for the next cow. Medical history, milk attributes, and medication are all tracked meticulously to ensure the quality of the milk being collected and the health and safety of each cow. These robots can replace the job of a few farmhands, saving farmers in a big way. Monday at 7 p.m. on WOOD TV8 and streaming on woodtv.com, Storm Team 8 hosts a special report looking at the harvest season in Weathering West Michigan.
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Ask Ellen: What causes lightning?
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Lightning is a staple of West Michigan weather, but many natives might not know how this common phenomenon is made. Lightning is caused in cumulus clouds when ice particles begin to collide. When warm air at the surface begins to climb, it can often create clouds. Under the right conditions, warm air will continue to accelerate upwards, creating a cumulus cloud. If enough moisture and lift are involved, that cumulus cloud will grow to the top of the atmosphere, becoming a cumulonimbus! As clouds climb high in the sky, the air turns colder. This causes water droplets to freeze, becoming tiny ice crystals. Turbulence within these cumulonimbus clouds can be quite fierce — upwards of 100 mph. These fast winds cause ice crystals to travel up and down within the cloud, colliding with each other and water droplets. As these collisions occur within the cloud, they create charged particles. In time, positive and negative charges will begin to organize in different parts of the cloud, allowing energy to build. Eventually, the charges are too strong and need to be neutralized. Nature accomplishes this by creating a bolt of lightning, which allows the charges to be discharged. In general, the more hail there is in a storm, the more lightning it will produce. Storms that are warm-core in origin, like hurricanes, have very little lightning. This is due to the fact that climbing cumulus clouds continue to stay too warm to produce ice crystals, so charged particles are fewer.
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Fall Foliage Outlook: September 25, 2025
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Just days away from the start of October, many are looking for fall color change. CURRENT FALL FOLIAGE Some fall color has begun to pop across the state, mostly in the Upper Peninsula. Cities furthest west, like Ironwood and Iron Mountain, have begun to see some peak color. The Keweenaw Peninsula is starting to see some oranges and reds as well, but most trees remain green. More than half the trees in the eastern U.P. and lower Michigan remain green. Andrea Martin, Riverside Park Andrea Martin, Riverside Park There are few trees scattered in the bunch are beginning to show reds and oranges. This is, in part, due to stress on the trees thanks to warm temperatures and a lack of rain. WHERE WILL PEAK COLOR OCCUR THIS WEEK? Thanks to cooler temperatures and widespread rainfall this week, color change began to really show in the Upper Peninsula. Keep in mind, the best fall foliage occurs with sunny days and cool nights. Despite the high rain totals, most of West Michigan remains in drought. Unfortunately, this week isn't expected to help that. Sunshine, warmer temperatures, and minimal rainfall will be the theme into early October. Into the first week of October, expect the Upper Peninsula to begin showing peak fall color. If you are planning a trip in that direction, aim for the first two weeks of October. Areas like Gaylord, Traverse City, and Alpena will likely start to see peak fall color the second or third week of October. For most of West Michigan, reds and oranges will show the last two weeks of October.
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Tornadic waterspout spins over Torch Lake
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A single spinning storm cell dropped a picturesque tornado in Antrim County in northern Michigan on Monday evening. The tornado then traveled over Torch Lake, sucking up water and becoming a tornadic waterspout. The tornado crossed Torch Lake before continuing east and eventually dissipating. The National Weather Service in Gaylord, Michigan, issued a tornado warning at 5:57 p.m. for central Antrim County shortly after rotation was spotted on radar. The storm was fairly isolated, with the tornado dropping from a relatively high cloud base. These conditions made the twister very easy to spot across the northern Michigan landscape. Was it a tornado or was it a waterspout? Tornadoes can touch down on land or water. In fact, tornadoes can touch down just about anywhere. There is meteorological proof in recent years showing confirmed tornadoes in valleys, on mountains, and tracking over rivers and through cities. When a tornado touches down or travels over water, it becomes a "tornadic waterspout." The Antrim County tornado on Monday evening is now Michigan's 31st of the year. Fair-weather waterspouts form from clouds over water. These start from the water and stretch up to meet the sky. These dissipate when hitting land and are not classified as an official tornado.
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Chief Meteorologist Ellen Bacca (and husband Mark) welcomed their first child over the weekend, with the birth of Piper Sunny. Check out these sweet pictures<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hurricane Lee continues to slowly track toward the United States. Click here for the latest on intensity and path<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Saturday brought plenty of sunshine and calm conditions. Bill’s Blog dives into what is currently the calmest day of 2023.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
WEATHER WEAR<\/strong>
Rain Jacket
Umbrella<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SUNRISE<\/strong> 7:17 a.m.
SUNSET<\/strong> 7:59 p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.
PROVERBS 17:27 NIVGrand Rapids / Lakeshore
Kalamazoo
Battle Creek
Benton Harbor