GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — At the halfway point of October, warm and dry conditions stand out in West Michigan.

Temperatures are running slightly on the warmer side with a temperature of 55.4 degrees, exceeding normal by 1 degree.

Grand Rapids has recorded five days with highs in the 70s for the month. The warmest day occurred Oct. 11 with an observed high of 79 degrees.

A warming trend is favored in the short-term forecast with highs surging back into the 70s by Sunday afternoon.

Meanwhile, precipitation has been limited to less than half of what is average, with the total in Grand Rapids standing at just 0.88 inches month-to-date. The current rainfall deficit for October is at 1.06 inches. Measurable rainfall has occurred on only two of the first 15 days in October.

We’ve seen an abundance of sunshine through the first two weeks of October at 78% — far outpacing the average amount of sunshine received in Grand Rapids, which historically sits at 47%. In fact, as of Wednesday, October 2024 ranks as the third sunniest October of all time in Grand Rapids.

Moving through the back half of the month, there aren’t too many changes anticipated in the warm, dry and relatively sunny pattern. The 8-14 day outlook from the Climate Prediction Center does favor slightly wetter than normal conditions as we get closer to November.

For the latest forecast from Storm Team 8, click here.