Grand Rapids, MI weather in August
August in Grand Rapids: warm, with some rain. Highs 81°F, lows 61°F, rain on about 10 days. This is the peak of the warm season in Grand Rapids. A good month for most outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 81°F
- Normal low
- 61°F
- Wet days
- 10
- 3.5 in total
- Muggy days
- 9
- dew point 65°F+
How August changes from start to finish
| August 1 | August 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 82°F | 79°F |
| Normal low | 63°F | 59°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 32% | 32% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 6:33 am / 9:04 pm | 7:06 am / 8:19 pm |
| Daylight | 14.5 h | 13.2 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Eastern Time).
A typical August day
- 6 am62°Fdew point 59°F
- 9 am70°Fdew point 62°F
- Noon76°Fdew point 61°F
- 3 pm79°Fdew point 60°F
- 6 pm77°Fdew point 60°F
- 9 pm70°Fdew point 61°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Grand Rapids (8 mi away); average wind 7 mph; clear or few clouds in 34% of daytime hours, mostly cloudy or overcast in 48%.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F10 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more2 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more9 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow10 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in6 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below0 of 31
- Snow on the groundsnow depth 1 in or more0 of 31
Average days per August, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in August
Normal precipitation is 3.5 in; a dry August brings about 1.9 in and a wet one about 4.3 in (25th and 75th percentiles). About 3 days bring half an inch or more, and about 1 an inch or more.
How August varies from year to year
- Warmest August, 1991-20202010: average high 85°F
- Coolest August1997: average high 75°F
- Wettest August2016: 8.0 in
- Driest August1996: 0.3 in
- Highest reading96°F (August 1, 2007)
- Lowest reading43°F (August 20, 1992)
From the station's daily records with NOAA quality flags removed; most recent date shown when a reading repeats.
August compared with July and September
| July | August | September | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 83°F | 81°F | 74°F |
| Normal low | 63°F | 61°F | 53°F |
| Wet days | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Comfortable days | 8 | 10 | 16 |
| Daylight | 15.0 h | 13.9 h | 12.5 h |
Highs change by -2°F from July and -7°F into September.
Nearby alternatives in August
- Drier: Carmel, IN208 mi · high 82°F · 7 wet days
- Cooler: Sister Bay, WI170 mi · high 75°F · 9 wet days
How Grand Rapids ranks in August
- Normal high295th warmest of 378 cities; 5th of 8 in Michigan
- Wet days249th driest of 378
- Comfortable days70th most of 341
What to pack for Grand Rapids in August
- A rain jacket or umbrella – rain on about 10 days
Heating and cooling
August has 12 heating degree days and 200 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 3% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Grand Rapids in August?
The normal high is 81°F and the normal low is 61°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest August reading was 96°F (most recently on August 1, 2007).
Does it rain a lot in Grand Rapids in August?
About 10 days in August have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 3.6 in. The wettest August in 1991-2020 was in 2016 (8.0 in); the driest was in 1996 (0.3 in).
Is August a good time to visit Grand Rapids?
August ranks 4th of 12 months on our comfort score for Grand Rapids (64 out of 100). It has about 10 comfortable days and about 2 days at 90°F or hotter. The best months are May, June and September.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, snowfall, snow depth, frost dates and humidity and wind by hour: Grand Rapids (USW00094860), 7.9 mi SE of the city center, 778 ft (138 ft higher than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Cloud cover: Lansing Capital City Airport (USW00014836), 57 mi ESE of the city center, 841 ft (201 ft higher than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Gerald R Ford International Airport (726350-94860), 9.2 mi SE of the city center, 788 ft (148 ft higher than the city). Hourly observations, 1991-2020.