Take a close look at the picture above. This was sunset, Friday January 4, 2019 at the South Haven Beach. In the distance, you can see a motorized hang glider. To the right of the hang glider, you can see a thin, crescent moon. I counted more than 50 people there to watch the rare, clear winter sunset.

Grand Rapids has now had 25 consecutive days with the mean temperature above the daily average and that trend will continue. It’s not unusual to have a long warm or cool stretch of weather. Last November, 24 of 30 days were cooler than average. August started with 21 consecutive days warmer than the daily average and 26 of 30 days in April were cooler than average. The average high/low for G.R. is now at 31°/19°.

Here’s high temps. from Fri. PM – up to 50 at Kalamazoo, Jackson and Lansing and even 41 at the airport in Ludington. The warmest spots in the U.S. were 87° readings at Fort Lauderdale and Marathon, Florida and the coldest was -19 at Alamosa and Waverly, Colorado. In Alaska, Bettles dipped to -34°. Bettles has 31″ of snow on the ground. Fairbanks had a high temp. of -22°. The temperature finally reached 60° in Phoenix AZ for the first time in 8 days.

Despite the warmer air, there was plenty of snow for skiers and snow boarders at Bittersweet Ski Area Friday evening.

And…lots of skaters enjoying the mild winter evening at Rosa Park Circle in downtown Grand Rapids..

Also: Beautiful weather pictures. Heavy snow in Poland. Lenticular clouds in Colorado. Shooting star early Friday.