GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — If you suffer from seasonal affective disorder, it may have started early this year.
SAD is typically triggered by lack of sunshine, which is a way of life in Grand Rapids. The city ranks sixth in terms of cloudiest cities nationwide.
Grand Rapids ranks sixth in terms of cloudiest major U.S. cities. In fact, five of the top ten cloudiest cities are located near the Great Lakes.
CLOUDINESS EXPLAINED
The reason can be explained by science: cold air arrives and flows across the often unfrozen waters of the Great Lakes and evaporates. The water vapor then rises until it condenses into clouds and precipitation that we call lake-effect.
When you look at a map of the United States, you can see how the Great Lakes influences sunshine.
The Great Lakes lakes influences the amount of sunshine we receive.
HOW THIS YEAR RANKS
This November certainly has solidified West Michigan's cloudy reputation. We haven't experienced a day with more than 50 percent sunshine since Oct. 24.
The sunniest day this month only included 23 percent sunshine, so Wednesday will be quite welcome, as it will likely be the sunniest day in three weeks.
It's been a cloudy November so far. Remarkably, nine of the first 13 days of November were completely overcast. This has added up to a meager 3.2 percent sunshine average through Nov. 13.
Historically, November ranks as the third cloudiest month on the calendar with an average of 28 percent sunshine.
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