1

NOAA Technical Memorandum ERL GLERL-96

LAKE MICHIGAN WATER TEMPERATURE DATA

ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN 1936-1992

Michael J. McCormick

Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory

Ann Arbor, Michigan

August 1996

UNITED STATES

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Mickey Kantor

Secretary

NATIONAL OCEANIC AND

ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION

D. James Baker

Under Secretary for Oceans

and Atmosphere/Administrator

Environmental Research

Laboratories

James L. Rasmussen

Director

NAT OI NAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRAT OI N

U.S.DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
2

NOTICE

Mention of a commercial company or product does not constitute an endorsement

by the NOAA Environmental Research Laboratories. Use of information from

this publication concerning proprietary products or the tests of such products for

publicity or advertising purposes is not authorized. This is GLERL Contribution

No. 1009. NTIS# PB96-202411/XAB.
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NOAA Technical Memorandum ERL GLERL-96

LAKE MICHIGAN WATER TEMPERATURE DATA

ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN 1936-1992

Michael J. McCormick

Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory

2205 Commonwealth Blvd.

Ann Arbor, MI 48105

internet address: mccormick@glerl.noaa.gov

1. INTRODUCTION

Water temperature data from several sites around the Great Lakes were obtained to determine if any

regional climatic changes or trends could be detected based upon these data sets. The study was partially

supported by the NOAA Office of Global Programs. Site selection was based upon location and

reasonable data access.

This technical memorandum contains data for St. Joseph, Michigan. The water temperature data

were collected at the Water Intake Plant in St. Joseph, Michigan. The data set is from 1936, 1937,

1940-45, and 1960 to 1992. According to the plant manager, all data from 1938, 1939, and 1946 to 1959

were lost.

Temperatures were recorded in the plant once each morning. Prior to 1956, the water intake was

located approximately 1500' from shore, at 12'-15' below the water surface. After 1956 the intake was

shortened such that it extended only 1200' offshore.

The data are plotted and shown in the accompanying figures. Prior to final plotting, all data

were checked for consistency and all questionable values were deleted. All missing data are denoted

by -999.

Data files are identified as TM096Dxx.edt where xx identifies the data year. Data are organized into

four columns: month, day, year, and temperature. Although the data are reported to the nearest 0.1o

C, a

more reasonable estimate of their accuracy is 0.5o

C, given all the uncertainties with the raw data.

All data are available in a simple ASCII format. The data files are available from GLERL’s WWW

site or from the anonymous FTP site. From the GLERL home page (www.glerl.noaa.gov), select FTP

server, or point your browser to: ftp://ftp.glerl.noaa.gov/publications/tech_reports/glerl-96.

Although great care has been used in checking these data, mistakes may still be present. If errors are

found, please contact the author at mccormick@glerl.noaa.gov.
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50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 266

St. Joseph, MI 1936

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 259

St. Joseph, MI 1937

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 274

St. Joseph, MI 1940

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 278

St. Joseph, MI 1941

Julian Day
5

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 270

St. Joseph, MI 1942

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 266

St. Joseph, MI 1943

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 283

St. Joseph, MI 1944

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 278

St. Joseph, MI 1945

Julian Day
6

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 289

St. Joseph, MI 1960

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 332

St. Joseph, MI 1961

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 289

St. Joseph, MI 1962

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 278

St. Joseph, MI 1963

Julian Day
7

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 312

St. Joseph, MI 1964

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 365

St. Joseph, MI 1965

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 362

St. Joseph, MI 1966

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 314

St. Joseph, MI 1967

Julian Day
8

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 363

St. Joseph, MI 1968

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 361

St. Joseph, MI 1969

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 320

St. Joseph, MI 1970

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 309

St. Joseph, MI 1971

Julian Day
9

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 305

St. Joseph, MI 1972

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 342

St. Joseph, MI 1973

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 365

St. Joseph, MI 1974

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 365

St. Joseph, MI 1975

Julian Day
10

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 366

St. Joseph, MI 1976

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 364

St. Joseph, MI 1977

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 365

St. Joseph, MI 1978

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 365

St. Joseph, MI 1979

Julian Day
11

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 366

St. Joseph, MI 1980

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 365

St. Joseph, MI 1981

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 365

St. Joseph, MI 1982

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 365

St. Joseph, MI 1983

Julian Day
12

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 366

St. Joseph, MI 1984

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 352

St. Joseph, MI 1985

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 365

St. Joseph, MI 1986

Julian Day
13

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 365

St. Joseph, MI 1987

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 319

St. Joseph, MI 1988

Julian Day
14

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 321

St. Joseph, MI 1989

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 349

St. Joseph, MI 1990

Julian Day

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 359

St. Joseph, MI 1991

50 100 150 200 250 300 350

0

10

20

30

Water Temperature (C)

Days of data = 344

St. Joseph, MI 1992

Julian Day