News Photo by Crystal Nelson Alpena resident Jim Merritt on Thursday watches the Alpena, a cement carrier, from the breakwall at the city marina.

ALPENA– September was a “ho-hum month,” said Mike Boguth, meteorologist at the National Weather Service-Gaylord.

Boguth said the average temperature for September was 56.9 degrees, about 0.8 degrees below normal. The monthly high was 81 degrees on Sept. 3 and the monthly low was 28 degrees on Sept. 19.

Boguth said it was a drier month than usual, with 2.52 inches of rainfall recorded for Alpena, about 0.4 inches less than normal. He attributed the decrease to an extended stretch of dry weather through the middle portion of the month.

He said no records were set and no severe weather events were recorded in September.

“It was really kind of a ho-hum month, but a little bit on the dry side, which we kind of need,” he said. “We’ve been excessively wet for months on end, and the Great Lakes are at record (high) levels.”

September ended rainy and cooler than normal.

Northeast Michiganders can expect the colder temperatures and continued chances for rain throughout the week, according to the Weather Service.

A high of 48 degrees is forecast today and a low of 33 degrees tonight.

Meteorologists are also warning of a hard freeze expected tonight, which will end the growing season for inland areas. Outdoor vegetation will be damaged or killed if left unprotected.

Crystal Nelson can be reached at 989-358-5687 or cnelson@thealpenanews.com.