Weekend deluge sets 110-year rain record

IRONWOOD — The 3.45 inches of rain that fell for the 24-hour period through 7 a.m. on Labor Day set a Sept. 7 record for Ironwood.

The weather station at the Gogebic-Iron Wastewater Treatment Plant records weather readings by the National Weather Service office in Marquette.

It was the most rain received on that day over the past 110 years.

Rainfall totals appeared to vary widely for the 24-hour period across the Gogebic Range, and the fact that the ground was so dry helped absorb all of that sudden moisture.

The rain started on Sunday and continued through Monday morning.

Jeff Wasley, an employee at the wastewater treatment plant, said, “It came down quick. I’ve never seen anything like that.”

Wasley said the plant handled the rainfall without any major problems, although 200,000 gallons of water bypassed secondary treatment at the plant. He said improvements by the city of Ironwood have cut the amount of rainwater that bypasses the plant and years ago it would have been millions of gallons with a storm such as on Labor Day.

The prolonged heavy rainfall caused satellite television outages for long periods on Sunday evening and had many area residents wishing they still had rooftop antennas, which are not affected by heavy rain.

The lightning set off some alarms in the city, but no damage was reported.

A Monday Ironwood Public Safety Department complaint said a medium-sized gray Husky at 155 W. Larch St., became frightened during the storm and was missing. The Gogebic County Sheriff’s Department and HOPE were notified the short-haired dog named Molly was on the loose.

The high temperature for the 24-hour period to 7 a.m. Ironwood on Sunday was 87 degrees. The Sunday high fell only a few degrees short of the record of 90 set in 1960.

The thermometer shot over 90 at many locations on the Range, however.

The high for the Monday period was 84, short of the long-term record of 90 set in 1978.

There’s no sign of a return of the hot weather in the forecast.

The weekly forecast calls for cooler weather, with the high only in the upper 50s for Friday.