Bisected by the Grand River, Michigan's longest river, Grand Rapids is located in the Grand river valley approximately 30 miles east of Lake Michigan. The region's climate is influenced by the lake, which tempers cold waves from the west and northwest during the winter and produces a regulating effect on both frost and vegetation during the growing season. Consequently, seasonal extremes are infrequent, although hot, humid weather can be expected for about three weeks during the summer and drought occasionally occurs for a short duration; snow cover sometimes remains throughout the winter.
Area: 45 square miles (2000)
Elevation: Ranges from 785 feet to 1,075 feet above sea level
Average Temperatures: January, 21.8° F; July, 71.6° F; annual average, 47.4° F
Average Annual Precipitation: 37.13 inches of rain, 71.9 inches of snow