Crystal Falls, Michigan
| Crystal Falls, Michigan | |
|---|---|
| City | |
Looking east at downtown Crystal Falls
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 Location of Crystal Falls in Iron County |
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| Coordinates: 46°5′50″N 88°19′56″W / 46.09722°N 88.33222°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Iron |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.61 sq mi (9.35 km2) |
| • Land | 3.47 sq mi (8.99 km2) |
| • Water | 0.14 sq mi (0.36 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,476 ft (450 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,469 |
| • Estimate (2012) | 1,440 |
| • Density | 423.3/sq mi (163.4/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 49920 |
| Area code(s) | 906 |
| FIPS code | 26-19140 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0624170 |
Crystal Falls is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,469. It is the county seat of Iron County. The city is located within Crystal Falls Township, but is a separate municipal entity. The area first developed as a major center for iron mining and the timber industry; it has become increasingly popular for tourism in recent years.
Crystal Falls was platted in 1881. It was named for a nearby icy waterfall on the Paint River. A post office called Crystal Falls has been in operation since 1885.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.61 square miles (9.35 km2), of which 3.47 square miles (8.99 km2) is land and 0.14 square miles (0.36 km2) is water. The city is very hilly and the castle-like county courthouse (built in 1890) sits on the highest point, overlooking the downtown business district.
Michigan State University's study of Crystal Falls weather concluded that precipitation was well distributed throughout the year with the crop season, April–September, receiving an average of 20.30 inches (516 mm) or 68% of the average annual total for the 1962-80 period. During this same period the average wettest month was June with 3.96 inches (101 mm), while the average driest month was February with 1.02 inches (26 mm). The National Weather Service's 1971–2000 data shows a 30-year normal annual precipitation of 29.65 inches (753 mm).
The following precipitation extremes, based on the time period of this station's published record, are: greatest observation-day total, 3.86 inches, recorded June 14, 1981; greatest monthly total, 12.48 inches, recorded June 1981; and least monthly total, 0.00 inches, recorded on several occasions.
Summer precipitation comes mainly in the form of afternoon showers and thundershowers. Annually, thunderstorms will occur on an average of 33 days. There are normally 139.2 days with measurable precipitation.
The 1950-51 through 1979-80 average seasonal snowfall was 70.6 inches (1.79 m). During this period, 143 days per season averaged 1-inch (25 mm) or more of snow on the ground, but varied greatly from season to season.
The following snowfall extremes, based on the time period of this station's published record, are: greatest observation-day total, 18.0 inches, recorded March 7, 1926; greatest monthly total, 53.4 inches, recorded March 1939; greatest seasonal total, 143.2 inches, recorded during 1942-43; least seasonal total, 31.6 inches, recorded during 1963-64 and 1 earlier season; and greatest snowdepth, 47 inches, recorded March 15, 1926.
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