Alert archive / Michigan / Tornado Warnings in 1986

Tornado Warning 14, NWS Detroit, MI

July 18, 1986Genesee County, Michigan

NWS Detroit, MI issued this tornado warning at Jul 18, 1986, 9:08 PM EDT for Genesee County, Michigan. It was in force for 52 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jul 18, 1986, 9:08 PM EDT (01:08 UTC)
Expired
Jul 18, 1986, 10:00 PM EDT
In force
52 min
Issued by
NWS Detroit, MI
Area
Whole counties

County Genesee County, MI

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 18, 9:15 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Genesee, MI

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Detroit, MI (KFNT), launched 00:00Z, 1.1 hours before the alert went out and 40 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Detroit, MI at 00:00Z on 1986-07-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1593 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Detroit, MI at 00:00Z on 1986-07-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 102 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
1593 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-58 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1337 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
102 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
143 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
5.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KFNT 190108
TORFNT
MIC049-190200-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT MI
908 PM EDT FRI JUL 18 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY OF

EAST CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN...EASTERN GENESEE

A NUMBER OF FUNNEL CLOUD REPORTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM
EXPERIENCED STORM SPOTTERS...MOST RECENT AT DORT AND STANLEY
ROADS.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO..GO TO A BASEMENT SHELTER IF
AVAILABLE. OTHERWISE GO TO A CENTRAL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR.  DO NOT STAY IN A CAR OR MOBILE HOME..FIND A REINFORCED
SHELTER OR LIE FLAT IN A DITCH OR RAVINE.

JOHNSON

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 18, 6:14 PM EDT, 2 hours 54 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT MI
605 PM EDT FRI JUL 18 1986

....SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT TILL 11PM EDT....
...FOR MIDLAND BAY ARENAC SANILAC TUSCOLA AND HURON COUNTIES...

AT 600 PM RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF RAIN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
FROM JUST SOUTH OF TAWAS TO ALPENA EXTENDING OUT OVER LAKE HURON.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TOWARDS THE SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH
AND WILL MOVE OVER THE NORTHEAST PORTION OF :SAGINAW BAY AND NORTHERN
HURON COUNTY WITHIN THE HOUR.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTAIN HEAVY RAIN GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUS
LIGHTENING.

BURNS
Special weather statement, Jul 18, 8:26 PM EDT, 42 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT MI
825 PM EDT FRI JUL 18 1986

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT TILL 11PM EDT FOR HURON AND ARENAC
COUNTIES.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT TILL 1PM FOR LAPEER MIDLAND SAGINAW
SANILAC SHIAWASSEE BAY GENESEE AND TUSCOLA COUNTIES.

AT 820PM RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF RAIN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
OVER SAGINAW BAY AND THE THUMB AREA OF LOWER MICHIGAN.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TOWARDS THE SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH
TO 35 MPH.

BURNS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Detroit, MI issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 18, 8:15 PM EDTTornado WarningDTXSaginaw45 min
Jul 18, 9:38 PM EDTTornado WarningDTXGenesee, Shiawassee52 min
Jul 18, 10:09 PM EDTTornado WarningDTXGenesee, Shiawassee51 min
Jul 19, 5:45 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDTXRoscommon60 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Michigan, 1986Every tornado warning in 1986Tornadoes in 1986

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.