Alert archive / Michigan / Tornado Warnings in 1986

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Detroit, MI

May 6, 1986Oakland County, Wayne County, Michigan

NWS Detroit, MI issued this tornado warning at May 6, 1986, 12:28 PM EDT for Oakland County, Wayne County, Michigan. It was in force for 50 min. 2 reports 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: May 6, 1986, 12:28 PM EDT (16:28 UTC)
Expired: May 6, 1986, 1:18 PM EDT
In force: 50 min
Issued by: NWS Detroit, MI
Area: Whole counties

Counties Oakland County, MI, Wayne 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 6, 12:31 PM EDT	Thunderstorm Wind 50	Wayne, MI
May 6, 1:23 PM EDT	Hail 1.75	Oakland, 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 12:00Z, 4.5 hours before the alert went out and 29 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 358 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -121 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 979 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 115 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 187 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KARB 061628
TORDTW
MIC125-163-061718-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
TORNADO AND SPECIAL MARINE WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT MI
ISSUED BY ANN ARBOR MI
1228 PM EDT TUE MAY 6 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO AND SPECIAL 
MARINE WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 118 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE 
FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF

SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN...OAKLAND AND NORTHERN WAYNE
...THIS WARNING ALSO INCLUDES THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS FOR THE
COUNTIES JUST MENTIONED

A TORNADO WAS SIGHTED BY THE PUBLIC NEAR PLYMOUTH.

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.

DGH

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 6, 11:56 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DTX	Livingston, Washtenaw	44 min
May 6, 11:56 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DTX	Lenawee	44 min
May 6, 12:58 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	DTX	Macomb, Saint Clair	47 min
May 6, 3:19 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DTX	Lenawee, Monroe	51 min
May 6, 4:25 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DTX	Monroe	35 min
May 6, 5:22 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DTX	Lenawee, Monroe	38 min
May 6, 6:01 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DTX	Monroe	59 min
May 6, 7:45 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DTX	Genesee	45 min

Nearby

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