Alert archive / Michigan / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 2, NWS Grand Rapids, MI

April 26, 1986Kent County, Michigan

NWS Grand Rapids, MI issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 26, 1986, 2:32 AM EST for Kent County, Michigan. It was in force for 58 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 26, 1986, 2:32 AM EST (07:32 UTC)
Expired
Apr 26, 1986, 3:30 AM EST
In force
58 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Rapids, MI
Area
Whole counties

County Kent County, MI

The radar

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

The nearest sounding before it

Detroit, MI (KFNT), launched 00:00Z, 7.5 hours before the alert went out and 176 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 1986-04-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 493 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 1986-04-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 57 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
493 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-77 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2264 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
57 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
131 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 KGRR 260732
SVRGRR
MIC081-260830-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
232 AM EST SAT APR 26 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 330 AM EST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTY OF

SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN...KENT

AT 220 AM EST..A WIND GUST OF 52 MPH WAS RECORDED AT KENT COUNTY
AIRPORT IN GRAND RAPIDS. AT 225 AM..THE WIND WAS STEADY AT 35 MPH
WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH. THESE WINDS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH VERY SLOW
MOVING THUNDERSTORMS OVER KENT COUNTY. LARGE HAIL..VERY STRONG
DAMAGING WINDS..HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED
WITH THESE STORMS.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM..GET TO A STURDY BUILDING.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE STRONG DAMAGING WIND..LARGE HAIL..VERY
HEAVY RAIN..AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. THEY OCCASIONALLY DO SPAWN A
TORNADO WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING..HSO BE ON THE LOOKOUT.

MJK

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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, Apr 25, 10:08 PM EST, 4 hours 24 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
1010 PM EST FRI APR 25 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR EXTREME SOUTHWEST LOWER
MICHIGAN UNTIL 2 AM SATURDAY MORNING...

JUST PRIOR TO 10 PM EST..SPOTTERS IN KALAMAZOO COUNTY REPORTED HEAVY
RAIN..PEA SIZE HAIL..AND 20 MPH WINDS IN GALESBURG..ABOUT 40 MILES
SOUTH OF GRAND RAPIDS. A FEW STRONG THUNDERSHOWERS ARE OCCURRING
THROUGHOUT SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN.}
IF SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS YOUR AREA..TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY. WHEN
YOU HAVE A CHANCE..REPORT THE SEVERE WEATHER EVENT TO THE NEAREST
LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
MJK
Special weather statement, Apr 25, 11:34 PM EST, 2 hours 58 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
1135 PM EST FRI APR 25 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR EXTREME SOUTHWEST LOWER
MICHIGAN UNTIL 2 AM SATURDAY MORNING...

KENT COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED AT 1120 PM EST THAT A VERY STRONG
THUNDERSTORM ABOUT 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF GRAND RAPIDS PRODUCED SMALL
HAIL THAT COMPLETELY COVERED THE GROUND. SOME MINOR LOCAL FLOODING
WAS ALSO REPORTED.
AT 1130 PM EST RADAR INDICATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING
FROM TRAVERSE CITY..SOUTH TO EAST OF GRAND RAPIDS..THEN CONTINUING
SOUTH TO SOUTH BEND INDIANA. ANOTHER AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS OVER
EASTERN WISCONSIN MOVING EAST TO OVER LAKE MICHIGAN.
IF SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS YOUR AREA..TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.
NOTIFY THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY IN YOUR AREA..WHEN TIME
PERMITS..OF THE SEVERE WEATHER EVENT. ASK THEM TO RELAY THE
INFORMATION TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
MJK
Special weather statement, Apr 26, 12:46 AM EST, 1 hour 46 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  MUSKEGON MI
1245 AM EST SAT APR 25 1986

...LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS OFFSHORE WESTERN LOWER MICHIGAN...

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHED THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF LAKE MICHIGAN
RUNNING PARALLEL OF THE WESTERN LOWER MICHIGAN SHORELINE 20 MILES OFF
SHORE.  THE HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OFFSHORE FROM NEW
BUFFALO IN BERRIEN COUNTY NORTH TO GRAND HAVEN IN OTTAWA COUNTY...
BOTH IN SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN.

THE STRENGTH OF THE STORMS OVER THE REMAINDER OF LAKE MICHIGAN HAS
DIMINISHED CONSIDERABLY THE PAST HOUR.  MOST OF THE STORMS OFFSHORE
FROM MUSKEGON IN WEST CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN NORTH TO LEELANAU COUNTY
IN NORTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN WERE PRODUCING LIGHT SHOWERS AND DEADLY
LIGHTNING.

BOLEN
Special weather statement, Apr 26, 1:03 AM EST, 1 hour 29 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  MUSKEGON MI
1245 AM EST SAT APR 25 1986

...LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS OFFSHORE WESTERN LOWER MICHIGAN...

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHED THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF LAKE MICHIGAN
RUNNING PARALLEL OF THE WESTERN LOWER MICHIGAN SHORELINE 20 MILES OFF
SHORE.  THE HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OFFSHORE FROM NEW
BUFFALO IN BERRIEN COUNTY NORTH TO GRAND HAVEN IN OTTAWA COUNTY...
BOTH IN SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN.

THE STRENGTH OF THE STORMS OVER THE REMAINDER OF LAKE MICHIGAN HAS
DIMINISHED CONSIDERABLY THE PAST HOUR.  MOST OF THE STORMS OFFSHORE
FROM MUSKEGON IN WEST CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN NORTH TO LEELANAU COUNTY
IN NORTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN WERE PRODUCING LIGHT SHOWERS AND DEADLY
LIGHTNING.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING ONSHORE AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.  {}} BOLEN
Special weather statement, Apr 26, 2:18 AM EST, 14 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  MUSKEGON MI
210 AM EST SAT APR 25 1986

...AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER NORTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN...

FAIRLY RAPIDLY DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS WERE NOTED OVER THE NORTHWEST
LOWER MICHIGAN COUNTIES OF LAKE...EXTREME NORTHEAST NEWAYGO...SOUTHWEST
OSCEOLA...MECOSTA AND NORTHERN MONTCALM.  THE STORMS WERE NOT PRODUCING
SEVERE WEATHER...HOWEVER...VERY HEAY RAINS...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE
SMALL HAIL WILL BE ACCOMPANYING THE STORMS.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING SLOWLY EAST.  VERY HEAVY RAINS MAY PRODUCE
POOLING WATER IN LOW LYING AREAS.   OPENING DAY TROUT FISHERMAN AND
CAMPERS SHOULD BE AWARE OF POSSIBLE RAPIDLY RISING WATERS NEAR STREAMFS
AND RIVERS.

BOLEN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 25, 9:41 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRCalhoun24 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Michigan, 1986Every severe thunderstorm warning 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.