Alert archive / Michigan / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 2, NWS Gaylord, MI

May 21, 1987Muskegon County, Michigan

NWS Gaylord, MI issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 21, 1987, 10:34 PM EDT for Muskegon County, Michigan. It was in force for 56 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 21, 1987, 10:34 PM EDT (02:34 UTC)
Expired
May 21, 1987, 11:30 PM EDT
In force
56 min
Issued by
NWS Gaylord, MI
Area
Whole counties

County Muskegon 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

Green Bay/Straub, WI (KGRB), launched 00:00Z, 2.6 hours before the alert went out and 206 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, Green Bay/Straub, WI at 00:00Z on 1987-05-22Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2886 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Green Bay/Straub, WI at 00:00Z on 1987-05-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 122 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
2886 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-5 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1006 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
122 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
187 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
8.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMKG 220234
SVRMKG
MIC105-127-121-220330-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 
1034 PM EDT THU MAY 21 1987

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1130 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES OF

WEST CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN...MASON...OCEANA AND MUSKEGON

AT 1027PM EDT RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM 30 MILES
WEST OF MUSKEGON MICHIGAN TO 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF LUDINGTON
MICHIGAN MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM..GET TO A REINFORCED 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..SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT.

 A SPECIAL MARINE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE EAST SHORE OF
 LAKE MICHIGAN FROM GRAND HAVEN TO POINT BETSIE UNTIL 1130PM EDT.

G~ALLOWAY

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, May 21, 5:22 PM EDT, 5 hours 12 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUGHTON LAKE MI
520 PM EDT THU MAY 21 1987

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTH CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN...

AT 515 PM EDT STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING THROUGH NORTH CENTRAL
LOWER MICHIGAN. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED 20 MILES NORTH
NORTHEAST OF HOUGHTON LAKE MI IN CRAWFORD COUNTY.

THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAIN AND
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. THE STORMS WERE& MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 20
MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, May 21, 5:37 PM EDT, 4 hours 57 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALPENA MI
535 PM EDT THU MAY 21 1987

AT 530 PM EDT RADAR INDICATED A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM LOCATED
15 MILES DUE EAST OF LEWISTON IN MONTMORENCY COUNTY OF NORTHEAST
LOWER MICHIGAN.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

THIS THUNDERSTORM COULD PRODUCE GUSTY WIND...HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING.

PERSONS IN SOUTHEAST MONTMORENCY COUNTY SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT AND>
TAKE SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS OCCUR.
DS
Special weather statement, May 21, 6:18 PM EDT, 4 hours 16 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALPENA MI
614 PM EDT THU MAY 21 1987

AT 608 PM EDT VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTROMS WERE OCCURING OVER OSCODA
COUNTY IN NORTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING
TO THE EAST AT ABOUT 15 MILE AN HOUR.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE...HAIL...GUSTY WIND AND DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING AS THEY PASS THROUGH OSCODA AND ALCONA COUNTIES OF NORTHEAST
LOWER MICHIGAN.

THIS CONDITION WILL EXIST UNTIL o7PM EDT IN OSCODA COUNTY AND 830 PM
EDT IN ALCONA COUNTY.

PERSONS IN OSCODA AND ALCONA COUNTIES SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT AND TAKE
SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS OCCUR.
DS
Special weather statement, May 21, 6:24 PM EDT, 4 hours 10 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION...ADD HEAVY RAIN TO LINE 5...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALPENA MI
614 PM EDT THU MAY 21 1987

AT 608 PM EDT VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTROMS WERE OCCURING OVER OSCODA
COUNTY IN NORTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING
TO THE EAST AT ABOUT 15 MILE AN HOUR.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE...HAIL...GUSTY WIND...DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AS THE PASS THROUGH OSCODA AND
ALCONA COUNTIES OF NORTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN.

THIS CONDITION WILL EXIST UNTIL 7PM EDT IN OSCODA COUNTY AND 830 PM
EDT IN ALCONA COUNTY.

PERSONS IN OSCODA AND ALCONA COUNTIES SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT AND TAKE
SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS OCCUR.
DtS
Special weather statement, May 21, 7:34 PM EDT, 3 hours before
SPECIAL WEATHER AND MARINE STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALPENA MI
730 PM EDT THU MAY 21 1987

AT 725 PM EDT VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTROMS WERE OCCURING OVER 10 MILES
NORTHWEST OF LINCOLN IN ALCONA COUNTY OF NORTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN.
THIS WAS PART OF AN AREA OF HEAVY THUNDERSTROMS AND RAIN WHICH WAS
OVER SOUTHERN ALPENA COUNTY AND ALL OF ALCONA COUNTY.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE...HAIL...GUSTY WIND...DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AS THE PASS OVER SOUTHERN ALPENA
COUNTY AND ALCONA COUNTY AS WELL AS THE LAKE HURON SHORELINE BETWEEN
SOUTH POINT AND HARRISVILLE.

THIS CONDITION WILL EXIST UNTIL 9PM WHEN THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
OVER THE OPEN WATERS OF LAKE HURON.

PERSONS IN SOUTHERN ALPENA AND ALCONA COUNTIES AND THE NEAR SHORE AREA
OF LAKE HURON BETWEEN SOUTH POINT AND HARRISVILLE SHOULD BE ON THE
ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND TAKE SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER
OCCURS.
DS
Special weather statement, May 21, 7:37 PM EDT, 2 hours 57 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER AND MARINE STATEMENT...CORRECTION...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALPENA MI
730 PM EDT THU MAY 21 1987

AT 725 PM EDT VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTROMS WERE OCCURING 10 MILES
NORTHWEST OF LINCOLN IN ALCONA COUNTY OF NORTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN.
THIS WAS PART OF AN AREA OF HEAVY THUNDERSTROMS AND RAIN WHICH WAS
OVER SOUTHERN ALPENA COUNTY AND ALL OF ALCONA COUNTY.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE...HAIL...GUSTY WIND...DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AS THE PASS OVER SOUTHERN ALPENA
COUNTY AND ALCONA COUNTY AS WELL AS THE LAKE HURON SHORELINE BETWEEN
SOUTH POINT AND HARRISVILLE.

THIS CONDITION WILL EXIST UNTIL 9PM WHEN THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
OVER THE OPEN WATERS OF LAKE HURON.

PERSONS IN SOUTHERN ALPENA AND ALCONA COUNTIES AND THE NEAR SHORE AREA
OF LAKE HURON BETWEEN SOUTH POINT AND HARRISVILLE SHOULD BE ON THE
ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND TAKE SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER
OCCURS.
DS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 21, 10:34 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAPXMason, Oceana56 min
May 21, 11:33 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAPXMuskegon57 min
May 22, 2:51 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAPXLake29 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Michigan, 1987Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1987

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.