Alert archive / Michigan / Tornado Warnings in 1987

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Detroit, MI

June 29, 1987Washtenaw County, Wayne County, Michigan

NWS Detroit, MI issued this tornado warning at Jun 29, 1987, 6:55 PM EDT for Washtenaw County, Wayne County, Michigan. It was in force for 35 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
Jun 29, 1987, 6:55 PM EDT (22:55 UTC)
Expired
Jun 29, 1987, 7:30 PM EDT
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Detroit, MI
Area
Whole counties

Counties Washtenaw 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jun 29, 7:28 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Wayne, 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, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 51 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 12:00Z on 1987-06-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 81 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 12:00Z on 1987-06-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 109 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
81 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-161 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1193 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
109 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
145 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 KDTW 292255
TORDTW
MIC163-292330-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT MI
655 PM EDT MON JUN 29 1987
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL  730 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN
          ...WESTERN WAYNE...EASTERN WASHTENAW
 
AT 6:55PM EDT ...RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO NEAR YPSILANTI IN EASTERN
WASHTENAW COUNTY 30 MILES WEST OF DETROIT. THIS STORM IS MOVING EAST
AT 35 MPH.
 
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.
 
DO NOT USE YOUR CAR TO TRY TO OUTRUN A TORNADO.  CARS ARE EASILY
TOSSED AROUND BY TORNADO WINDS.  IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN THE PATH OF
A TORNADO...LEAVE THE CAR AND GO TO A STRONG BUILDING.  IF NO
STRUCTURE IS NEARBY...SEEK SHELTER IN A DITCH OR LOW SPOT.
 
ZALESKI/TEAGAN

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, Jun 29, 1:52 PM EDT, 5 hours 3 minutes before
-ARBSPSDTW
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT MI
135 PM EDT MON JUNE 29 1987

...THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN
AT 125 PM DETROIT WEATHER RADAR INDICATED NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS
WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN..SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING
OVER SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN COUNTIES THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 33 MILES AN HOUR.

RT
Special weather statement, Jun 29, 2:32 PM EDT, 4 hours 23 minutes before
-ARBSPSDTW
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT MI
230 PM EDT MON JUNE 29 1987

...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE OVER SOUTHEAST LOWER
MICHIGAN. SOME INTENSE STORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLE GUSTY WINDS
AND HAIL WERE OVER PORTIONS OF LIVINGSTON AND OAKLAND COUNTIES. THESE
STORMS COULD PRODUCE DANGEROUS LIGHTING.

MOVEMENT OF THE STORMS WERE EAST NORTHEAST AT 33 MILES AN HOUR.

STAY TUNE TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER UPDATES POSSIBLE WATCHES OR
WARNINGS AND WEATHER STATEMENTS.

JWK
Special weather statement, Jun 29, 3:00 PM EDT, 3 hours 55 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT MI
245 PM EDT MON JUN 29 1987

   ....THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS EAST-CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN....

RADAR SHOWS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS GENESEE, LAPEER
AND SANDUSKY COUNTIES IN EAST CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN AT 245 PM EDT
MOVING TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

LOCALLY MORE INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS ARE INDICATED OVER LIVINGSTON AND
OAKLAND COUNTIES, ALSO MOVING TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

PERSONS IN THESE COUNTIES ARE URGED TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THE WEATHER
AS THESE STORMS MOVE ACROSS EAST-CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN AND BE PREPARED
TO SEEK SHELTER SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER DEVELOP. FURTHERMORE...
ALL PERSONS IN EAST-CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN ARE URGED TO STAYED ABREAST
OF RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS OVER THE NEXT TWENTY-FOUR HOURS
AS THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WITH LOCALLY HEAVY PRECIPITATION
PERSISTS THROUGH TONIGHT.

...FRUEHAUF...
Special weather statement, Jun 29, 4:15 PM EDT, 2 hours 40 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT MI
410 PM EDT MON JUN 29 1987

   ....SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR SHIAWASSEE.. GENESEE..
                AND LAPEER COUNTIES UNTIL 10 PM EDT....

AT 4 PM EDT WEATHER  RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS...
A FEW PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL... EXTENDING FROM PORT
HURON SOUTHWESTWARD TO THE NORTHERN SUBURBS OF DETROIT, MOVING TO THE
EAST AT 35 MPH.

ALSO AT 4 PM RADAR INDICATED A NEWLY-DEVELOPED AREA OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHWESTERN LOWER MICHIGAN NEAR GRAND RAPIDS AND
EXTENDING SOUTHWESTWARD FOR 40 TO 50 MILES. MOVEMENT HAS NOT YET BEEN
DETERMINED ON THESE STORMS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEHATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATIONS FOR
FURTHER UPDATES AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER QUICKLY SHOULD A
WARNING BE ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA OR THREATENING WEATHER DEVELOP.

...FRUEHAUF...
Special weather statement, Jun 29, 5:36 PM EDT, 1 hour 19 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT MI
525 PM EDT MON JUN 29 1987

 ....SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR SHIAWASSEE..
           GENESEE AND LAPEER COUNTIES UNTIL 10 PM EDT....

AT 525 PM EDT WEATHER RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF VERY STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN MOVING EASTWARD AT 35 TO
40 MPH WITH THE STRONGEST CELLS LOCATED 15 MILES SOUTH OF LANSING.

VERY STRONG WINDS, LARGE HAIL, AND DEADLY LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE WITH
THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE INTO THE EAST CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN AREA.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATIONS FOR
FURTHER UPDATES AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER QUICKLY SHOULD A
WARNING BE ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA OR THREATENING WEATHER DEVELOP.

...FRUEHAUF...
Special weather statement, Jun 29, 6:17 PM EDT, 38 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT MI
610 PM EDT MON JUN 29 1987

 ....SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR SHIAWASSEE..
           GENESEE AND LAPEER COUNTIES UNTIL 10 PM EDT....

AT 605 PM EDT WEATHER RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS COVERING THE SOUTHERN HALF OF SAGINAW COUNTY, MOST OF
GENESEE COUNTY, THE EASTERN PORTIONS OF SHIAWASSEE COUNTY AND EXTENDING
SOUTHWESTWARD ACROSS INGHAM AND LIVINGSTON COUNTY INTO JACKSON COUNTY.
MOST OF THESE STORMS ARE MOVING EASTWARD AT 30 TO 40 MPH.

LOCALLY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED OVER SOUTH-CENTRAL SAGINAW
COUNTY AND NORTHEASTERN GENESEE COUNTY.

TO THE SOUTHWEST, LOCALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE INDICATED ON RADAR
OVER SOUTHERN INGHAM AND NORTHERN JACKSON COUNTIES AND SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR THESE AREAS EFFECTIVE
UNTIL 630 PM EDT.

PERSONS IN THE EAST CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN AREA SHOULD STAY TUNED TO
NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATIONS FOR FURTHER
DEVELOPMENTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER QUICKLY SHOULD A
WARNING BE ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA OR THREATENING WEATHER DEVELOPMENT.

...FRUEHAUF...

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 29, 1:40 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDTXGladwin40 min
Jun 29, 2:44 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDTXRoscommon51 min
Jun 29, 3:05 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDTXOgemaw45 min
Jun 29, 6:36 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDTXWashtenaw39 min
Jun 29, 6:44 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDTXOakland, Wayne61 min
Jun 29, 7:22 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDTXLenawee68 min
Jun 29, 7:36 PM EDTTornado WarningDTXWayne24 min
Jun 29, 7:59 PM EDTTornado WarningDTXWayne31 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Michigan, 1987Every tornado warning in 1987Tornadoes 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.