Alert archive / Michigan / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 39, NWS Grand Rapids, MI

July 20, 1987Barry County, Ionia County, Michigan

NWS Grand Rapids, MI issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 20, 1987, 7:45 PM EDT for Barry County, Ionia County, Michigan. It was in force for 30 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 20, 1987, 7:45 PM EDT (23:45 UTC)
Expired
Jul 20, 1987, 8:15 PM EDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Rapids, MI
Area
Whole counties

Counties Barry County, MI, Ionia 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 12:00Z, 11.8 hours before the alert went out and 144 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 1987-07-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3198 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 1987-07-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 89 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
3198 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-14 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
697 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
16 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
89 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
101 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 202345
SVRGRR
MIC067-005-015-210015-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND SPECIAL MARINE WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
745 PM EDT MON JUL 20 1987

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND 
SPECIAL MARINE WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 815 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE 
FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF

SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN...IONIA...ALLEGAN AND BARRY
...THIS WARNING ALSO INCLUDES THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS FOR THE
COUNTIES JUST MENTIONED

AT 740 PM EDT...A REPORT WAS RECEIVED OF TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN
AND ALSO A REPORT OF A POSSIBLE FUNNEL CLOUD 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
THE CITY OF ALLEGAN...30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GRAND RAPIDS. THE LINE
THUNDERSTORMS AND ASSOCIATED GUST FRONT WILL BE MOVING INTO
NORTHERN BARRY AND SOUTHERN IONIA COUNTIES BY 855 PM EDT. THE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. THEY HAVE BEEN KNOWN
TO PRODUCE WIIND GUSTS OVER 175 MPH AND HAILSTONES UP TO 6 INCHES IN
DIAMETER. TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY WHEN A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS NEAR.

CARLE

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, Jul 20, 4:33 PM EDT, 3 hours 12 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  MUSKEGON MI
435 PM EDT MON JUL 20 1987

...LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO NORTHWEST LOWER
   MICHIGAN AND THE ADJOINING LAKE MICHIGAN WATERS...

AT 430 PM EDT A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...A FEW CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING SEVERE WEATHER...WAS MOVING ONSHORE OVER NORTHWEST LOWER
MICHIGAN.  THE STRONG STORMS WERE LOCATED ONSHORE OVER LEELANAU
AND BENZIE COUNTIES AND MOVING ONSHORE OVER MANISTEE COUNTY IN
NORTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING FAIRLY FAST SOUTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.
BOATER/S IN THE VICINITY OF THESE STORMS SHOULD TAKE SAFE HARBOR
IMMEDIATELY AS THE STORMS MOVE ONSHORE.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER} 405 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL
1000 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR PERSON/S IN NORTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN.
}BOLEN
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 5:22 PM EDT, 2 hours 23 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LANSING, MI
521 PM EDT MON JUL 20 1987

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 1000 PM EDT FOR NORTHERN TWO THIRDS
OF LOWER MICHIGAN...INCLUDING ISABELLA...GRATIOT...CLINTON COUNTIES...
...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TOWARD ISABELLA COUNTY...

AT 520 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF VERY
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN.  THE LINE
EXTENDED FROM 40 MILES NORTH OF HOUGHTON LAKE SOUTHWEST ACROSS LAKE
MICHIGAN NORTH OF MILWAUKEE.

AT THEIR PRESENT MOVEMENT...THESE STORMS WILL REACH ISABELLA COUNTY
BETWEEN 600 AND 630 PM EDT.
SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS IN THIS LINE HAVE BECOME SEVERE.  TRAVERSE
CITY RECORDED A WIND GUST TO 81 MPH WHEN THESE STORMS PASSED THROUGH.

DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT AND DEADLY
LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
COKELY
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 5:56 PM EDT, 1 hour 49 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LANSING, MI
551 PM EDT MON JUL 20 1987

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 1000 PM EDT FOR NORTHERN TWO THIRDS
OF LOWER MICHIGAN...INCLUDING ISABELLA...GRATIOT...CLINTON COUNTIES...
...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TOWARD ISABELLA COUNTY...

AT 555 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF VERY
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN.  THE LINE
EXTENDED FROM HOUGHTON LAKE TO 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF MT. PLEASANT TO
MILWAUKEE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH.  WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH WERE
REPORTED JUST AHEAD OF THIS LINE.

PERSONS IN NORTHWEST ISABELLA COUNTY CAN EXPECT THIS LINE OF STORMS
BETWEEN 600 AND 615 PM.  STRONG WINDS WILL APPRAOCH MT PLEASANT
BETWEEN 615 AND 630 PM EDT.

DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT AND DEADLY
LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.  BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER.
COKELY
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 6:36 PM EDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
535 PM EDT MON JUL 20 1987

...LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TOWARD SOUTHWEST LOWER
MICHIGAN...

AT 525 PM EDT THE MONTCALM COUNTY SHERIFF WIND GUST OVER 40 MPH NEAR
THE SIX LAKES AREA IN NORTHERN MONTCALM COUNTY AND SOUTHWEST OF HOWARD
CITY IN WESTERN MONTCALM COUNTY. AT 530 PM EDT TREES AND POWER LINES
WERE REPORTED DOWN IN AREAS OF KENT COUNTY. THE STRONG WINDS ARE BE2ING
CAUSED BY A GUST FRONT MOVING AHEAD OF THE LINE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT
40 MPH.

CARLE
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 6:49 PM EDT, 56 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENTCORRECTED FOR TIME...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
635 PM EDT MON JUL 20 1987

...LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TOWARD SOUTHWEST LOWER
MICHIGAN...

AT 625 PM EDT THE MONTCALM COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED WIND GUSTS OVER 40
MPH NEAR THE SIX LAKES AREA IN NORTHERN MONTCALM COUNTY AND SOUTHWEST OF
HOWARD CITY IN WESTERN MONTCALM COUNTY. AT 630 PM EDT TREES AND POWER
LINES WERE REPORTED DOWN IN AREAS OF K@ENT COUNTY. THE STRONG WINDS ARE
BEING CAUSED BY A GUST FRONT MOVING AHEAD OF THE LINE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT
40 MPH.

CARLE
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 6:54 PM EDT, 51 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
655 PM EDT MON JUL 20 1987

...LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TOWARD SOUTHWEST LOWER
MICHIGAN...

AT 650 PM EDT NUMEROUS REPORTS OF TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN HAVE BEEN
RECEIVED AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. WIND GUSTS OF 45 TO 55
MPH HAVE ALSO BEEN REPORTED. THE STRONG WINDS ARE BEING CAUSED BY A GUST
FRONT MOVING AHEAD OF THE LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.I THE SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

CARLE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 20, 6:40 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRIsabella50 min
Jul 20, 6:53 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRClinton, Gratiot37 min
Jul 20, 7:23 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRKent37 min
Jul 20, 7:33 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRClinton27 min
Jul 20, 7:37 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRREaton, Ingham68 min
Jul 20, 7:45 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRAllegan30 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.