Alert archive / Michigan / Tornado Warnings in 1988
Tornado Warning 17, NWS Detroit, MI
NWS Detroit, MI issued this tornado warning at Aug 18, 1988, 2:42 AM EDT for Washtenaw County, Michigan. It was in force for 33 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Aug 18, 1988, 2:42 AM EDT (06:42 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 18, 1988, 3:15 AM EDT
- In force
- 33 min
- Issued by
- NWS Detroit, MI
- Area
- Whole counties
County Washtenaw 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, 6.7 hours before the alert went out and 62 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 2027 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -58 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1074 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 58 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 50 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 178 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 2.1
- Supercell composite
- 8.7
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KDTW 180642
TORDTW
MIC161-180715-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT MI
242 AM EDT THU AUG 18 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 315 AM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY
IN THE SOUTHEAST PART OF LOWER MICHIGAN
SOUTHERN WASHTENAW
AT 230 AM EDT...SOUTHERN ANN ARBOR A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS REPORTED BY
A SPOTTER. THE STORM IS MOVING SOUTHEAST 40 MPH.
PERSONS IN THE PAST OF THIS STORM SHOULD BE ALERT AND PREPARED
TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY.
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE IS IN
A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...FIND 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...TAKE SHELTER IN A DITCH OR LOW SPOT.
PATTON/NASHWhat 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, Aug 17, 10:03 PM EDT, 4 hours 39 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANN ARBOR MI 1000 PM EDT WED AUG 17 1988 WATCH NUMBER 401 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE FOLLOWING MICHIGAN COUNTIES OF THE LOWER PENINSULA... MANISTEE...WEXFORD...MISSAUKEE... MASON...LAKE...OSCEOLA...CLARE...GLADWIN...ARENAC... MECOSTA...ISABELLA...MIDLAND...BAY...HURON... GRATIOT...SAGINAW...TUSCOLA...SANILAC... GENESEE...LAPEER...ST CLAIR... WATCH NUMBER 401 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING MICHIGAN COUNTIES UNTIL MIDNIGHT... OCEANA...NEWAGO....MONTCALM...MUSKEGON...KENT...IONIA... CLINTON...SHIAWASSEE...OTTAWA...BARRY...EATON...INGHAM...LIVINGSTON... OAKLAND...MACOMB...CALHOUN...JACKSON...WASHTENAW...WAYNE...LEWANEE... AND MONR1OE. ...TFF...
Special weather statement, Aug 18, 12:03 AM EDT, 2 hours 39 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANN ARBOR MI 1202 AM EDT THU AUG 18 1988 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 401 HAS EXPIRED... THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THAT RAVAGED AREAS OF SOUTHERN sLOWER MICHIGAN HAVE ENDED ACROSS THE STATE. A FEW AREAS OF SCATTERED THUNDERSHOWERS AND SHOWERS REMAIN...BUT THESE ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY END OVERNIGHT. THERE ARE NO WEATHER WATCHES AT THIS TIME ANYWHERE IN MICHIGAN. ...TFF...
The office that day
Everything else NWS Detroit, MI issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 17, 10:10 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Livingston | 35 min |
| Aug 17, 10:23 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Washtenaw | 52 min |
| Aug 18, 3:34 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Monroe | 26 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Michigan, 1988Every tornado warning in 1988Tornadoes in 1988
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.