Alert archive / Michigan / Tornado Warnings in 1991
Tornado Warning 2, NWS Detroit, MI
NWS Detroit, MI issued this tornado warning at Mar 27, 1991, 9:57 PM EST for Saint Clair County, Michigan. It was in force for 33 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
- Mar 27, 1991, 9:57 PM EST (02:57 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 27, 1991, 10:30 PM EST
- In force
- 33 min
- Issued by
- NWS Detroit, MI
- Area
- Whole counties
County Saint Clair County, MI
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 27, 10:00 PM EST | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | St. Clair, 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 00:00Z, 3.0 hours before the alert went out and 67 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
- 1201 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -8 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 971 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 91 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 378 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 434 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 3.4
- Supercell composite
- 12.5
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KDTW 280257
TORDTW
MIC147-280330-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT MI
957 PM EST WED MAR 27 1991
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1030 PM EST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY
IN THE SOUTHEAST PART OF LOWER MICHIGAN
EASTERN ST. CLAIR
AT 953 PM EST...STATE POLICE REPORTED AT TORNADO NEAR EMMET...47
MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF DOWNTOWN DETROIT. PEOPLE IN THE TOWNS OF
OF RUBY AND LAKEPORT SHOULD TAKE COVER NOW.
MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 60 MILES AN HOUR.
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE IS IN
A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OlF 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.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, Mar 27, 4:25 PM EST, 5 hours 32 minutes before
MIZ026-031>036>039-042-272330- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND SHORT-RANGE WEATHER FORECAST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT MI 430 PM EST WED MAR 27 1991 ...A TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF EAST CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNTIL MIDNIGHT... A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF EAST CENTRAL MICHIGAN FROM 430 PM EST UNTIL 12 AM EST. AT 4 PM NO SEVERE WEATHER WAS REPORTED ACROSS EAST CENTRAL MICHIGAN...SKIES WERE CLOUDY WITH BREAK IN THE OVERCAST. TEMPERATURES WERE NEARLY STEADY IN THE UPPER 60S TO LOW 70S. WINDS WERE SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST AT 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 25 MPH. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IA BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAIALBE...SEEK SHELTER IN A INTERIOR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY. AVIOD WINDOWS. WSF
Special weather statement, Mar 27, 4:31 PM EST, 5 hours 26 minutes before
MIZ026-031>036>039-042-272330- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND SHORT-RANGE WEATHER FORECAST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT MI...CORRECTED FOR SPELLING 430 PM EST WED MAR 27 1991 ...A TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF EAST CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNTIL MIDNIGHT... A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF EAST CENTRAL MICHIGAN FROM 430 PM EST UNTIL 12 AM EST. AT 4 PM NO SEVERE WEATHER WAS REPORTED ACROSS EAST CENTRAL MICHIGAN...SKIES WERE CLOUDY WITH BREAK IN THE OVERCAST. TEMPERATURES WERE NEARLY STEADY IN THE UPPER 60S TO LOW 70S. WINDS WERE SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST AT 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 25 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 AVAIALBE...SEEK SHELTER IN A INTERIOR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY. AVIOD WINDOWS. WSF
Special weather statement, Mar 27, 4:31 PM EST, 5 hours 26 minutes before
MIZ001>068-272300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANN ARBOR MI 430 PM EST WED MAR 27 1991 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 75 IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF LOWER MICHIGAN UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST... TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 75 HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR MUCH OF LOWER MICHIGAN AND IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST. THIS WATCH INCLUDES ALL OF LOWER MICHIGAN WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE EXTREME NORTHERN TIP OF THE PENINSULA. IN THE TORNADO WATCH AREA ARE KALAMAZOO...MUSKEGON ...GRAND RAPIDS...BATTLE CREEK...LANSING...FLINT...DETROIT... SAGINAW...TRAVERSE CITY...HOUGHTON LAKE... AND ALPENA. A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND EVEN TORNADOES IN MUCH OF LOWER MICHIGAN FOR THE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. THIS SITUATION IS PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGING TORNDOES... LARGE HAIL OVER 1 INCH IN DIAMETER... AND DANGEROUS THUNDERSTORM WINDS OF OVER 60 MPH. TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE OCCURRED THIS AFTERNOON IN ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN AHEAD OF A STRONG LOW PRESSURE CENTER AND COLD FRONT FROM CENTRAL WISCONSIN TO EASTERN IOWA. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN ADVANCE OF THIS SYSTEM ARE RAPIDLY MOVING NORTHEASTWARD AT 60 MILES AN HOUR TOWARD MICHIGAN. THESE INTENSE STORMS WILL START AFFECTING THE WESTERN PARTS OF LOWER MICHIGAN AROUND 5 PM... AND SPREAD EASTWARD INTO THE REMAINDER OF THE TORNADO WATCH AREA OF LOWER MICHIGAN BETWEEN 7 AND 9 PM THIS EVENING. AGAIN... THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR MOST OF LOWER MICHIGAN FOR THE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. ALL MICHIGAN RESIDENTS WITHIN THE TORNADO WATCH AREA SHOULD BEGIN NECESSARY PREPARATIONS AND LISTEN TO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS FOR THE LATEST UPDATES... STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. WAGENMAKER
Special weather statement, Mar 27, 6:36 PM EST, 3 hours 21 minutes before
MIZ026-031>036>039-042-280130- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND SHORT-RANGE WEATHER FORECAST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLINT MI 630 PM EST WED MAR 27 1991 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT EAST CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNTIL MIDNIGHT... AT 6 PM EST STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAD DEVELOPED IN ISABELLA COUNTY AND WERE MOVING TOWARD NORTHWEST MIDLAND COUNTY. BY 7 PM THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR NORTH BRADLEY IN NORTHWEST MIDLAND COUNTY. NORTH BRADLEY IS 60 MILES NORTHWEST OF SAGINAW. A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT FOR ALL OF EAST CENTRAL MICHIGAN. AT 6 PM...THE SKIES WERE MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A BREAKS. TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE UPPER 60S AND WINDS WERE SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST AT 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH. WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING. DO NOT STAND NEAR WINDOWS. STAY TUNED TO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEATHER RADIO...AND LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND WARNINGS. STJ
The office that day
Everything else NWS Detroit, MI issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 27, 7:03 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Ogemaw | 27 min |
| Mar 27, 7:07 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Midland | 68 min |
| Mar 27, 7:20 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Arenac, Bay | 55 min |
| Mar 27, 8:06 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Tuscola | 69 min |
| Mar 27, 8:06 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Genesee, Saginaw, Shiawassee | 69 min |
| Mar 27, 8:18 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Livingston | 42 min |
| Mar 27, 8:46 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Oakland, Washtenaw | 44 min |
| Mar 27, 8:46 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Lenawee | 44 min |
| Mar 27, 9:39 PM EST | Tornado Warning | DTX | Monroe | 36 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Michigan, 1991Every tornado warning in 1991Tornadoes in 1991
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.