Alert archive / Michigan / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1994

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 2, NWS Grand Rapids, MI

April 12, 1994Branch County, Michigan

NWS Grand Rapids, MI issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 12, 1994, 9:15 PM EDT for Branch County, Michigan. It was in force for 45 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 12, 1994, 9:15 PM EDT (01:15 UTC)
Expired
Apr 12, 1994, 10:00 PM EDT
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Rapids, MI
Area
Whole counties

County Branch County, MI

The nearest sounding before it

Detroit, MI (KFNT), launched 00:00Z, 1.3 hours before the alert went out and 161 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 00:00Z on 1994-04-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 00:00Z on 1994-04-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 368 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
510 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
368 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
373 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 KLAN 130116
SVRLAN
MIC023-130200-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LANSING MI
915 PM EDT TUE APR 12 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LANSING HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL MICHIGAN
 
   ...BRANCH COUNTY
 
AT 910 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A POSSIBLE SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM LOCATED ABOUT 5 MILE EAST OF BRONSON...OR 30 MILES SOUTH OF
BATTLE CREEK. THIS STORM MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL
AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. THIS STORM WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AROUND 35
MILES AN HOUR AND WILL AFFECT THE COMMUNITIES OF COLDWATER AND QUINCY
BETWEEN 915 AND 945 PM.
 
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.
 
SHEETS

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, Apr 12, 7:16 PM EDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before
MIZ051-056>058-064-065-071-072-130100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
715 PM EDT TUE APR 12 1994

...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM OVER SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN...

AT 705 PM... A SKYWARN SPOTTER IN HARTFORD... 30 MILES WEST OF
KALAMAZOO... OBSERVED PEA-SIZED HAIL. THIS STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 25 MPH AND SHOULD REACH BLOOMINGDALE BY 730 PM... AND ALLEGAN BY
750 PM.

BE ALERT FOR SMALL HAIL... INTENSE LIGHTNING AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS
AS THIS THUNDERSTORM MOVES THROUGH SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN.
STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO STATIONS KIG 63... WWF 34... OR WWF 36 FOR
FURTHER UPDATES AND STATEMENTS.

HENDRICKS
Special weather statement, Apr 12, 7:35 PM EDT, 1 hour 40 minutes before
MIZ051-056>058-064-065-071-072-130100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
735 PM EDT TUE APR 12 1994

...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER PARTS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN...

AT 730 PM EDT... WEATHER RADAR DETECTED A NEWLY DEVELOPED LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING THROUGH THE BLOOMINGDALE AND HARTFORD
COMMUNITIES... 25 MILES WEST OF KALAMAZOO. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. PERSONS IN THE COMMUNITIES OF ALLEGAN...
PAW PAW AND LAWTON CAN EXPECT THESE STORMS BY 750 PM.

THESE STORMS MAY CONTAIN BRIEF HEAVY RAIN... STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND
POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL. AS WITH ALL THUNDERSTORMS... PEOPLE IN THE PATH
OF THESE STORMS SHOULD GO INDOORS TO A\VOID THE DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH
LIGHTNING STRIKES.

HENDRICKS
a
Special weather statement, Apr 12, 7:35 PM EDT, 1 hour 40 minutes before
MIZ074-130130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LANSING MI
734 PM EDT TUE APR 13 1994

...DENSE FOG PLAGUING THE JACKSON AREA...

AT 730 PM EDT...FOG WAS REDUCING VISIBILITY TO 3/8 OF A MILE IN JACKSON.
FOG WAS ALSO OBSERVED OVER MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN...
HOWEVER...VISIBILITIES WERE GENERALLY MORE THAN 2 MILES IN MOST AREAS.

MOTORISTS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR AREAS OF LOW VISIBILITY DUE TO PATCHY
DENSE FOG.  TURN YbOUR HEADLIGHTS ON LOW BEAMS...AND ALLOW PLENTY OF
DISTANCE BETWEEN VEHICLES.

SHEETS
Special weather statement, Apr 12, 8:07 PM EDT, 1 hour 8 minutes before
MIZ051-056>058-064-065-071-072-130100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
807 PM EDT TUE APR 12 1994

...THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN...

AT 802 PM EDT... WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE COMMUNITIES OF BURNIPS... ALLEGAN... MERSON
AND LAWTON... FROM 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GRAND RAPIDS TO 15 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF KALAMAZOO. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH AND SHOULD REACH U.S. 131... CUTLERVILLE...
SHELBYVILLE AND KALAMAZOO BETWEEN 820 AND 830 PM.

THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAIN... GUSTY WINDS
AND POSSIBLY HAIL. PEOPLE IN THIS AREA ARE URGED TO STAY ALERT FOR
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER. PRACTICE LIGHTNING SAFETY BY MOVING INDOORS
UNTIL THE STORMS PASS.

HENDRICKS
Special weather statement, Apr 12, 8:37 PM EDT, 38 minutes before
MIZ051-056>058-064-065-071-072-130200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
837 PM EDT TUE APR 12 1994

...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING RAPIDLY OVER SOUTHWEST LOWER
MICHIGAN...

AT 837 PM EDT... WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS
BETWEEN GRAND RAPIDS AND KALAMAZOO MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
THE HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF KALAMAZOO
NEAR MARCELLUS. THIS STORM WILL REACH SCHOOLCRAFT BY 845 PM.

PEA-SIZED TO 1/2 INCH DIAMETER HAIL... DEADLY LIGHTNING... AND WIND
GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

DRIVERS ENCOUNTERING THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING SHOULD BE AWARE THAT
FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS UNDERPASSE@S MAY OCCUR. ALSO
REMEMBER THAT HEAVY RAIN CAN REDUCE VISIBILITIES SIGNIFICANTLY.
WHEN THUNDERSTORMS PASS OVERHEAD... THE INTERIOR OF A STURDY
BUILDING PROVIDES THE BEST PROTECTION AGAINST THE DANGERS OF
LIGHTNING.

HENDRICKS
Special weather statement, Apr 12, 8:55 PM EDT, 20 minutes before
MIZ051-056>058-064-065-071-072-130130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
855 PM EDT TUE APR 12 1994

...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN...

AT 850 PM EDT... WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A BROKEN LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDING FROM 15 MILES NORTHEAST OF GRAND RAPIDS NEAR ROCKFORD... TO
SCHOOLCRAFT... 15 MILES SOUTH OF KALAMAZOO. THE MOST INTENSE
THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER KALAMAZOO COUNTY NEAR SCHOOLCRAFT AND
PARCHMENT. THESE STORMS WILL REACH HICKORY CORNERS AND VICKSBURG
BETWEEN 900 AND 905 PM.

PEA-SIZED TO 1/2 INCH DIAMETER HAIL... DEADLY LIGHTNING... AND WIND
GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

LIGHTNING IS ONE OF THE TOP WEATHER KILLERS IN THE COUNTRY.
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE.. DO NOT STAND UNDERNEATH A TALL ISOLATED
TREE OR A TELEPHONE POLE. AVOID PROJECTING ABOVE THE SURROUNDING
LANDSCAPE. FOR EXAMPLE.. DO NOT STAND ON A HILL OR INCLINE. IN A
FOREST... SEEK SHELTER IN A LOW AREA UNDER A THICK GROWTH OF SMALL
TREES. IN OPEN AREAS... GO TO A LOW PLACE... SUCH AS A RAVINE OR
VALLEY.

HENDRICKS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 12, 8:48 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRBranch27 min
Apr 12, 10:19 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRBranch, Hillsdale33 min
Apr 13, 1:10 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRClinton35 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Michigan, 1994Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1994

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.