Alert archive / Michigan / Tornado Warnings in 1996
Tornado Warning 1, NWS Detroit, MI
NWS Detroit, MI issued this tornado warning at Apr 12, 1996, 4:16 PM EDT for Lenawee County, Michigan. It was in force for 44 min. 4 reports 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
- Apr 12, 1996, 4:16 PM EDT (20:16 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 12, 1996, 5:00 PM EDT
- In force
- 44 min
- Issued by
- NWS Detroit, MI
- Area
- Whole counties
County Lenawee County, MI
The radar
The Detroit radar (KDTX), 102 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:17 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.
Open the radar archive at this moment
The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 12, 4:19 PM EDT | Hail 1 | Adrian, MI | |
| Apr 12, 4:22 PM EDT | Hail 1.5 | Clayton, MI | |
| Apr 12, 4:50 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 60 | Adrian, MI | |
| Apr 12, 5:04 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 78 | Riga, 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.
The nearest sounding before it
Detroit, MI (KDTX), launched 12:00Z, 8.3 hours before the alert went out and 106 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
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1032 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 59 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 144 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 146 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KDTX 122017 TORDTX MIC091-122100- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT PONTIAC MI 416 PM EDT FRI APR 12 1996 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DETROIT PONTIAC HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 500 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN ...LENAWEE COUNTY AT 413 PM...SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY SERVICES REPORTED A TORNADO TOUCHDOWN 3 MILES SOUTH OF HUDSON. THE THUNDERSTORM THAT PRODUCED THE TORNADO WAS MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH AND WILL AFFECT ADRIAN...FAIRFIELD AND JASPER BETWEEN 415 PM AND 430 PM. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDLY 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. NADOLSKI &
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
Local storm report, Apr 12, 10:54 AM EDT, 5 hours 22 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PONTIAC/DETROIT MI
1053 AM EST FRI APR 12 1996
TIME (EST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS............
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1043 AM OTISVILLE MI DIME (1.00 INCH DIAMETER) SIZE
4/12/96 GENESEE COUNTY HAIL.Special weather statement, Apr 12, 11:07 AM EDT, 5 hours 9 minutes before
MIZ016>083-130900- SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 1100 AM EDT FRI APR 12 1996 ...SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL STATEMENT FOR MICHIGAN... THERE IS A CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN THROUGH TONIGHT...MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM MUSKEGON TO THE TIP OF THE THUMB. THIS INCLUDES THE COMMUNITIES OF MUSKEGON...GRAND RAPIDS...KALAMAZOO...LANSING...SAGINAW...FLINT...AND DETROIT. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR PARTS OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN...SOUTH OF A LINE FROM TRAVERSE CITY TO OSCODA...FROM LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. THIS AREA INCLUDES TRAVERSE CITY...HOUGHTON LAKE...LUDINGTON...AND WEST BRANCH. PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR EMERGENCY MANAGERS IMMEDIATELY. FOR SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN...SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR ACROSS THE REST OF NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING...NORTH OF THE TRAVERSE CITY TO OSCODA LINE...BUT THE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE. A STATIONARY FRONT WILL REMAIN OVER EXTREME SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN THROUGH TONIGHT. A LOW PRESSURE CENTER OVER EASTERN IOWA LATE THIS MORNING WILL MOVE ALONG THE FRONT INTO THE FAR SOUTHWEST CORNER OF LOWER MICHIGAN BY SUNRISE SATURDAY. THE FRONT WILL SEPARATE VERY WARM AIR TO ITS SOUTH AND CONSIDERABLY COOLER AIR TO THE NORTH. THE MOST UNSTABLE AIR THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE OVER SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN... ALONG AND NEAR THE FRONT. HOWEVER...AS THE LOW PRESSURE CENTER APPROACHES MICHIGAN TONIGHT...THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE STORMS OVER PARTS OF NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN. THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL CONTINUE OVER SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY SEVERE THREAT. HAIL MAY BE AS LARGE AS AROUND AN INCH IN DIAMETER. ISOLATED WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE...MAINLY SOUTH OF THE STATIONARY FRONT TOWARD THE FAR SOUTHERN MICHIGAN BORDER. STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE TO THE EAST AT 50 MPH. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...AND TO LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS...FOR THE LATEST FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS CONCERNING THE THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS LOWER MICHIGAN. DJF
Special weather statement, Apr 12, 1:50 PM EDT, 2 hours 26 minutes before
MIZ060-061-062-053-054-063-055-049-048-047-122345- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT PONTIAC MI 149 PM EDT FRI APR 12 1996 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN UNTIL 800 PM... A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR A LARGE PORTION OF SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN UNTIL 800 PM. THIS WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...MIDLAND...BAY...HURON...TUSCOLA...SANILAC...LAPEER. ST CLAIR...GENESEE...SHIAWASSEE...SAGINAW. A FEW COMMUNITIES INCLUDED ARE FLINT...SAGINAW...MIDLAND...LAPEER...CARO AND OWOSSO. AT 149 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS HOUGHTON LAKE TO MOUNT PLEASANT THEN SOUTHWEST TO GRAND RAPIDS. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH AND WILL MOVE INTO THE WATCH AREA BETWEEN 200 PM AND 230 PM AND THEN CONTINUE TO OVERSPREAD THE AREA THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 3/4 INCH HAIL OR LARGER. WHEN STORMS APPROACH MOVE TO A STURDY SHELTER. CONTINUE TO LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND WARNINGS. NADOLSKI
Special weather statement, Apr 12, 2:48 PM EDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
MIZ016>083-122150- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 245 PM EDT FRI APR 12 1996 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN... THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN ROUGHLY ALONG AND NORTH OF ROUTE 69. INCLUDED IN THE WATCH AREA ARE THE COMMUNITIES OF OWOSSO...FLINT...LAPEER...BAD AXE... MIDLAND...AND SAGINAW. AT 240 PM DOPPLER RADAR WAS INDICATING AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM NEAR SAGINAW BAY SOUTHWEST TO THE GRAND RAPIDS AREA... THEN SOUTH TO ELKHART INDIANA. MARBLE SIZED HAIL WAS REPORTED AT 239 PM NEAR SAGINAW. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE IN THE SOUTHWEST NEAR THE INDIANA STATE LINE...WERE SOME SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT. THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT ABOUT 50 MPH...AND THE LEADING EDGE OF THE STORMS WILL BE ALONG A LINE FROM SANDUSKY TO FLINT TO JUST EAST OF LANSING BY 4 PM. THE STORMS WILL CONTINUE MOVING EAST REACHING THE DETROIT METROPOLITAN AREA AFTER 5 PM. AT SIGNS OF AN IMPENDING STORM...TOWERING THUNDERHEADS...DARKENING SKIES...LIGHTNING AND INCREASING WINDS...MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY. MSE
Special weather statement, Apr 12, 3:14 PM EDT, 1 hour 2 minutes before
MIZ016>083-130010- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 315 PM EDT FRI APR 12 1996 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN UNTIL 8 PM... A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN UNTIL 8 PM...LIVINGSTON...OAKLAND...MACOMB... WASHTENAW...WAYNE...LENAWEE...AND MONROE. MEANWHILE...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH THAT HAS BEEN IN EFFECT NORTH OF THAT AREA REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH 8 PM. AS A RESULT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN THROUGH 8 PM. SOME COMMUNITIES IN A WATCH INCLUDE DETROIT...MONROE...ANN ARBOR... PONTIAC...FLINT...LAPEER...BAD AXE...SAGINAW...AND MIDLAND. AT 310 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS INDICATING AN AREA OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM THE NORTHERN PART OF THE THUMB OF MICHIGAN...SOUTHWEST TO NEAR LANSING...THEN SOUTH ALONG ROUTE 69 TO COLDWATER MICHIGAN. THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH. LARGE HAIL AND STRONG GUST WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT WITH THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE EAST LATE THIS AFTERNOON. PEA TO MARBLE SIZED HAIL WAS REPORTED AT 3 PM IN SHIAWASSEE COUNTY NEAR OWOSSO. BY 4 PM...THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL HAVE MOVED EAST TO A LINE FROM AROUND LAPEER...TO FLINT...TO HOWELL...TO JUST EAST OF JACKSON. BY 500 PM... THE STORMS WILL BEGIN TO EFFECT THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN SUBURBS OF DETROIT...INCL<UDING THE PONTIAC AND ANN ARBOR AREAS. IF YOU PLAN TO BE OUTDOORS LATE THIS AFTERNOON...CHECK THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION AND KEEP A WEATHER EYE ON THE SKY. MSE
Local storm report, Apr 12, 3:33 PM EDT, 43 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MICHIGAN
330 PM EDT FRI APR 12 1996
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION...t.
0315 PM OWOSSO MI .75 INCH HAIL
04/12/96 SHIAWASSEE
CAMPBELLThe office that day
Everything else NWS Detroit, MI issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 12, 10:37 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Genesee, Lapeer | 38 min |
| Apr 12, 2:48 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Shiawassee | 57 min |
| Apr 12, 3:39 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Lenawee | 66 min |
| Apr 12, 4:32 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Monroe | 58 min |
| Apr 12, 4:40 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Wayne | 65 min |
| Apr 12, 4:45 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | DTX | Monroe | 45 min |
| Apr 12, 5:03 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Lenawee | 27 min |
| Apr 12, 5:57 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Lenawee | 63 min |
| Apr 12, 6:46 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Midland | 44 min |
| Apr 12, 7:05 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Bay | 40 min |
| Apr 12, 7:41 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Lenawee, Monroe | 49 min |
| Apr 12, 7:45 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Livingston | 45 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Michigan, 1996Every tornado warning in 1996Tornadoes in 1996
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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.