Alert archive / Michigan / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1996

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 101, NWS Grand Rapids, MI

October 29, 1996Barry County, Michigan

NWS Grand Rapids, MI issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Oct 29, 1996, 9:37 PM EST for Barry County, Michigan. It was in force for 68 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Oct 29, 1996, 9:37 PM EST (02:37 UTC)
Expired
Oct 29, 1996, 10:45 PM EST
In force
68 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Rapids, MI
Area
Whole counties

County Barry County, MI

The radar

The Grand Rapids radar (KGRR), 38 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:40 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Detroit, MI (KDTX), launched 00:00Z, 2.6 hours before the alert went out and 154 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 1996-10-30Temperature 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 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 1996-10-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 319 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
528 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
63 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
319 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
345 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 300238 RRA
SVRGRR
MIC015-300345-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
937 PM EST TUE OCT 29 1996
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND RAPIDS HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1045 PM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN
 
   ...BARRY COUNTY
 
AT 932 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT
THE NORTHERN END OF A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED OVER
EASTERN ALLEGAN COUNTY EXTENDING FROM BURNINPS SOUTH THROUGH ALLEGAN.
THE LINE WAS MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH...AND WILL AFFECT THE TOWNS OF
HASTINGS...FREEPORT...DELTON...AND BANFIELD BY 1010 PM. THIS LINE OF
STORMS HAS HAD A HISTORY OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS GUSTS AND
TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD
PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH... LARGE HAIL AND
DEADLY LIGHTNING. PEOPLEt OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SAFE SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
 
BORIS

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, Oct 29, 6:35 PM EST, 3 hours 2 minutes before
MIZ064-071-077-078-300300-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
635 PM EST TUE OCT 29 1996

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL
1100 PM EST TUESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN SOUTHWEST LOWER
MICHIGAN:

ALLEGAN            BERRIEN            CASS
VAN BUREN

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ALLEGAN... BENTON HARBOR... PAW PAW...
SOUTH HAVEN... NILES... AND DOWAGIAC.

TWO LINES OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN
LOWER MICHIGAN FROM WISCONSIN AND NORTHERN ILLINOIS AFTER 730 PM EST.
THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING
WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 70 MPH.  THERE IS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY OF AN
ISOLATED TORNADO AND LARGE HAIL ACCOMPANYING A FEW OF THESE STORMS.

RESIDENTS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN SHOULD REMAIN ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS EVENING ESPECIALLY BETWEEN
THE HOURS OF 730 AND 1100 PM EST.  STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO
OR THE LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS
CONCERNING THIS LATE SEASON SEVERE WEATHER THREAT.

CHAN
Special weather statement, Oct 29, 6:36 PM EST, 3 hours 1 minute before
MIZ064-071-077-078-300300-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
635 PM EST TUE OCT 29 1996

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL
1100 PM EST TUESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN SOUTHWEST LOWER
MICHIGAN:

ALLEGAN            BERRIEN            CASS
VAN BUREN

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ALLEGAN... BENTON HARBOR... PAW PAW...
SOUTH HAVEN... NILES... AND DOWAGIAC.

TWO LINES OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN
LOWER MICHIGAN FROM WISCONSIN AND NORTHERN ILLINOIS AFTER 730 PM EST.
THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING
WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 70 MPH.  THERE IS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY OF AN
ISOLATED TORNADO AND LARGE HAIL ACCOMPANYING A FEW OF THESE STORMS.

RESIDENTS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN SHOULD REMAIN ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS EVENING ESPECIALLY BETWEEN
THE HOURS OF 730 AND 1100 PM EST. f STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO
OR THE LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS
CONCERNING THIS LATE SEASON SEVERE WEATHER THREAT.

CHAN
Special weather statement, Oct 29, 9:04 PM EST, 33 minutes before
MIZ065>067-072>074-079>081-300700-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
904 PM EST TUE OCT 29 1996

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM EST WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES:

IN MICHIGAN:

BARRY              BRANCH             CALHOUN
EATON              HILLSDALE          INGHAM
JACKSON            KALAMAZOO          STJOSEPH

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...LANSING...KALAMAZOO...BATTLE CREEK
...JACKSON AND HILLSDALE

AT 900 PM EST... WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED TWO LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS... THE FIRST STRETCHING FROM LANSING TO COLDWATER AND A
SECOND... STRONGER LINE REACHING FROM THE LAKESHORE AREA NEAR HOLLAND
SOUTH THROUGH BENTON HARBOR. THIS SECOND LINE IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
STRONG... DAMAGING WINDS. BOTH LINES WILL PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND
CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 45 TO 50 MPH.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE
POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA. BE ON THE WATCH FOR
THREATENING WEATHER AND LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO... COMMERCIAL
RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

DCZ
Special weather statement, Oct 29, 9:09 PM EST, 28 minutes before
MIZ065>067-072>074-079>081-300700-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...COR TO WORDING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
904 PM EST TUE OCT 29 1996

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM EST WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES:

IN MICHIGAN:

BARRY              BRANCH             CALHOUN
EATON              HILLSDALE          INGHAM
JACKSON            KALAMAZOO          STJOSEPH

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...LANSING...KALAMAZOO...BATTLE CREEK
...JACKSON AND HILLSDALE

AT 900 PM EST... WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED TWO LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS... THE FIRST STRETCHING FROM LANSING TO COLDWATER AND A
SECOND... STRONGER LINE REACHING FROM THE LAKESHORE AREA NEAR HOLLAND
SOUTH THROUGH BENTON HARBOR. THIS SECOND LINE IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
STRONG... DAMAGING WINDS. BOTH LINES WILL PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND
CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 45 TO 50 M PH.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE
POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA. BE ON THE WATCH FOR
THREATENING WEATHER AND LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO... COMMERCIAL
RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

DCZ

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 29, 8:17 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRBerrien, Cass, Van Buren73 min
Oct 29, 8:17 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRAllegan73 min
Oct 29, 9:15 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRKalamazoo, Saint Joseph60 min
Oct 29, 9:32 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRAllegan, Cass, Van Buren28 min
Oct 29, 9:54 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRBranch, Calhoun66 min
Oct 29, 10:18 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRHillsdale, Jackson57 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Michigan, 1996Every severe thunderstorm warning 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.