Alert archive / Michigan / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 3, NWS Detroit, MI
NWS Detroit, MI issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 5, 1997, 9:41 PM EDT for Genesee County, Michigan. It was in force for 49 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
- May 5, 1997, 9:41 PM EDT (01:41 UTC)
- Expired
- May 5, 1997, 10:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 49 min
- Issued by
- NWS Detroit, MI
- Area
- Whole counties
County Genesee County, MI
The radar
The Detroit radar (KDTX), 41 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:41 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 9:50 PM EDT | Hail 0.75 | Grand Blanc, 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
Alpena, MI (KAPX), launched 00:00Z, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 251 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
- 701 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 35 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -45 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- -41 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 060143 RRA SVRDTX MIC049-060230- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT PONTIAC MI 941 PM EDT MON MAY 5 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DETROIT PONTIAC HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1030 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN ...GENESEE COUNTY AT 941 PM... DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER GENESEE COUNTY NEAR SWARTZ CREEK. THIS STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL AFFECT THE CITIES OF BURTON AND GRAND BLANC AROUND 950 PM. LARGE HAIL IS LIKELY WITH THIS STORM. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER FROM THE WEATHER IN A STRONG B.UILDING. DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN... AND DEADLY LIGHTNING ARE ALL POSSIBLE IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. STAY INSIDE AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.
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.
NWS Detroit, MI wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 5, 12:22 PM EDT, 9 hours 19 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 5, 12:22 PM EDT, 9 hours 19 minutes before
SHORT TERM FORECAST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 1221 PM EDT MON MAY 5 1997 MIZ047>048-053-052100- MIDLAND...BAY CITY...SAGINAW... .NOW... MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES AND SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SEEN ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE WIND GUSTS UP 45 MILES AN HOUR AND SMALL HAIL. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN AROUND 60 DEGREES. HOWEVER...A STIFF SOUTHWEST WIND AT 20 TO 30 MPH WILL XMAKE IT FEEL COOLER THAN WHAT THE THERMOMETER IS READING. BOYNE
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 5, 6:56 PM EDT, 2 hours 45 minutes before
MIZ047>049-053>055-060>063-068>070-075-076-082-083-060200- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 655 PM EDT MON MAY 5 1997 ...THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING OVER PARTS OF SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN... AT 650 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS THAT EXTENDED FROM FLINT SOUTHWEST TO JACKSON. THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 50 MPH. IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN...THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS OBSERVED NEAR FENTON. THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO REACH LAPEER...PONTIAC... ANN ARBOR...AND ADRIAN BETWEEN 7 AND 8 PM. MARBLE-SIZED HAIL... WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS. BRIEFLY HEAVY RAIN WILL ALSO OCCUR...REDUCING VISIBILITIES AND CAUSING PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS. PERSONS ACROSS SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN SHOULD REMAIN INDOORS...OR MOVE INDOORS...AS THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. REMEMBER THAT TREXES OFFER NO PROTECTION FROM LIGHTNING. DJF
Special weather statement, May 5, 7:45 PM EDT, 1 hour 56 minutes before
MIZ047>049-053>055-060>063-068>070-075-076-082-083-060300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 745 PM EDT MON MAY 5 1997 ...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE OVER PARTS OF SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN... AT 740 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THAT EXTENDED FROM PORT HURON SOUTHWEST ACROSS METRO DETROIT TO AROUND ADRIAN. NUMEROUS REPORTS OF PEA TO MARBLE-SIZED HAIL HAVE BEEN RECEIVED...ALONG WITH WINDS GUSTING TO 50 MPH. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 50 MPH...AND THE STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED JUST SOUTHWEST OF ADRIAN. THE STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL REACH TEMPERANCE AND ERIE BY 815 PM. ELSEWHERE...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH TOWARD THE TRI-CITIES AREA. THESE STORMS WERE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL AND STRONG...GUSTY WINDS. LOOK FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO REACH BAY CITY AND SAGINAW BY 830 PM. PERSONS ACROSS SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN SHOULD REMAIN INDOORS...OR MOVE INDOORS...AS THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. REMEMBER THAT TREES OFFER NO PROTECTION FROM LIGHTNING. REDUCED VISIBILITY WILL RESULT FROM WIND-DRIVEN RAIN...ALONG WITH PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS. DJF
Special weather statement, May 5, 7:48 PM EDT, 1 hour 53 minutes before
MIZ047>049-053>055-060>063-068>070-075-076-082-083-060300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 745 PM EDT MON MAY 5 1997 ...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE OVER PARTS OF SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN... AT 740 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THAT EXTENDED FROM PORT HURON SOUTHWEST ACROSS METRO DETROIT TO AROUND ADRIAN. NUMEROUS REPORTS OF PEA TO MARBLE-SIZED HAIL HAVE BEEN RECEIVED...ALONG WITH WINDS GUSTING TO 50 MPH. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 50 MPH...AND THE STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED JUST SOUTHWEST OF ADRIAN. THE STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL REACH TEMPERANCE AND ERIE BY 815 PM. ELSEWHERE...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH TOWARD THE TRI-CITIES AREA. THESE STORMS WERE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL AND STRONG...GUSTY WINDS. LOOK FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO REACH BAY CITY AND SAGINAW BY 830 PM. PERSONS ACROSS SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN SHOULD REMAIN INDOORS...OR MOVE INDOORS...AS THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. REMEMBER THAT TREES OFFER NO PROTECTION FROM LIGHTNING. REDUCED VISIBILITY WILL RESULT FROM WIND-DRIVEN RAIN...ALONG WITH PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS. DJF
Local storm report, May 5, 9:25 PM EDT, 16 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MICHIGAN
925 PM EDT MON MAY 05 1997
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0820 PM HEMLOCK MI 1.75 INCH HAIL
05/05/97 SAGINAW PUBLIC REPORTED GOLF BALL
SIZED HAIL IN HEMLOCK
0833 PM MERRILL MI .75 INCH HAIL
05/05/97 SAGINAW SPOTTER REPORTED DIME
SIZED HAIL JUST NORTH OF
MERRILLLocal storm report, May 5, 9:28 PM EDT, 13 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MICHIGAN
925 PM EDT MON MAY 05 1997
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0820 PM HEMLOCK MI 1.75 INCH HAIL
05/05/97 SAGINAW PUBLIC REPORTED GOLF BALL
SIZED HAIL IN HEMLOCK
0833 PM MERRILL MI .75 INCH HAIL
05/05/97 SAGINAW SPOTTER REPORTED DIME
SIZED HAIL JUST NORTH OF
MERRILLThe office that day
Everything else NWS Detroit, MI issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 8:25 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Saginaw | 35 min |
| May 5, 11:35 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Washtenaw | 25 min |
| May 5, 11:42 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DTX | Wayne | 48 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Michigan, 1997Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1997
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.