Alert archive / Michigan / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 55, NWS Detroit, MI

September 19, 1997Genesee County, Saginaw County, Michigan

NWS Detroit, MI issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Sep 19, 1997, 4:44 PM EDT for Genesee County, Saginaw County, Michigan. It was in force for 31 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
Sep 19, 1997, 4:44 PM EDT (20:44 UTC)
Expired
Sep 19, 1997, 5:15 PM EDT
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Detroit, MI
Area
Whole counties

Counties Genesee County, MI, Saginaw County, MI

The radar

The Detroit radar (KDTX), 63 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:46 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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Sep 19, 3:15 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Detroit, MI (KDTX), launched 12:00Z, 8.7 hours before the alert went out and 63 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 12:00Z on 1997-09-19Temperature 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 12:00Z on 1997-09-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 148 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1487 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
148 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
153 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

The text of this product is not in the archive. The NWS text archive before 2002 is incomplete.

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, Sep 19, 3:26 PM EDT, 1 hour 18 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Sep 19, 3:27 PM EDT, 1 hour 17 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Sep 19, 3:32 PM EDT, 1 hour 12 minutes before
MIZ047>049-053>055-060>063-068>070-075>076-082>083-201200-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT PONTIAC MI
332 PM EDT FRI SEP 19 1997

...SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL STATEMENT FOR SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN...

DISPATCHERS... PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR EMERGENCY MANAGERS IMMEDIATELY.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN THIS
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM MERRILL
IN SAGINAW COUNTY TO FORESTVILLE IN SANILAC COUNTY. THIS INCLUDES THE
COMMMUNITIES OF FLINT... DETROIT...AND ANN ARBOR. THE THUNDERSTORMS
WHICH BECOME SEVERE WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL UP TO 1 3/4 INCH
IN DIAMATER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 80 MPH. SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE
REQUIRED FOR SAGINAW...TUSCOLA...SANILAC...SHIAWASSEE...GENESEE...
LAPEER...ST CLAIR...LIVINGSTON...MACOMB...WASHTENAW...WAYNE...
LENAWEE...AND MONROE COUNTIES THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY TONIGHT.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING OUT AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD
FRONT. THIS FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS EASTERN UPPER MICHIGAN AND
THE LOWER PENINSULA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THIS FRONT WILL REACH
THE MIDLAND AND SAGINAW BAY AREAS AT BY MIDNIGHT... AND WILL PASS
ACROSS THE DETROIT AREA AFTER 300 AM.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINE MOVING INTO SOUTHEAST LOWER
MICHIGAN THIS AFTERNOON AND THEY WILL BECOME NUMEROUS TONIGHT. SOME
OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL POSSIBLY BECOME SEVERE THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING SOUTH OF A LINE  FROM MERRILL IN SAGINAW COUNTY TO
FORESTVILLE IN SANILAC COUNTY.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE TO THE EAST AT AROUND 40 MILES AN HOUR.
THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE STRONG WINDS GUSTING UP TO 80 MILES AN HOUR
AND HAIL AS LARGE 1 3/4 INCH IN DIAMETER.

LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO... OR YOU LOCAL TV... RADIO... OR CABLE TV
STATION FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

BOYNE
Special weather statement, Sep 19, 3:34 PM EDT, 1 hour 10 minutes before
MIZ047>049-053>055-060>063-068>070-075>076-082>083-201200-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT PONTIAC MI
332 PM EDT FRI SEP 19 1997

...SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL STATEMENT FOR SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN...

DISPATCHERS... PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR EMERGENCY MANAGERS IMMEDIATELY.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN THIS
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM MERRILL
IN SAGINAW COUNTY TO FORESTVILLE IN SANILAC COUNTY. THIS INCLUDES THE
COMMMUNITIES OF FLINT... DETROIT...AND ANN ARBOR. THE THUNDERSTORMS
WHICH BECOME SEVERE WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL UP TO 1 3/4 INCH
IN DIAMATER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 80 MPH. SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE
REQUIRED FOR SAGINAW...TUSCOLA...SANILAC...SHIAWASSEE...GENESEE...
LAPEER...ST CLAIR...LIVINGSTON...MACOMB...WASHTENAW...WAYNE...
LENAWEE...AND MONROE COUNTIES THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY TONIGHT.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING OUT AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD
FRONT. THIS FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS EASTERN UPPER MICHIGAN AND
THE LOWER PENINSULA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THIS FRONT WILL REACH
THE MIDLAND AND SAGINAW BAY AREAS AT BY MIDNIGHT... AND WILL PASS
ACROSS THE DETROIT AREA AFTER 300 AM.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINE MOVING INTO SOUTHEAST LOWER
MICHIGAN THIS AFTERNOON AND THEY WILL BECOME NUMEROUS TONIGHT. SOME
OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL POSSIBLY BECOME SEVERE THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING SOUTH OF A LINE  FROM MERRILL IN SAGINAW COUNTY TO
FORESTVILLE IN SANILAC COUNTY.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE TO THE EAST AT AROUND 40 MILES AN HOUR.
THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE STRONG WINDS GUSTING VUP TO 80 MILES AN HOUR
AND HAIL AS LARGE 1 3/4 INCH IN DIAMETER.

LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO... OR YOU LOCAL TV... RADIO... OR CABLE TV
STATION FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

BOYNE
Special weather statement, Sep 19, 4:20 PM EDT, 24 minutes before
MIZ047>049-053>055-060>063-068>070-075>076-082>083-200100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT PONTIAC MI
420 PM EDT FRI SEP 19 1997

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 737 IS IN EFFECT FOR A GOOD PART OF
SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN UNTIL 9 PM...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 737 IS IN EFFECT FOR A GOOD PART OF SOUTHEAST
MICHIGAN... MAINLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM HARBOR BEACH TO SAGINAW.
COMMUNITIES AND SURROUNDING AREAS THAT ARE IN THE WATCH INCLUDE
SAGINAW... FLINT... SANDUSKY...PORT HURON... HOWELL... ANN ARBOR...
DETROIT... PONTIAC... ADRIAN... AND MONROE.

AT 420 PM... DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING
ACROSS BAY CITY... SAGINAW... AND MIDLAND.  THESE STORMS ARE NOT
EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE... ALTHOUGH SOME OF THEM MAY CONTAIN GUSTY
WINDS TO 40 MILES AN HOUR... AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.

OTHER AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING ACROSS SOUTHWEST LOWER
MICHIGAN NORTH OF KALAMAZOO AND BATTLE CREEK.  THESE STORMS WERE
MOVING QUICKLY TO THE EAST AT 50 MILES AN HOUR... AND WILL REACH THE
FLINT...HOWELL AND ADRIAN AREAS BETWEEN 530 PM AND 6 PM.

IF YOU ARE IN THE WATCH AREA...BE PREPARED TO MOVE QUICKLY TO A STURDY
SHELTER IF A WARNING IS ISSUED OR THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR
AREA.

CAMPBELL/NADOLSKI
Special weather statement, Sep 19, 4:23 PM EDT, 21 minutes before
MIZ047>049-053>055-060>063-068>070-075>076-082>083-200100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT PONTIAC MI
420 PM EDT FRI SEP 19 1997

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 737 IS IN EFFECT FOR A GOOD PART OF
SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN UNTIL 9 PM...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 737 IS IN EFFECT FOR A GOOD PART OF SOUTHEAST
MICHIGAN... MAINLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM HARBOR BEACH TO SAGINAW.
COMMUNITIES AND SURROUNDING AREAS THAT ARE IN THE WATCH INCLUDE
SAGINAW... FLINT... SANDUSKY...PORT HURON... HOWELL... ANN ARBOR...
DETROIT... PONTIAC... ADRIAN... AND MONROE.

AT 420 PM... DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING
ACROSS BAY CITY... SAGINAW... AND MIDLAND.  THESE STORMS ARE NOT
EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE... ALTHOUGH SOME OF THEM MAY CONTAIN GUSTY
WINDS TO 40 MILES AN HOUR... AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.

OTHER AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING ACROSS SOUTHWEST LOWER
MICHIGAN NORTH OF KALAMAZOO AND BATTLE CREEK.  THESE STORMS WERE
MOVING QUICKLY TO THE EAST AT 50 MILES AN HOUR... AND WILL REACH THE
FLINT...HOWELL AND ADRIAN AREAS BETWEEN 530 PM AND 6 PM.

IF YOU ARE IN THE WATCH AREA...BE PREPARED TO MOVE QUICKLY TO A STURDY
SHELTER IF A WARNING IS ISSUED OR THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR
AREA.

CAMPBELL/NADOLSKI

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 19, 1:15 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDTXMidland60 min
Sep 19, 5:36 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDTXLivingston, Washtenaw39 min
Sep 19, 5:55 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDTXOakland, Wayne65 min
Sep 19, 6:32 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningDTXMacomb, Oakland, Wayne118 min
Sep 19, 6:32 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningDTXLivingston118 min
Sep 19, 6:40 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDTXMonroe50 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.