Alert archive / Michigan / Tornado Watches in 2000

Tornado Watch 273

May 12, 200041 counties in Michigan

The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at May 12, 2000, 4:45 PM EDT for 41 counties in Michigan. It was in force for 5 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 12, 2000, 4:45 PM EDT (20:45 UTC)
Expired
May 12, 2000, 10:00 PM EDT
In force
5 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
All 41 counties

Alcona County, MI, Alpena County, MI, Antrim County, MI, Arenac County, MI, Bay County, MI, Benzie County, MI, Charlevoix County, MI, Cheboygan County, MI, Clare County, MI, Crawford County, MI, Genesee County, MI, Gladwin County, MI, Grand Traverse County, MI, Gratiot County, MI, Huron County, MI, Iosco County, MI, Isabella County, MI, Kalkaska County, MI, Lake County, MI, Lapeer County, MI, Leelanau County, MI, Manistee County, MI, Mason County, MI, Mecosta County, MI, Midland County, MI, Missaukee County, MI, Montcalm County, MI, Montmorency County, MI, Muskegon County, MI, Newaygo County, MI, Oceana County, MI, Ogemaw County, MI, Osceola County, MI, Oscoda County, MI, Otsego County, MI, Presque Isle County, MI, Roscommon County, MI, Saginaw County, MI, Sanilac County, MI, Tuscola County, MI, Wexford County, MI

The radar

The NCL Michigan radar (KAPX), 37 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:45 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.

Warnings issued inside it

13 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 12, 4:46 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningAPXManistee, Wexford5 hr
May 12, 4:58 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDTXBay, Midland47 min
May 12, 5:10 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAPXMissaukee, Roscommon50 min
May 12, 5:44 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDTXBay31 min
May 12, 5:59 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDTXTuscola31 min
May 12, 6:08 PM EDTTornado WarningDTXTuscola37 min
May 12, 6:11 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAPXAntrim49 min
May 12, 6:11 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAPXLeelanau49 min
May 12, 6:16 PM EDTTornado WarningDTXHuron59 min
May 12, 6:29 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAPXCharlevoix, Emmet46 min
May 12, 7:06 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAPXAlcona24 min
May 12, 7:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRNewaygo37 min
May 12, 7:14 PM EDTTornado WarningDTXHuron46 min

The nearest sounding before it

Alpena, MI (KAPX), launched 12:00Z, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 202 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, Alpena, MI at 12:00Z on 2000-05-12Temperature 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, Alpena, MI at 12:00Z on 2000-05-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 124 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
1301 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
124 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
105 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.

221 
WWUS9 KMKC 122024
SEL3  

SEL3  
MKC WW 122019
MIZ000-LMZ000-LHZ000-130200-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 273
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
419 PM EDT FRI MAY 12 2000

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

   CENTRAL AND NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN                           
   EASTERN LAKE MICHIGAN                      
   WESTERN LAKE HURON                         

EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 445 PM UNTIL 1000
PM EDT.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 85 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND
SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF MANISTEE MICHIGAN TO 55
MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF OSCODA MICHIGAN.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. 
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...THIS TORNADO WATCH REPLACES TORNADO WATCH
NUMBER 270.  WATCH NUMBER 270 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 445 PM
EDT.  CONTINUE...WW 271...WW 272...

DISCUSSION...CONVECTIVE CLUSTER INCREASING ALONG WARM FRONT AND
AHEAD OF UPPER TROUGH AXIS. AIR MASS BECOMING HIGHLY UNSTABLE WITH
MUCAPES AOA 4000 J/KG MOVING INTO WATCH AREA. A FEW TORNADOES
POSSIBLE ALONG SURFACE BOUNDARIES WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS THE MAIN THREATS ELSEWHERE.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. 
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24035.


...ROGASH

454,0863 452,0822 425,0822 431,0863

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 12, 2:30 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCAllegan, Arenac, Barry, Bay, Calhoun, Clare and 39 more6 hr
May 12, 1:00 PM EDTTornado WatchSPCArenac, Bay, Benzie, Clare, Crawford, Gladwin and 24 more5 hr
May 12, 3:00 PM EDTTornado WatchSPCAllegan, Barry, Berrien, Calhoun, Cass, Clinton and 8 more6 hr
May 12, 3:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCMenominee6 hr

Nearby

Tornado Watches in Michigan, 2000Every tornado watch in 2000

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.