Alert archive / Michigan / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 68, NWS Detroit, MI

August 4, 2002Wayne County, Michigan

NWS Detroit, MI issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 4, 2002, 5:59 PM EDT for Wayne County, Michigan. It was in force for 61 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Aug 4, 2002, 5:59 PM EDT (21:59 UTC)
Expired
Aug 4, 2002, 7:00 PM EDT
In force
61 min
Issued by
NWS Detroit, MI
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Wayne County, MI

The radar

The Detroit radar (KDTX), 53 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:00 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 4, 6:45 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 52 EWayne, MIA trained spotter reported several 12 inch diameter tree limbs blown down on the north side of the city.

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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Aug 4, 3:55 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC4 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Detroit, MI (KDTX), launched 12:00Z, 10.0 hours before the alert went out and 55 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 2002-08-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 494 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 2002-08-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 165 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
494 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-151 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1185 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
165 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
123 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.

139 
WUUS53 KDTX 042159
SVRDTX
MIC163-042300-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION/IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
558 PM EDT SUN AUG 4 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DETROIT/PONTIAC HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  WAYNE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN

* UNTIL 700 PM EDT

* AT 558 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER ROMULUS...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  INKSTER AT 605 PM EDT
  TAYLOR AT 610 PM EDT
  ALLEN PARK AT 625 PM EDT

THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS UP TO 70 MPH. A WIND GUST TO
70 MPH HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PUSH OVER SHALLOW ROOTED TREES...AND
DAMAGE CHIMNEYS AND TV ANTENNAS. DO NOT USE TELEPHONES UNLESS IN AN
EMERGENCY UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER FROM THE WEATHER IN A STRONG
BUILDING. 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.

LAT...LON 4229 8348 4212 8343 4215 8326 4230 8319

SF SC

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 Aug 4, 3:38 PM EDT, 2 hours 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 4, 3:38 PM EDT, 2 hours 21 minutes before
SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
337 PM SUN AUG 4 2002

MAIN CONCERN FOR THE CURRENT PACKAGE WILL BE HERE IN THE FIRST 12 TO
18 HOURS OR SO. STILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR SEVERE CHANCES ACROSS
SOUTHERN HALF OF THE CWA. AS HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED...
CURRENT SEVERE CHANCES HINGE ON ABILITY OF ATMOSPHERE TO BREAK THE
CAP CURRENTLY IN PLACE. CONVECTION THAT HAS INITIATED OVER SW LOWER
HAS CONSISTENTLY FELL APART AS IT APPROACHED THE CWA THIS AFTERNOON.
STILL BELIEVE THAT CAP WILL ERODE THIS EVENING AS WEAK SHORT WAVE
TROUGH LOWERS HEIGHTS AND BRINGS SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPERATURES TO THE
MID LEVELS SUFFICIENT. VISIBLE SATELLITE LOOP SHOWING PLENTY OF
SUNSHINE ACROSS THE CWA AND THIS HAS BOOSTED TEMPERATURES TO NEAR 90
SOUTHERN CWA WITH DEW POINTS IN THE LOW TO MID 70S YIELDING CAPES
APPROACHING 4 KJ/KG. DIFFICULT TO DISCERN OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES IN THE
DATA ALTHOUGH IT DOES APPEAR AT LEAST ONE OUTFLOW HAS SLID INTO
NORTHERN OHIO. OTHER BOUNDARIES LIKELY ACROSS THE NORTHERN CWA WHERE
DIFFERENTIAL HEATING FROM MORNING RAIN/CLOUDS INTERACTING WITH
AFTERNOON SUNSHINE. FOR THIS EVENING...WILL CARRY SCATTERED SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS CWA-WIDE.

AVN AND ETA ARE IN AGREEMENT THAT FRONT HANGS UP NEAR THE OH/MI
BORDER OVERNIGHT AND MCS DEVELOPING OVER IL TRACKS ALONG THE
FRONT AND ACROSS SOUTHERN LOWER DURING THE PRE-DAWN TO POST-DAWN
HOURS MONDAY. THE SYSTEM WILL TRACK IN A POOL OF RICH MOISTURE AS
PWS WILL EXCEED 2 INCHES ACROSS SOUTHERN CWA DURING THE EARLY
MORNING HOURS...WITH K-INDICES NEAR 40. LOW LEVEL JET DYNAMICS ARE
NOT IMPRESSIVE WITH FLOW TO OUR WEST NEVER REALLY GETTING STRONGER
THAN 20 KNOTS...AND THEN BECOMING PARALLEL TO THE FRONT RATHER THAN
PERPENDICULAR. UPPER LEVEL JET DYNAMICS ARE LACKING AS WELL. STILL
GIVEN JUICY AIR...A PERIOD OF HEAVY RAIN IS POSSIBLE AND WILL ADD
MENTION OF THIS TO THE ZONES. TIMING ON THIS PRECIPITATION WOULD BE
AFTER MIDNIGHT...MOST LIKELY TOWARD SUNRISE.

BY TOMORROW AFTERNOON...STRONG CANADIAN HIGH TO DOMINATE THE WEATHER
THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. HIGH WILL BUILD IN SHUNTING FRONT
TO THE SOUTH AND BRING A PROLONGED PERIOD OF DRY COOL WEATHER.
ONLY CONCERN WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL BE MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY
MORNING. 850MB TEMPERATURES ARE PROGGED TO DROP AS LOW AS 3C /PER
ETA/ ACROSS THE THUMB TUESDAY MORNING. WITH LAKE TEMPERATURES
RUNNING AROUND 23C...THE AIR/LAKE DELTA T WILL BE AROUND 20C.
INVERSION HEIGHTS WILL BE AROUND 5K FEET. AIR ABOVE THE INVERSION
WILL BE EXTREMELY DRY. FLOW AROUND THE HIGH WILL BE ANTICYCLONIC.
MESOETA OVERSPREADS NEARLY THE ENTIRE CWA MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY
MORNING WITH LAKE INDUCED CLOUD COVER. AIR/LAKE DELTA T/S CERTAINLY
SUPPORT SOME CLOUD DEVELOPMENT...BUT WITH EXTREME DRY AIR ABOVE THE
INVERSION AND ANTICYCLONIC LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL ONLY OPT FOR PARTLY
CLOUDY SKIES OVERNIGHT MONDAY INTO TUESDAY MORNING.

EXTENDED...
HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE AND ALOFT WILL DOMINATE THE EXTENDED
PERIOD INTO NEXT WEEKEND. DESPITE HEIGHTS BUILDING IN EXCESS OF 588DM
THROUGH THE PERIOD...STRONG CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE WILL MAINTAIN
NEAR SEASONABLE THICKNESS LEVELS INTO THE WEEKEND. MRF AND CANADIAN
DEVELOP A SHARP UPPER NORTH-SOUTH SHORTWAVE ACROSS THE CENTRAL U.S.
THAT EVENTUALLY EXTENDS ACROSS THE WIDTH OF THE NATION BY MONDAY
MORNING. ENSEMBLE MEMBERS OF BOTH CANADIAN AND MRF SUGGEST THAT THE
OPERATIONAL SOLUTIONS ARE OVERPLAYING THIS FEATURE. THIS SOLUTION WOULD
TEND TO ENHANCE RIDGING ACROSS THE LAKES AND SLOW DOWN ANY FRONTS
APPROACHING. DESPITE THE OUTLIER NATURE OF THE TROUGH
SOLUTION...ENSEMBLE MEMBERS DO HOLD ONTO THE RIDGE REMAINING IN
PLACE ACROSS THE LAKES AND POINTS EAST. SO...A CONTINUED DRY
FORECAST INTO THE WEEKEND SEEMS PLAUSIBLE. WITH FLOW TURNING
SOUTHWEST DEW POINTS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE FOR THE WEEKEND AND A
WARMING TREND UNDERWAY.

.DTX...NONE.

OKEEFE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 4, 4:16 PM EDT, 1 hour 43 minutes before
MIZ047>049-053>055-060>063-068>070-075-076-082-083-050000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
416 PM EDT SUN AUG 4 2002

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 574 IN EFFECT FOR PART OF SOUTHEAST
LOWER MICHIGAN UNTIL 8 PM SUNDAY NIGHT...

DISPATCHERS...PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR EMERGENCY MANAGERS IMMEDIATELY.

HAZARDS...
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR PART OF SOUTHEAST
MICHIGAN. COUNTIES IN THE WATCH INCLUDE SHIAWASSEE...GENESEE...
LAPEER...ST CLAIR...LIVINGSTON...OAKLAND...MACOMB...WASHTENAW...
WAYNE...LENAWEE AND MONROE. SOME COMMUNITIES IN THE WATCH ARE
OWOSSO...FLINT...LAPEER...PORT HURON...HOWELL...PONTIAC...MOUNT
CLEMENS...ANN ARBOR...DETROIT...ADRIAN...AND MONROE. SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR IN THE WATCH AREA THIS EVENING AND SOME OF
THESE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE. WINDS IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH ARE POSSIBLE
WITH THESE STORMS.

DISCUSSION...
A COLD FRONT WILL SLOWLY ADVANCE ACROSS SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN THIS
EVENING. THIS FRONT WILL TAP THE WARM HUMID AIR IN PLACE ACROSS THE
REGION...PRODUCING SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. SOME OF THESE STORMS
MAY BE SEVERE THIS EVENING PRODUCING WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH. THE
THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE FOCUSED ALONG AND SOUTH OF I
69 THROUGH 8 PM THESE EVENING.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION HAS OCCURRED.

OUTLOOK FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY.
NO HAZARDS ARE EXPECTED.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO... OR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS... FOR
THE LATEST FORECAST INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
YOU CAN ALSO OBTAIN THE LATEST FORECAST ON THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE WEB SITE.

HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/DTX/ (ALL LOWER CASE)

OKEEFE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 4, 5:06 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDTXLenawee39 min
Aug 4, 5:38 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDTXWashtenaw52 min
Aug 4, 6:27 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningDTX63 min
Aug 4, 6:48 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningDTX42 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Michigan, 2002Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2002

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.