Alert archive / Michigan / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Grand Rapids, MI

January 7, 2008Gratiot County, Isabella County, Montcalm County, Michigan

NWS Grand Rapids, MI issued this tornado warning at Jan 7, 2008, 8:38 PM EST for Gratiot County, Isabella County, Montcalm County, Michigan. It was in force for 37 min. 2 reports 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
Jan 7, 2008, 8:38 PM EST (01:38 UTC)
Expired
Jan 7, 2008, 9:15 PM EST
In force
37 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Rapids, MI
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Gratiot County, MI, Isabella County, MI, Montcalm County, MI

The radar

The Grand Rapids radar (KGRR), 88 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:42 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
Jan 7, 8:47 PM ESTHAIL 1.5Winn, MI
Jan 7, 9:01 PM ESTFUNNEL CLOUD2 E Shepherd, MI2 FUNNELS SIGHTED

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jan 7, 7:01 PM ESTTornado WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Detroit, MI (KDTX), launched 00:00Z, 1.6 hours before the alert went out and 138 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 2008-01-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 179 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Detroit, MI at 00:00Z on 2008-01-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 333 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
179 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-30 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
633 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
57 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
333 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
353 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
WFUS53 KGRR 080138
TORGRR
MIC057-073-117-080215-
/O.NEW.KGRR.TO.W.0002.080108T0138Z-080108T0215Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
838 PM EST MON JAN 7 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND RAPIDS
HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN GRATIOT COUNTY IN CENTRAL MICHIGAN
  SOUTHERN ISABELLA COUNTY IN CENTRAL MICHIGAN
  NORTHEASTERN MONTCALM COUNTY IN CENTRAL MICHIGAN

* UNTIL 915 PM EST

* AT 833 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED
  OVER EDMORE...OR ABOUT 10 MILES NORTH OF STANTON...AND MOVING EAST
  AT 40 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  SHEPHERD...ST. LOUIS AND ALMA BY 905 PM EST
  BRECKENRIDGE BY 915 PM EST

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM EST TUESDAY MORNING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN MICHIGAN.

LAT...LON 4334 8514 4347 8517 4348 8509 4353 8509
      4361 8460 4348 8459 4348 8438 4347 8436
      4340 8437
TIME...MOT...LOC 0138Z 261DEG 35KT 4345 8501

$$

JK
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS53 KGRR 080156
SVSGRR

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
855 PM EST MON JAN 7 2008

MIC057-073-117-080215-
/O.CON.KGRR.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-080108T0215Z/
ISABELLA MI-MONTCALM MI-GRATIOT MI-
855 PM EST MON JAN 7 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 915 PM EST FOR NORTHERN
GRATIOT...NORTHEASTERN MONTCALM AND SOUTHEASTERN ISABELLA...

AT 851 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STORM PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR WINN...OR
ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTH OF MOUNT PLEASANT...AND MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.  
THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  FOREST HILL BY 900 PM EST
  SHEPHERD...ST. LOUIS AND ALMA BY 905 PM EST
  BRECKENRIDGE AND WHEELER BY 915 PM EST

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM EST TUESDAY MORNING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN MICHIGAN.

LAT...LON 4340 8437 4335 8497 4350 8499 4355 8498
      4361 8460 4348 8459 4348 8437 4347 8436
TIME...MOT...LOC 0155Z 261DEG 35KT 4347 8478

$$
JK
000 
WWUS53 KGRR 080213 RRA
SVSGRR

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
914 PM EST MON JAN 7 2008

MIC057-073-117-080224-
/O.EXP.KGRR.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-080108T0215Z/
ISABELLA MI-MONTCALM MI-GRATIOT MI-
914 PM EST MON JAN 7 2008

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHERN GRATIOT...NORTHEASTERN MONTCALM
AND SOUTHEASTERN ISABELLA WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT THE
THUNDERSTORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS EXITED THE WARNED AREA.
THEREFORE THE TORNADO WARNING HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM EST TUESDAY MORNING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN MICHIGAN.

LAT...LON 4340 8437 4335 8497 4350 8499 4355 8498
      4361 8460 4348 8459 4348 8437 4347 8436
TIME...MOT...LOC 0214Z 261DEG 35KT 4350 8453

$$
JK

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 7, 7:00 PM ESTTornado WarningGRRMuskegon45 min
Jan 7, 7:15 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningGRR2 hr
Jan 7, 7:46 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRKent, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo29 min
Jan 7, 8:12 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRIsabella, Mecosta, Montcalm33 min
Jan 7, 8:14 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRAllegan, Barry, Kalamazoo, Van Buren61 min
Jan 7, 8:29 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRGratiot, Isabella, Montcalm31 min
Jan 7, 9:03 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementGRRCalhoun, Eaton57 min
Jan 7, 9:12 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRBarry, Calhoun, Eaton37 min
Jan 7, 9:25 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementGRRClinton, Eaton50 min
Jan 7, 9:29 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRREaton, Ingham, Jackson61 min
Jan 8, 10:38 AM ESTRiver Flood WarningGRRIngham3 days
Jan 8, 11:26 AM ESTRiver Flood WarningGRRCalhoun48 hr
Jan 8, 11:26 AM ESTRiver Flood WarningGRRJackson10 hr
Jan 8, 11:26 AM ESTRiver Flood WarningGRREaton49 hr
Jan 8, 3:36 PM ESTRiver Flood WarningGRRIngham47 hr
Jan 8, 4:39 PM ESTWind AdvisoryGRRAllegan, Mason, Muskegon, Oceana, Ottawa, Van Buren12 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Michigan, 2008Every tornado warning in 2008Tornadoes in 2008

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.