Alert archive / Michigan / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Grand Rapids, MI

April 26, 2011Ionia County, Kent County, Montcalm County, Michigan

NWS Grand Rapids, MI issued this tornado warning at Apr 26, 2011, 6:35 PM EDT for Ionia County, Kent County, Montcalm County, Michigan. It was in force for 25 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
Apr 26, 2011, 6:35 PM EDT (22:35 UTC)
Expired
Apr 26, 2011, 7:00 PM EDT
In force
25 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Rapids, MI
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Ionia County, MI, Kent County, MI, Montcalm County, MI

The radar

The Grand Rapids radar (KGRR), 40 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:35 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
Apr 26, 6:35 PM EDTHAIL 1.255 S Greenville, MIDELAYED REPORT. HAIL WAS OBSERVED ON M-91 NEAR FISK ROAD.
Apr 26, 6:51 PM EDTHAIL 1.5Belding, MILARGE VOLUME OF INCH AND ONE HALF HAIL. NO DAMAGE VISIBLE.

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
Apr 26, 3:02 PM EDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Detroit, MI (KDTX), launched 12:00Z, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 150 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 2011-04-26Temperature 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°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Detroit, MI at 12:00Z on 2011-04-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 687 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
547 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
54 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
687 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
744 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

834 
WFUS53 KGRR 262235
TORGRR
MIC067-081-117-262300-
/O.NEW.KGRR.TO.W.0001.110426T2235Z-110426T2300Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
635 PM EDT TUE APR 26 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND RAPIDS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN IONIA COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL MICHIGAN...
  EAST CENTRAL KENT COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN...
  SOUTH CENTRAL MONTCALM COUNTY IN CENTRAL MICHIGAN...

* UNTIL 700 PM EDT

* AT 630 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
  TRACKING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS
  DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR BELDING...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT
  55 MPH.

THE WARNING INCLUDES AREAS SURROUNDING THESE LOCATIONS...
  GREENVILLE...         BELDING...            FENWICK...
  SIDNEY...             ORLEANS...            SMYRNA...
  AMSDEN...             SHERIDAN CLARK ARPT...
  SHILOH...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE OR
OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM FLYING OBJECTS.

&&

LAT...LON 4329 8508 4303 8507 4299 8530 4311 8540
TIME...MOT...LOC 2235Z 226DEG 47KT 4312 8524

$$

MEADE
2 follow-up statements
914 
WWUS53 KGRR 262242
SVSGRR

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
642 PM EDT TUE APR 26 2011

MIC081-262253-
/O.CAN.KGRR.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-110426T2300Z/
KENT MI-
642 PM EDT TUE APR 26 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL KENT COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS EITHER WEAKENED OR MOVED OUT
OF THE WARNED AREA.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT TUESDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN MICHIGAN.

LAT...LON 4307 8526 4318 8527 4329 8508 4307 8507
TIME...MOT...LOC 2243Z 228DEG 43KT 4316 8515

$$

MIC067-117-262300-
/O.CON.KGRR.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-110426T2300Z/
IONIA MI-MONTCALM MI-
642 PM EDT TUE APR 26 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL MONTCALM AND
NORTH CENTRAL IONIA COUNTIES UNTIL 700 PM EDT...

AT 639 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS DANGEROUS
STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR BELDING...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  GREENVILLE...         BELDING...            FENWICK...
  SIDNEY...             AMSDEN...            
  SHERIDAN CLARK ARPT...                      SHILOH...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE OR
OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM FLYING OBJECTS.

&&

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT TUESDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN MICHIGAN.

LAT...LON 4307 8526 4318 8527 4329 8508 4307 8507
TIME...MOT...LOC 2243Z 228DEG 43KT 4316 8515

$$
042 
WWUS53 KGRR 262258
SVSGRR

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
658 PM EDT TUE APR 26 2011

MIC067-117-262307-
/O.EXP.KGRR.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-110426T2300Z/
IONIA MI-MONTCALM MI-
658 PM EDT TUE APR 26 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL MONTCALM AND NORTH CENTRAL
IONIA COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 700 PM EDT...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED AND MOVED OUT OF
THE WARNED AREA.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT TUESDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN MICHIGAN.

LAT...LON 4307 8526 4318 8527 4329 8508 4307 8507
TIME...MOT...LOC 2257Z 228DEG 43KT 4327 8498

$$

NJJ

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 26, 11:16 AM EDTRiver Flood AdvisoryGRRKent10 days
Apr 26, 11:16 AM EDTRiver Flood AdvisoryGRROsceola37 hr
Apr 26, 3:21 PM EDTFlood WatchGRRAllegan, Barry, Calhoun, Clare, Clinton, Eaton and 17 more44 hr
Apr 26, 4:16 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGRROttawa59 min
Apr 26, 5:27 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGRRKent63 min
Apr 26, 5:28 PM EDTRiver Flood AdvisoryGRRAllegan6 days
Apr 26, 5:34 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRAllegan, Kent, Ottawa41 min
Apr 26, 5:44 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRGratiot, Isabella, Montcalm46 min
Apr 26, 5:48 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGRRAllegan, Kent, Ottawa12 hr
Apr 26, 6:04 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRKalamazoo, Van Buren56 min
Apr 26, 6:14 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRIonia, Kent, Montcalm46 min
Apr 26, 6:43 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRAllegan, Barry, Kent47 min
Apr 26, 6:48 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRGratiot, Montcalm42 min
Apr 26, 6:59 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRAllegan, Barry, Kalamazoo46 min
Apr 26, 7:04 PM EDTRiver Flood AdvisoryGRRIsabella15 hr
Apr 26, 7:07 PM EDTTornado WarningGRRGratiot, Montcalm23 min
Apr 26, 7:12 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRKent31 min
Apr 26, 7:20 PM EDTTornado WarningGRRBarry, Calhoun, Kalamazoo25 min
Apr 26, 7:25 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRGratiot, Isabella50 min
Apr 26, 7:37 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRRIonia, Montcalm38 min
Apr 26, 7:43 PM EDTTornado WarningGRRBarry, Eaton32 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Michigan, 2011Every tornado warning in 2011Tornadoes in 2011

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.