Alert archive / Michigan / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Grand Rapids, MI

April 26, 2011Gratiot County, Montcalm County, Michigan

NWS Grand Rapids, MI issued this tornado warning at Apr 26, 2011, 7:07 PM EDT for Gratiot County, Montcalm County, Michigan. It was in force for 23 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
Apr 26, 2011, 7:07 PM EDT (23:07 UTC)
Expired
Apr 26, 2011, 7:30 PM EDT
In force
23 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Rapids, MI
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Gratiot County, MI, Montcalm County, MI

The radar

The Grand Rapids radar (KGRR), 81 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:11 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, 7:31 PM EDTHAIL 0.75 W Alma, MI

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, 11.1 hours before the alert went out and 129 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.

945 
WFUS53 KGRR 262307
TORGRR
MIC057-117-262330-
/O.NEW.KGRR.TO.W.0002.110426T2307Z-110426T2330Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND RAPIDS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  WESTERN GRATIOT COUNTY IN CENTRAL MICHIGAN...
  EAST CENTRAL MONTCALM COUNTY IN CENTRAL MICHIGAN...

* UNTIL 730 PM EDT

* AT 702 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
  TRACKING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS
  DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF STANTON...AND
  MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

THE WARNING INCLUDES AREAS SURROUNDING THESE LOCATIONS...
  ALMA...               ITHACA...             FERRIS TWP...
  CRYSTAL...            FOREST HILL...        ELM HALL...
  ELWELL...             RIVERDALE...          SUMNER...
  ST. LOUIS...          EUGENE...             NEW HAVEN CENTER...

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 4346 8461 4328 8460 4320 8499 4335 8502
TIME...MOT...LOC 2307Z 231DEG 37KT 4328 8491

$$

MEADE
2 follow-up statements
543 
WWUS53 KGRR 262314
SVSGRR

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

MIC057-117-262330-
/O.CON.KGRR.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-110426T2330Z/
GRATIOT MI-MONTCALM MI-
714 PM EDT TUE APR 26 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EAST CENTRAL MONTCALM AND
WESTERN GRATIOT COUNTIES UNTIL 730 PM EDT...

AT 711 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS DANGEROUS
STORM WAS LOCATED 11 MILES EAST OF STANTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45
MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  ALMA...               ITHACA...             FERRIS TWP...
  FOREST HILL...        ELM HALL...           ELWELL...
  RIVERDALE...          SUMNER...             ST. LOUIS...
  EUGENE...

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 4323 8489 4337 8496 4346 8461 4328 8460
TIME...MOT...LOC 2315Z 231DEG 37KT 4334 8482

$$

NJJ
576 
WWUS53 KGRR 262326
SVSGRR

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

MIC057-117-262336-
/O.EXP.KGRR.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-110426T2330Z/
GRATIOT MI-MONTCALM MI-
726 PM EDT TUE APR 26 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL MONTCALM AND WESTERN GRATIOT
COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 730 PM EDT...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED AND MOVED OUT OF
THE WARNED AREA...HOWEVER SMALL HAIL IS STILL POSSIBLE WITH THIS
THUNDERSTORM.

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

LAT...LON 4323 8489 4337 8496 4346 8461 4328 8460
TIME...MOT...LOC 2326Z 231DEG 37KT 4341 8470

$$

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, 6:35 PM EDTTornado WarningGRRIonia, Kent, Montcalm25 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, 7:12 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.