Alert archive / Michigan / Tornado Warnings in 2015

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Northern Indiana

April 9, 2015Branch County, Saint Joseph County, Michigan

NWS Northern Indiana issued this tornado warning at Apr 9, 2015, 6:39 PM EDT for Branch County, Saint Joseph County, Michigan. It was in force for 36 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 9, 2015, 6:39 PM EDT (22:39 UTC)
Expired
Apr 9, 2015, 7:15 PM EDT
In force
36 min
Issued by
NWS Northern Indiana
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.75 in

Counties Branch County, MI, Saint Joseph County, MI

The radar

The Northern Indiana radar (KIWX), 82 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:39 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 9, 6:47 PM EDTHAIL 0.7Ne Mendon, MIREPORTS OF PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL NORTHEAST OF MENDON...RELAYED BY LOCAL MEDIA.
Apr 9, 7:06 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG1 S Union City, MI2.5 FOOT DIAMETER TREE UPROOTED. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Detroit, MI (KDTX), launched 12:00Z, 10.7 hours before the alert went out and 169 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 2015-04-09Temperature 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 2015-04-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 39 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
734 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
54 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
39 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
179 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.

564 
WFUS53 KIWX 092239
TORIWX
MIC023-149-092315-
/O.NEW.KIWX.TO.W.0003.150409T2239Z-150409T2315Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
639 PM EDT THU APR 9 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORTHERN INDIANA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN BRANCH COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN...
  NORTHEASTERN ST. JOSEPH COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN...

* UNTIL 715 PM EDT

* AT 636 PM EDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A
  TORNADO WAS LOCATED 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF VICKSBURG...AND MOVING
  EAST AT 50 MPH.

  HAZARD...TORNADO.

  SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED ROTATION.

  IMPACT...MOBILE HOMES WILL BE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. DAMAGE TO
           ROOFS...WINDOWS AND VEHICLES WILL OCCUR. FLYING DEBRIS
           WILL BE DEADLY TO PEOPLE AND ANIMALS. TREE DAMAGE IS
           LIKELY.

* THIS DANGEROUS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  UNION CITY AROUND 700 PM EDT.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE LEONIDAS...SHERWOOD AND
HODUNK.

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 DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 4193 8504 4201 8551 4207 8551 4208 8540
      4208 8504
TIME...MOT...LOC 2239Z 273DEG 42KT 4203 8543

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...<.75IN

$$

JBALL
2 follow-up statements
703 
WWUS53 KIWX 092300
SVSIWX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
700 PM EDT THU APR 9 2015

MIC149-092310-
/O.CAN.KIWX.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-150409T2315Z/
ST. JOSEPH MI-
700 PM EDT THU APR 9 2015

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN ST. JOSEPH COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAD MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED 
AREA.

LAT...LON 4198 8504 4202 8527 4208 8525 4208 8504
TIME...MOT...LOC 2300Z 273DEG 42KT 4202 8510

$$

MIC023-092315-
/O.CON.KIWX.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-150409T2315Z/
BRANCH MI-
700 PM EDT THU APR 9 2015

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTH CENTRAL BRANCH
COUNTY UNTIL 715 PM EDT...

AT 658 PM EDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO
WAS LOCATED NEAR UNION CITY...AND MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH.

HAZARD...TORNADO.

SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED ROTATION.

IMPACT...MOBILE HOMES WILL BE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. DAMAGE TO
         ROOFS...WINDOWS AND VEHICLES WILL OCCUR. FLYING DEBRIS WILL
         BE DEADLY TO PEOPLE AND ANIMALS. TREE DAMAGE IS LIKELY.

THIS DANGEROUS STORM WILL AFFECT MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF NORTH CENTRAL
BRANCH COUNTY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER CONTACT YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
THEY WILL SEND YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN
NORTHERN INDIANA.

&&

LAT...LON 4198 8504 4202 8527 4208 8525 4208 8504
TIME...MOT...LOC 2300Z 273DEG 42KT 4202 8510

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...<.75IN

$$

JBALL
560 
WWUS53 KIWX 092317
SVSIWX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
717 PM EDT THU APR 9 2015

MIC023-092327-
/O.EXP.KIWX.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-150409T2315Z/
BRANCH MI-
717 PM EDT THU APR 9 2015

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTH CENTRAL BRANCH COUNTY HAS EXPIRED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE
LIMITS...AND NO LONGER POSES AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO LIFE OR PROPERTY.
 HOWEVER...SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS ARE STILL POSSIBLE WITH THIS
THUNDERSTORM.

LAT...LON 4198 8504 4202 8527 4208 8525 4208 8504
TIME...MOT...LOC 2300Z 266DEG 46KT 4204 8530

$$

JBALL

The office that day

Everything else NWS Northern Indiana issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 9, 12:49 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementIWXBerrien41 min
Apr 9, 1:26 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningIWXBerrien34 min
Apr 9, 1:47 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementIWXCass, Saint Joseph43 min
Apr 9, 4:02 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementIWXHillsdale58 min
Apr 9, 6:23 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementIWXSaint Joseph37 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Michigan, 2015Every tornado warning in 2015Tornadoes in 2015

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.