Alert archive / Michigan / Tornado Warnings in 2024

Tornado Warning 13, NWS Grand Rapids, MI

May 20, 2024Mecosta County, Michigan

NWS Grand Rapids, MI issued this tornado warning at May 20, 2024, 7:03 PM EDT for Mecosta County, Michigan. It was in force for 42 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: May 20, 2024, 7:03 PM EDT (23:03 UTC)
Expired: May 20, 2024, 7:45 PM EDT
In force: 42 min
Issued by: NWS Grand Rapids, MI
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.75 in

County Mecosta County, MI

The radar

The Grand Rapids radar (KGRR), 88 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:02 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 20, 7:04 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	3 W Morley, MI	Trees and wires down on the road on Brady Lake Blvd.
May 20, 7:05 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 Sw Stanwood, MI	Trees and power lines down across the road.

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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 20, 4:41 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Detroit, MI (KDTX), launched 12:00Z, 11.1 hours before the alert went out and 184 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 178 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -178 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1390 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 90 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 93 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

938 
WFUS53 KGRR 202303
TORGRR
MIC107-202345-
/O.NEW.KGRR.TO.W.0013.240520T2303Z-240520T2345Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Grand Rapids MI
703 PM EDT Mon May 20 2024

The National Weather Service in Grand Rapids has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Mecosta County in central Michigan...

* Until 745 PM EDT.

* At 703 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Morley, or 10 miles south of Big Rapids, moving
  northeast at 60 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. 
           Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree 
           damage is likely.

* This dangerous storm will be near...
  Canadian Lakes around 710 PM EDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 4381 8509 4352 8509 4347 8555 4357 8556
      4382 8536
TIME...MOT...LOC 2303Z 216DEG 52KT 4356 8545 

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

$$

MJS

1 follow-up statement

563 
WWUS53 KGRR 202340
SVSGRR

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Grand Rapids MI
740 PM EDT Mon May 20 2024

MIC107-202350-
/O.EXP.KGRR.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-240520T2345Z/
Mecosta MI-
740 PM EDT Mon May 20 2024

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR MECOSTA COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT 745 PM
EDT...

The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.
Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire.  However, gusty
winds are still possible with this thunderstorm.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1000 PM EDT for
central Michigan.

LAT...LON 4381 8509 4352 8509 4347 8555 4357 8556
      4382 8536
TIME...MOT...LOC 2340Z 216DEG 52KT 4398 8503 

$$

DUKE

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 20, 2:51 PM EDT	Special Marine Warning	GRR		54 min
May 20, 4:03 PM EDT	Special Marine Warning	GRR		117 min
May 20, 4:52 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GRR	Allegan, Barry, Kalamazoo, Kent, Muskegon, Newaygo and 3 more	113 min
May 20, 5:38 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GRR	Allegan	37 min
May 20, 6:07 PM EDT	Special Marine Warning	GRR		53 min
May 20, 6:14 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GRR	Newaygo	61 min
May 20, 6:20 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GRR	Kent, Muskegon, Ottawa	55 min
May 20, 6:49 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GRR	Mecosta, Montcalm	56 min
May 20, 7:21 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GRR	Osceola	39 min
May 20, 7:29 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GRR	Clare, Isabella	61 min
May 20, 7:42 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GRR	Gratiot, Isabella, Montcalm	63 min
May 20, 7:48 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GRR	Clare, Osceola	42 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Michigan, 2024 Every tornado warning in 2024 Tornadoes in 2024

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.