Alert archive / Michigan / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 16, NWS Northern Indiana

March 6, 2026Cass County, Saint Joseph County, Michigan

NWS Northern Indiana issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 6, 2026, 6:50 PM EST for Cass County, Saint Joseph County, Michigan. It was in force for 25 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 6, 2026, 6:50 PM EST (23:50 UTC)
Expired
Mar 6, 2026, 7:15 PM EST
In force
25 min
Issued by
NWS Northern Indiana
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
0.75 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Cass County, MI, Saint Joseph County, MI

The radar

The Northern Indiana radar (KIWX), 62 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:53 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.

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Mar 6, 6:02 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC4 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Detroit, MI (KDTX), launched 12:00Z, 11.8 hours before the alert went out and 212 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 2026-03-06Temperature 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°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Detroit, MI at 12:00Z on 2026-03-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 124 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
486 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
124 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
133 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Northern Indiana wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Mar 6, 6:38 PM EST, 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 6, 6:38 PM EST, 12 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 6, 11:49 AM EST, 7 hours 1 minute before
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED
National Weather Service Northern Indiana
1149 AM EST Fri Mar 6 2026

INZ005>008-012>015-103-104-116-203-204-216-MIZ078>081-177-277-071700-
Elkhart-Lagrange-Steuben-Noble-Starke-Pulaski-Marshall-Fulton IN-
Northern La Porte-Eastern St. Joseph IN-Northern Kosciusko-
Southern La Porte-Western St. Joseph IN-Southern Kosciusko-Cass MI-
St. Joseph MI-Branch-Hillsdale-Northern Berrien-Southern Berrien-
1149 AM EST Fri Mar 6 2026 /1049 AM CST Fri Mar 6 2026/

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northern Indiana and
southwest Michigan.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

There is a chance of thunderstorms this afternoon into this evening.
A few storms may produce wind gusts in excess of 40 mph and small
hail.

There is another chance of storms late tonight across northwest
Indiana into southwest Lower Michigan. An isolated severe storm
cannot be ruled out with the potential main threats as isolated
damaging wind gusts and isolated large hail.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday.

There is a chance of thunderstorms Saturday through early afternoon,
but severe weather is not expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

INZ009-017-018-020-022>027-032>034-OHZ001-002-004-005-015-016-024-
025-071700-
De Kalb-Whitley-Allen IN-White-Cass IN-Miami-Wabash-Huntington-Wells-
Adams-Grant-Blackford-Jay-Williams-Fulton OH-Defiance-Henry-Paulding-
Putnam-Van Wert-Allen OH-
1149 AM EST Fri Mar 6 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northern Indiana and
northwest Ohio.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

There is a chance of storms late tonight. An isolated severe storm
cannot be ruled out with the potential main threats as isolated
damaging wind gusts and isolated large hail.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday.

There is a chance of thunderstorms on Saturday. An isolated strong
to severe storm is possible with isolated damaging wind gusts and
isolated large hail as the potential main threats.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

LMZ043-046-071700-
New Buffalo MI to St Joseph MI-Michigan City IN to New Buffalo MI-
1149 AM EST Fri Mar 6 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the nearshore waters of
southeastern Lake Michigan.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

There is a chance of thunderstorms this afternoon and evening. A few
storms may produce some hail and wind gusts over 35 knots.

There is another chance of the thunderstorms late tonight. A few
storms may produce half inch to one inch hail along with isolated
wind gusts over 35 knots.

Hazardous conditions for small craft are possible late tonight into
early Saturday.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday.

Hazardous conditions are likely for Tuesday night into Thursday.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Mar 6, 3:49 PM EST, 3 hours 1 minute before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Northern Indiana
349 PM EST Fri Mar 6 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0311 PM     Tornado          2 WNW Edwardsburg       41.81N 86.11W
03/06/2026                   Cass               MI   Broadcast Media

            Picture obtained of damage to a house in
            this location. Time estimated by radar.

&&

CR
Local storm report, Mar 6, 3:54 PM EST, 2 hours 56 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Northern Indiana
354 PM EST Fri Mar 6 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0318 PM     Tornado          2 NNW Juno Lake         41.84N 86.00W
03/06/2026                   Cass               MI   Trained Spotter

            Tree down and toppled center pivot in this
            location. Time estimated by radar.

&&

CR
Local storm report, Mar 6, 4:06 PM EST, 2 hours 44 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Northern Indiana
406 PM EST Fri Mar 6 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0157 PM     Hail             2 NNE Westville         41.56N 86.90W
03/06/2026  M1.75 Inch       La Porte           IN   Public

            Location and time estimated by radar. Public
            commenter listed Westville.

&&

CR
Local storm report, Mar 6, 4:08 PM EST, 2 hours 42 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Northern Indiana
408 PM EST Fri Mar 6 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0352 PM     Tornado          1 SW Three Rivers       41.93N 85.65W
03/06/2026                   St. Joseph         MI   Emergency Mngr

            Numerous reports of significant damage on
            the southwest side of Three Rivers. Storm
            chasers and Emergency Management confirmed
            multiple tornado touchdowns prior to the
            damage.

&&

CLH
Local storm report, Mar 6, 4:27 PM EST, 2 hours 23 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Northern Indiana
427 PM EST Fri Mar 6 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0346 PM     Tornado          2 SW Three Rivers       41.93N 85.66W
03/06/2026                   St. Joseph         MI   Public

            Video sent in showing a tornado hitting the
            Menards store and lifted at least a portion
            of the roof off on main building. Their
            storage unit nearby was also damaged by the
            tornado. Debris seen flying around the
            circulation on the video, taken near US
            131/M-60 merger. Time estimated by radar.

&&

MCD
Local storm report, Mar 6, 4:47 PM EST, 2 hours 3 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Northern Indiana
447 PM EST Fri Mar 6 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0438 PM     Tornado          1 W Union City          42.06N 85.16W
03/06/2026                   Branch             MI   Storm Chaser

            Storm chaser video confirmed tornado near
            Union City. Location estimated based on
            radar.

&&

CLH

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 5, 9:06 PM ESTDense Fog AdvisoryIWXAdams, Allen, Blackford, Cass, DeKalb, Elkhart and 18 more14 hr
Mar 6, 1:54 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementIWXLaPorte36 min
Mar 6, 5:40 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningIWX95 min
Mar 6, 3:14 PM ESTTornado WarningIWXCass, Saint Joseph31 min
Mar 6, 3:38 PM ESTTornado WarningIWXCass, Saint Joseph37 min
Mar 6, 4:03 PM ESTTornado Warning Tornado observedConsiderable damage threatIWXBranch, Saint Joseph27 min
Mar 6, 4:26 PM ESTTornado WarningIWXBranch, Saint Joseph20 min
Mar 6, 5:43 PM ESTTornado WarningIWXHillsdale22 min
Mar 6, 6:23 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningIWXBerrien, Cass37 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Michigan, 2026Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2026

Sources

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