Hail and Damaging Winds in Michigan, June 25 to 26, 1998

A hot and humid airmass had settled over Michigan. Afternoon temperatures rose into the 90s, with dew points in the 70s. This produced an unstable air mass, and scattered thunderstorms developed in the evening hours. The approach of an upper level jet allowed some thunderstorms to persist well past midnight.During the evening, severe thunderstorms sporadically produced large hail and damaging winds. Power lines were downed by winds in Mayville, and a large tree was felled in Vassar. Gusts of 60 mph were estimated in both Owosso and Byron. In Clio, the problem was hail; dime sized or larger hail fell for fifteen minutes. Golfball sized hail fell on two occasions during that time period. Large hail was also reported in parts of Tuscola County, and in southern Genesee County.A weakening area of thunderstorms moved southeast into Washtenaw and Lenawee Counties after midnight. These storms were still potent enough to generate severe wind gusts in the western parts of these counties. Trees were downed in Dexter, Addison, north of Chelsea, and just west of Ann Arbor. Law enforcement estimated a 60 mph gust near Manchester. These storms weakened below severe limits as they continued east.