Lake Huron, 2002

Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Lake Huron, August 13, 2002

August 13, 2002 · NWS DTX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

2 marine thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Detroit, MI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 13, 2:20 PM EST, 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 13, 2:20 PM EST, 30 minutes before
SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
320 PM EDT TUE AUG 13 2002

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 603 IN EFFECT THROUGH 7 PM.

SHORTWAVE...ALONG WITH SURFACE REFLECTION...NEAR CHICAGO TO CONTINUE
TO HEAD OFF TO THE NORTH/NORTHEAST. 850 MB LOW LEVEL JET (AROUND 40
KNOTS) TO MOVE THROUGH SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN THIS EVENING. LAPS CAPES
AT 18Z AROUND 2000 J/KG ACROSS CWA. NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING/MOVING INTO SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN AT THE
PRESENT TIME. WILL CONTINUE WITH THE 80% OR BETTER POPS.

WEAK COLD FRONT/SURFACE TROUGH TO SLOWLY PUSH THROUGH THE CWA ON
WEDNESDAY. 850-700MB THETA-E RIDGE TO MOVE THROUGH BETWEEN 12-18Z
WEDNESDAY...WITH DECENT UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE. PWS VALUES AROUND 2
INCHES. WITH THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THE FRONT WILL LIKELY SEE A GOOD
SOAKING ACROSS PARTS OF THE CWA. LITTLE IF ANY SUN EXPECTED...THUS
ONLY EXPECTING ABOUT A 10 DEGREE RISE IN TEMPERATURES OFF THE
MORNING LOWS. MARGINAL INSTABILITY EXPECTED TOMORROW (DUE TO LACK OF
SOLAR HEATING)...THUS NOT EXPECTING MUCH IN THE WAY OF SEVERE
WEATHER.

WILL FOLLOW THE AVN/CANADIAN AND BRING THE WEAKENING UPPER LEVEL
TROUGH THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY MORNING...WITH DRYING TAKING PLACE
DURING THE DAY. GRANTED...THIS MAY BE A BIT OPTIMISTIC BASED ON THE
TRENDS OF THIS SYSTEM. WILL CALL FOR HIGHS GENERALLY IN THE MID
80S...IN LINE WITH THE AVN MOS NUMBERS.

FEW IF ANY CHANGES TO THE EXTENDED...
CANADIAN MODEL INDICATING A VIGOROUS SHORTWAVE TRACKING THROUGH THE
NORTHERN GREAT LAKES FRIDAY MORNING...WITH THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT
EXTENDING SOUTH TO CHICAGO. 12Z AVN MODEL IS MUCH MORE ZONAL...WITH
A SURFACE RIDGE BUILDING INTO MICHIGAN DURING THE DAY. WILL CONTINUE
TO RUN WITH THE FLATTER FLOW...AND HIGHER HEIGHTS ACROSS THE GREAT
LAKES. AVN STILL SHOWING UPPER LOW CUTTING OFF ACROSS BRITISH
COLUMBIA/PACIFIC NORTHWEST ON FRIDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN RIDGING
ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS/WESTERN GREAT LAKES. THE UPPER LOW OVER
THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST IS THEN EXPECTED TO HEAD EASTWARD...RESULTING
IN LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPING ACROSS THE PLAINS BY SATURDAY. MUCH LIKE
THIS LAST SYSTEM...EXPECTING THE UPPER LEVEL LOW TO LIFT INTO
CENTRAL CANADA BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. WILL CONTINUE WITH THE CHANCE OF
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FOR SUNDAY AND MONDAY...DRYING THINGS OUT
ON TUESDAY. EXPECTING TEMPS TO BE ABOVE NORMAL THIS WEEKEND INTO
EARLY NEXT WEEK.

.DTX...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 603 IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST
MICHIGAN THROUGH 7 PM.

SF

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 13, 10:11 AM EST, 4 hours 39 minutes before
MIZ047>049-053>055-060>063-068>070-075-076-082-083-140200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
1111 AM EDT TUE AUG 13 2002

DISPATCHERS...PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR EMERGENCY MANAGERS IMMEDIATELY.

HAZARDS...
NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING
ACROSS SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...
WITH WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH BEING THE PREDOMINATE HAZARD. DIME SIZED
HAIL IS ALSO POSSIBLE.

DISCUSSION...
A WARM AND MOIST AIRMASS IS IN PLACE OVER LOWER MICHIGAN...AHEAD OF A
COLD FRONT OVER WISCONSIN. WITH A FEW HOURS OF SUNSHINE EARLY THIS
AFTERNOON...THE ATMOSPHERE WILL DESTABILIZE ENOUGH FOR ADDITIONAL
THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP ALONG OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES CREATED BY STORMS
FROM EARLY THIS MORNING. CLOUD DEBRIS LEFT OVER FROM THE MORNING
STORMS WILL LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF SUN WE SEE...WHICH WILL LIMIT THE
AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY AVAILABLE TO THE AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS.
HOWEVER...WITH UPPER-LEVEL SUPPORT AND A STRENGTHENING WIND...SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP BETWEEN 3 PM AND 6 PM THIS AFTERNOON NEAR
US-23 FROM SAGINAW TO ANN ARBOR...AND REACH M-25 FROM HARBOR BEACH
TO PORT HURON BETWEEN 5 PM AND 8 PM. STORMS MOVEMENT WILL BE TO THE
NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON.

OUTLOOK FOR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...
THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. HOWEVER NONE OF
THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS...FOR THE
LATEST FORECAST INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. YOU
CAN ALSO OBTAIN THE LATEST FORECAST ON THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
WEB SITE.

HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/DTX/ (ALL LOWER CASE)

BRAVENDER
Special weather statement, Aug 13, 1:10 PM EST, 1 hour 40 minutes before
MIZ047>049-053>055-060>063-068>070-075-076-082-083-132300-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
210 PM EDT TUE AUG 13 2002

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 603 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM
EDT...

DISPATCHERS...PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR EMERGENCY MANAGERS IMMEDIATELY.

NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING
ACROSS SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BECOME
SEVERE...WITH WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH OR GREATER BEING THE PREDOMINANT
HAZARD. HAIL IN EXCESS OF 1 INCH IN DIAMETER IS ALSO POSSIBLE.

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN ARE COVERED BY THE
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH...

BAY...MIDLAND...SANILAC...SAGINAW...LAPEER...GENESEE...SHIAWASSEE...
MACOMB...OAKLAND...LIVINGSTON...WASHTENAW...LENAWEE...HURON...TUSCOLA
...ST. CLAIR...WAYNE AND MONROE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS...FOR THE
LATEST FORECAST INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. YOU
CAN ALSO OBTAIN THE LATEST FORECAST ON THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
WEB SITE.

HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/DTX/ (ALL LOWER CASE)

The radar

The Detroit radar (KDTX), 107 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:48 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 marine thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Marine Thunderstorm Wind, Inner Saginaw Bay & Sw of Pt Au Gres to Bay Port Mi

When
August 13, 2:50 PM EST
Where
Inner Saginaw Bay & Sw of Pt Au Gres to Bay Port Mi marine zone, 3 mi SW of Saginaw River Mouth
Measured
48 kt (55 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.617, -83.883

Marine Thunderstorm Wind, Outer Saginaw Bay & Sw of Alabaster to Pt Austin Mi

When
August 13, 2:50 PM EST
Where
Outer Saginaw Bay & Sw of Alabaster to Pt Austin Mi marine zone, 15 mi SW of Alabaster
Measured
48 kt (55 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.033, -83.767

What these are

Marine Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm winds of 34 knots or more over coastal or lake waters.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Lake Huron in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather history

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5309882, 5309883.