Marine Hail in Lake Michigan, June 15, 2002

Name: Marine Hail in Lake Michigan, June 15, 2002
Start: 2002-06-15T16:23
End: 2002-06-15T16:32
Location: Lake Michigan

June 15, 2002 · NWS MKX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Severe thunderstorms packing large hail moved east out over the Lake Michigan waters between the Milwaukee Harbor and Winthrop Harbor, IL.

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

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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 happened

The episode as NWS MKX wrote it up.

Severe thunderstorms packing large hail moved east out over the Lake Michigan waters between the Milwaukee Harbor and Winthrop Harbor, IL.

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 Milwaukee, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 15, 1:30 PM CST, 2 hours 53 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 15, 1:30 PM CST, 2 hours 53 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
230 PM CDT SAT JUN 15 2002

FCST FOCUS IS STILL ON EFFECTS OF UPR LOW LINGERING OVR RGN...THEN ON
VIGOROUS SHORT WAVE FOR SUN NIGHT INTO MON AM.

IN THE SHORT TERM...MORE STORMS THIS AFTN UNDER THE COLD POOL WITH
UPR LOW. THESE SHUD AGN WIND DOWN FAIRLY QUICKLY THIS EVE WITH
LOSS OF SFC HEATING.

FCST SNDGS A BIT DRIER FOR SUNDAY...BUT CYCLONIC FLO STILL IN PLACE
WITH MORE COLD AIR ALF COMING DOWN BEHIND UPR LO AS IT SLOWLY LIFTS
INTO SRN QUEBEC. THIS SHUD STILL BE ENUF FOR AT LEAST SOME SHWRS OR
STORMS.

ETA STILL BRINGS A 22 UNIT VORT MAX DOWN THRU NRN WI SUN NGT/MON
AM. WL LV IN POPS FOR SUN NGT AND HOLD ONTO MORN CHC FOR MON ACROSS
MAINLY SE 1/2.

UPR LO FINALLY LIFTS FAR ENOUGH TO THE NE FOR RDG TO BUILD IN MON NGT
INTO TUE.

TMP GUID LOOKS RSNBL FOR THE MOST PART.

.MKX...NONE.

NJ

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 15, 3:06 PM CST, 1 hour 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
406 PM CDT SAT JUN 15 2002

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0226 PM    WEST BEND                 WI   .75 INCH HAIL
06/15/02   WASHINGTON                     REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

0258 PM    FOND DU LAC               WI   .75 INCH HAIL
06/15/02   FOND DU LAC                    REPORTED BY COOPERATIVE
                                          OBSERVER.

GD

Local storm report, Jun 15, 4:07 PM CST, 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
507 PM CDT SAT JUN 15 2002

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0459 PM    MKE TIMMERMAN FLD ARPT    WI   .75 INCH HAIL
06/15/02   MILWAUKEE                      REPORTED BY RADIO
                                          HAM OPERATOR.

GD

The radar

The Milwaukee radar (KMKX), 48 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:23 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 marine hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Marine Hail, North Pt Lt to Wind Pt Wi

When: June 15, 4:23 PM CST to 4:32 PM CST
Where: North Pt Lt to Wind Pt Wi marine zone, Milwaukee Harbor
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.033, -87.967

Marine Hail, Wind Pt Lt Wi to Winthrop Hbr Il

When: June 15, 4:27 PM CST
Where: Wind Pt Lt Wi to Winthrop Hbr Il marine zone, Racine
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.717, -87.800

What these are

Marine Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger over water.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Lake Michigan in 2002 Every state in 2002 This 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: 5303011, 5303012.