Hail and Damaging Wind in Michigan, April 18, 2002

Name: Hail and Damaging Wind in Michigan, April 18, 2002
Start: 2002-04-18T14:45
End: 2002-04-18T15:45
Location: Michigan

April 18, 2002 · NWS APX · 5 events in 4 counties and zones

Isolated thunderstorms generated a few severe hail reports during the afternoon hours of the 18th.

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: 5

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 APX wrote it up.

Isolated thunderstorms generated a few severe hail reports during the afternoon hours of the 18th.

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 Gaylord, MI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 18, 11:44 AM EST, 3 hours 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 18, 11:44 AM EST, 3 hours 1 minute before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI
1244 PM EDT THU APR 18 2002

MCS THAT MOVED ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN
THIS MORNING POISED TO MOVE OFF-SHORE AT THE MOMENT. ON THE SURFACE
1000MB LOW PRESSURE OVER CENTRAL IOWA WITH WARM FRONT EXTENDING
EASTWARD ACROSS CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN AND STRONG COLD FRONT
EXTENDING WSW FROM THE LOW. THE WARM FRONT IS SLOWLY PROGRESSING
NORTHWARD AND IS NOW NORTH OF SAGINAW. DEWPOINTS SOUTH OF THE FRONT
RUNNING IN THE LOWER AND MID 60S. THIS FRONT NOT EXPECTED TO MAKE IT
MUCH FARTHER NORTH THAN THE STRAIGHTS SO LOWERED HIGH TEMPERATURES
ACROSS EASTERN UPPER. GARDEN VARIETY STORMS POSSIBLE FOR THE
REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON BEFORE POSSIBLE PRE-FRONTAL SQUALL LINE
FORMATION VERY LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR THIS EVENING. MOST ALL SEVERE
WEATHER PARAMETERS LOOK IMPRESSIVE. UPDATED ZONES OUT.

.APX...NONE.

SULLIVAN

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 18, 10:19 AM EST, 4 hours 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD, MI
1119 AM EDT THU APR 18 2002

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

1030 AM    1 E IRONTON               MI   .75 INCH HAIL
04/18/02   CHARLEVOIX

1105 AM    9 SSW GAYLORD             MI   58 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
04/18/02   OTSEGO

DNV

Local storm report, Apr 18, 11:04 AM EST, 3 hours 41 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD, MI
1204 PM EDT THU APR 18 2002

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

1040 AM    PETOSKEY                  MI   .75 INCH HAIL REPORTED BY
04/18/02   EMMET                          LAW ENFORCEMENT

1100 AM    MANCELONA                 MI   WIND DAMAGE
04/18/02   ANTRIM                         2 TREES DOWN REPORTED BY
                                          LAW ENFORCEMENT

DNV

Local storm report, Apr 18, 12:04 PM EST, 2 hours 41 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD, MI
104 PM EDT THU APR 18 2002

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

1010 AM                                   WIND DAMAGE
04/18/02    BENZIE                   MI   LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED
                                          SEVERAL TREES AND POWER
                                          LINES DOWN ACROSS THE COUNTY.

1026 AM    KINGSLEY                  MI   WIND DAMAGE
04/18/02   GRAND TRAVERSE                 LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED
                                          ROOF BLOWN OFF BUILDING.

1042 AM    KALKASKA                  MI   WIND DAMAGE
04/18/02   KALKASKA                       LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED
                                          SEVERAL TREES AND
                                          POWER LINES DOWN.

DNV

Special weather statement, Apr 18, 12:50 PM EST, 1 hour 55 minutes before

MIZ008-015>036-041-042-190000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI
251 PM EDT THU APR 18 2002

...SEVERE WEATHER TO IMPACT NORTHERN MICHIGAN THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT...

* THREAT AREA...EASTERN UPPER AND ALL OF NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN.

* DISPATCHERS...PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR EMERGENCY MANAGERS IMMEDIATELY.

* HAZARDOUS WEATHER THREAT...THREE-QUARTER INCH HAIL...80 MPH WINDS
  AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES.

* TIME OF HAZARDOUS WEATHER THREAT...THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT.

* FOR INFORMATION REGARDING ONGOING...POSSIBLY HAZARDOUS...WEATHER
  CONDITIONS PLEASE REFER TO WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/APX/ (ALL LOWER CASE).

IF LATER INFORMATION FURTHER SUPPORTS THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER
THREAT...APPROPRIATE WATCHES AND/OR WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED. STAY
TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA FOR THE LATEST
WEATHER INFORMATION.

SULLIVAN

Special weather statement, Apr 18, 1:51 PM EST, 54 minutes before

MIZ008-015>036-041-042-190000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI
251 PM EDT THU APR 18 2002

...SEVERE WEATHER TO IMPACT NORTHERN MICHIGAN THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT...

* THREAT AREA...EASTERN UPPER AND ALL OF NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN.

* DISPATCHERS...PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR EMERGENCY MANAGERS IMMEDIATELY.

* HAZARDOUS WEATHER THREAT...THREE-QUARTER INCH HAIL...80 MPH WINDS
  AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES.

* TIME OF HAZARDOUS WEATHER THREAT...THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT.

* FOR INFORMATION REGARDING ONGOING...POSSIBLY HAZARDOUS...WEATHER
  CONDITIONS PLEASE REFER TO WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/APX/ (ALL LOWER CASE).

IF LATER INFORMATION FURTHER SUPPORTS THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER
THREAT...APPROPRIATE WATCHES AND/OR WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED. STAY
TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA FOR THE LATEST
WEATHER INFORMATION.

SULLIVAN

Local storm report, Apr 18, 2:41 PM EST, 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD, MI
341 PM EDT THU APR 18 2002

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS RACED FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS NORTHERN
MICHIGAN DURING THE MID AND LATE MORNING HOURS. THIS LINE OF STORMS
PRODUCED SCATTERED REPORTS OF SEVERE WIND GUSTS AND WIND DAMAGE. IN
ADDITION...ISOLATED LARGE HAIL REPORTS WERE ALSO RECEIVED.

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

1000 AM    MANISTEE                  MI   WIND DAMAGE
04/18/02   MANISTEE                       TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED
                                          TREES DOWN AND POWER
                                          LINES.

1015 AM    KALEVA                    MI   58 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
04/18/02   MANISTEE

1030 AM    KEWADIN                   MI   60 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
04/18/02   ANTRIM

1030 AM    1 E IRONTON               MI   .75 INCH HAIL
04/18/02   CHARLEVOIX

1030 AM    9 SSW GAYLORD             MI   58 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
04/18/02   OTSEGO

1040 AM    PETOSKEY                  MI   .75 INCH HAIL
04/18/02   EMMET

1100 AM    MANCELONA                 MI   WIND DAMAGE
04/18/02   ANTRIM                         LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED 2
                                          TREES DOWN.

1010 AM    FRANKFORT                 MI   WIND DAMAGE
04/18/02   BENZIE                         LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED
                                          SEVERAL TREES AND
                                          POWER LINES DOWN ACROSS
                                          THE COUNTY.

1026 AM    KINGSLEY                  MI   WIND DAMAGE
04/18/02   GRAND TRAVERSE                 LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED
                                          ROOF BLOWN OFF BUILDING.

1042 AM    KALKASKA                  MI   WIND DAMAGE
04/18/02   KALKASKA                       LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED
                                          SEVERAL TREES AND
                                          POWER LINES DOWN.

1125 AM    VIENNA                    MI   WIND DAMAGE
04/18/02   MONTMORENCY                    TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED
                                          TREES AND POWER LINES
                                          DOWN.

1125 AM    FREDERIC                  MI   WIND DAMAGE
04/18/02   CRAWFORD                       NUMEROUS TREES DOWN.

DNV/BAK

The radar

The NCL Michigan radar (KAPX), 20 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:43 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Kalkaska

When: April 18, 2:45 PM EST
Where: Kalkaska County, 20 mi E of Kalkaska
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.733, -84.767

Camper overturned.

Hail, Crawford

When: April 18, 2:54 PM EST
Where: Crawford County, Frederic
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.783, -84.733

Hail, Montmorency

When: April 18, 3:30 PM EST
Where: Montmorency County, 7 mi NNW of Lewiston
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.983, -84.367

Hail, Otsego

When: April 18, 3:30 PM EST
Where: Otsego County, 4 mi E of Johannesburg
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.983, -84.383

Hail, Otsego

When: April 18, 3:45 PM EST
Where: Otsego County, Johannesburg
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.983, -84.467

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Michigan in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Michigan, April 2002

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: 5288884, 5288880, 5288881, 5288882, 5288883.