Hail and Damaging Winds in Michigan, April 18, 2002

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
310 PM EDT THU APR 18 2002

SHORT TERM DISCUSSION...
THROUGH THE SHORT TERM...THE UPPER LOW SEEN IN THE WATER VAPOR
IMAGERY OVER HUDSON BAY MOVES EAST ACROSS CANADA. THIS FLATTENS THE
FLOW OVER THE GREAT LAKES THROUGH TIME. THE UPPER RIDGE THAT HAS
BROUGHT THE WARM WEATHER THE LAST FEW DAYS WILL BECOME MORE ZONAL
WHICH WILL BRING TEMPS CLOSER TO SEASONABLE VALUES...AND EVEN BELOW
NORMAL INTO THE WEEKEND. THE CONCERNS THIS GO AROUND PERTAIN MAINLY
TO THE THREAT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT AS A STRONG COLD
FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. MODELS ALL FAIRLY SIMILAR WITH THE
MAIN FEATURES.

AS FOR TONIGHT...CONVECTION IS ALREADY ONGOING ALONG THE AXIS OF THE
LOW LEVEL JET THAT STRETCHES UP INTO WISCONSIN. THE LOW LEVEL JET
AXIS SHIFTS EAST INTO MICHIGAN OVERNIGHT...AND IS ON THE ORDER OF
40-50KNOTS. THUNDERSTORMS WILL SHIFT EAST ALONG WITH THIS LOW LEVEL
FORCING. THE COLD FRONT WILL ADVANCE INTO THE FORECAST AREA
OVERNIGHT WHICH SHOULD SET OFF ADDITIONAL CONVECTION.

THE PROFILE IS UNIDIRECTIONAL WHICH WOULD FAVOR STORMS
TO EVOLVE INTO LINES AND BOWS...WITH WIND BEING THE MAJOR THREAT.
WIND GUSTS MAY BE ENHANCED BY MID LEVEL DRYING SEEN IN THE WATER
VAPOR IMAGERY ENCROACHING ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE ONGOING STORMS.
HAIL CANNOT BE RULED OUT EITHER AS A THREAT. WILL USE AN INCREASING
CLOUDS WORDING WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY (70 PCT
CHANCE). THE BULK OF THE ACTIVITY SHOULD COME AFTER DARK.

WILL MAINTAIN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE SOUTH
AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT ON FRIDAY...OTHERWISE EXPECT A PARTLY
SUNNY...COOLER DAY. WILL LIMIT THE CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION IN THE
SOUTH TO THE MORNING HOURS. HIGH TEMPS WILL BE MUCH COOLER AND
SHOULD RANGE FROM THE LOWER 60S NORTH TO THE UPPER 60S IN THE SOUTH.

FRIDAY NIGHT...SURFACE RIDGING BUILDS SOUTH INTO THE GREAT LAKES
WITH A NORTH FLOW PREVAILING. 850MB TEMPS ARE ACTUALLY SLIGHTLY
BELOW ZERO (-2 C) ACROSS THE NORTH BY 12Z SATURDAY...AS COMPARED TO
+17 C THIS AFTERNOON. A MUCH DIFFERENT AIRMASS WILL BE IN PLACE THIS
WEEKEND. AS FAR AS FRIDAY NIGHT THOUGH...WILL MAINTAIN THE SMALL
CHANCE FOR A SHOWER...AS SOME ISENTROPIC LIFT SPREADS UP OVER THE
COOLER AIR THAT WILL BE IN PLACE OVER LOWER MI. LOWS WILL BE MUCH
CLOSER TO NORMAL...IN THE 30S.

GOING FORECAST FOR SATURDAY STILL LOOKS GOOD...WITH A MORNING SHOWER
POSSIBLE OTHERWISE SKIES SHOULD BECOME PARTLY CLOUDY. THE ISENTROPIC
ASCENT BREAKS DOWN DURING THE MORNING...WHICH SHOULD END THE THREAT
OF SHOWERS. HIGHS SHOULD BE NEAR FORECAST VALUES IN THE LOWER 50S.

SATURDAY NIGHT A WAVE MOVES ALONG THE FRONT...WHICH BY THIS TIME IS
IN THE OHIO VALLEY. THIS WILL SPREAD ISENTROPIC LIFT ACROSS THE
AREA. 1000-850MB THICKNESS VALUES DROP BELOW 1300M AND 850MB TEMPS
ARE IN THE -2 TO -6 C RANGE. WILL HAVE TO USE THE S WORD ONCE AGAIN
THIS YEAR AND CARRY A CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS FOR SATURDAY
NIGHT. LOWS AROUND 30 TO THE LOWER 30S.

DUKESHERER

EXTENDED FORECAST
LONG WAVE TROUGH WILL MOVE INTO THE GREAT LAKES ON SUNDAY AND BRING
WITH IT MUCH COLDER AIR. THE AVN SHOWS LOW PRESSURE RIDING NORTHEAST
ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY THRU THE OHIO VALLEY AROUND THE SAME TIME
THAT THE UPR TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED SHORT WAVES ALSO MOVE INTO THE
CWA. THIS RESULTS IN SOME PCPN. CAA ON SUNDAY LOWERS 850 MB TEMPS TO
-4 TO -6 SUGGESTING SNOW, HOWEVER, 1000-500 MB THICKNESS SCHEMES
POINT TOWARD RAIN. 1000-850 MB THICKNESS VALUES SUGGEST SNOW. FCST
SOUNDINGS SUGGEST A MIX WITH MELTING LAYERS IN THE 1500-2500 RANGE.
WILL GO WITH A MIX. ON MONDAY THE PROFILE DRIES OUT AS HIGH PRESSURE
IN THE LWR MS VALLEY RIDGES INTO THE CENTRAL LAKES. MOISTURE RETURNS
ON TUESDAY AS THE HIGH MOVES EAST AND RETURN FLOW SETS UP. WILL GO
WITH PRIMARILY PT CLDY SKIES ON MONDAY AND INCREASING CLOUDS ON TUE.
WILL HOLD OFF ON THE MENTION OF PCPN FOR NOW AS UPR RIDGING MOVES
INTO THE WRN LAKES ON TUE AHEAD OF A DEEPENING SHORT WAVE DIVING
SOUTHEAST INTO THE NRN PLAINS. CLOUDS ON TUE SHOULD BE MAINLY HIGH
CLOUDS. SHORT WAVE AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT MOVES THRU ON WED AND
WILL BRING THE THREAT OF RAIN. THE UPR TROUGH MOVES EAST ON THURSDAY
BRINGING DECREASING CLOUDS AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES IN.

93

.GRR...NONE.

MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-190500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
745 PM EDT THU APR 18 2002

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
FOR MOST OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN LOWER MICHIGAN EFFECTIVE UNTIL 100
AM EDT FRIDAY MORNING. THIS WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

IN WEST CENTRAL MICHIGAN
     MASON...LAKE...OCEANA...NEWAYGO AND MUSKEGON

IN CENTRAL MICHIGAN
     OSCEOLA...CLARE...ISABELLA...MECOSTA...MONTCALM AND GRATIOT

IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
     KENT...ALLEGAN...BARRY...KALAMAZOO...VAN BUREN AND OTTAWA

IN SOUTH CENTRAL MICHIGAN
     IONIA...CLINTON...INGHAM...EATON...JACKSON AND CALHOUN

THIS WATCH INCLUDES THE ADJOINING COASTAL WATERS OF AFFECTED
LAKESHORE COUNTIES.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA.
REMEMBER...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 58
MPH AND/OR HAIL THREE-QUARTERS OF AN INCH IN DIAMETER OR GREATER. IF
YOU LIVE IN OR NEAR THE WATCH AREA YOU SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO RAPIDLY
CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR THE
LOCAL NEWS OUTLETS FOR THE LATEST UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

&&

GREENE