10 hail, 7 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
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 Grand Rapids, MI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 1, 1:56 AM EST, 9 hours 49 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 255 AM EDT THU AUG 01 2003 SHORT TERM DISCUSSION... VERY STAGNANT PATTERN IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE SHORT TERM AND BEYOND. UPPER LOW IS CURRENTLY SEEN SPINNING IN THE WATER VAPOR IMAGERY OVER THE ARROWHEAD OF MINNESOTA. MODEL GUIDANCE IS VERY SIMILAR IN BRINGING THE LOW VERY SLOWLY SOUTH WITH TIME TO BE LOCATED SOMEWHERE OVER THE NORTHERN HALF OF WISCONSIN BY 12Z SUNDAY. THE FORECAST AREA WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE UPPER LOW AS IT DRIFTS SOUTHWARD...WHICH MEANS CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. TRYING TO NAIL DOWN TIMES WHEN THE CHANCES WILL BE THE HIGHEST WILL BE THE DIFFICULTY. AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS THE NEXT FEW DAYS WILL HAVE THE MOST PREVALENT ACTIVITY AS CONVECTION WITH UPPER LOWS IS HIGHLY DIURNAL. CHANCES FOR SEVERE WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED AS WELL...AS A COOL UPPER LOW / AUGUST SUN COMBO WILL LEAD TO ENOUGH INSTABILITY TO PRODUCE LOW END SEVERE HAIL AND WIND. AS FOR TODAY...HARD TO ARGUE WITH THE LIKELY POPS (60 PCT) ALREADY IN THE FORECAST. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY INDICATES A SHORTWAVE OVER WISCONSIN THAT WILL ADVECT INTO THE AREA TODAY. THE LIFT ASSOCIATED WITH THE WAVE COMBINED WITH INCREASING INSTABILITY SHOULD LEAD TO FAIRLY GOOD COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. GUIDANCE TENDS TO AGREE WITH POPS GENERALLY ANYWHERE FROM 50-80 PCT. FEEL THERE WILL BE A LITTLE BIT MORE IN THE WAY OF CLOUD COVER TODAY WHICH SHOULD KEEP HIGHS NEAR OR SLIGHTLY BLO YESTERDAY/S VALUES. TONIGHT...WILL CARRY OVER THE LIKELY POP AS CONVECTION THAT FIRES SPORADICALLY THIS AFTERNOON WILL LAST WELL INTO THE EVENING. OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FROM THE CURRENT CONVECTION...THE LAKE BREEZE AND A WEAK WARM FRONT IN THE AREA WILL ALL LIKELY BE A FOCUS FOR STORMS. LOW TEMPS IN THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 60S WILL BE COMMON PLACE. SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT...THE BEAT GOES ON AS THE UPPER LOW DROPS INTO WISCONSIN. SURFACE REFLECTION OF THE UPPER LOW WILL MOVE INTO LOWER MICHIGAN SATURDAY AND SLOWLY MOVE ACROSS THE STATE INTO SUNDAY MORNING. WILL BUMP UP POPS FROM 40 TO 50 PCT BOTH PERIODS AS THE FLARE UP OF CONVECTION SHOULD OCCUR ONCE AGAIN SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING GIVEN THE CLOSER PROXIMITY OF BOTH THE UPPER AND SURFACE LOWS. GOING FORECAST HIGHS AND LOWS IN THIS PERIOD LOOK TO BE ON THE MARK. DUKE EXTENDED FORECAST DISCUSSION... THE MEDIUM RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO BE IN REALLY GOOD AGREEMENT CONCERNING THE UPPER LOW THROUGH THU OF NEXT WEEK. THE MODELS HAVE THE UPPER LOW MOVING OVER THE STATE DURING THE DAY ON MON AND THEN THEY HAVE IT MOVING JUST EAST OF THE STATE BY LATE TUE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE LOW IS NOT EXPECTED TO MOVE FAR ENOUGH EAST TO RELINQUISH ITS CONTROL ON OUR WEATHER THROUGH THE PERIOD. WITH THE UPPER LOW APPROACHING/MOVING OVERHEAD SUN THROUGH TUE...THE BEST CHCS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FOUND THESE THREE DAYS. THIS CONVECTION WILL BE MAINLY CONFINED TO THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS DUE TO THE DAYTIME INSTABILITY PRODUCED WITH THE AUG SUNSHINE...SO THESE DAYS WILL NOT BE A WASHOUT. AS THE UPPER LOW AND ITS ASSOCIATED COLD POOL ALOFT MOVE EAST...WED AND THU WILL SEE LESS OF A CHC OF CONVECTION. HOWEVER...IT LOOKS LIKE THE CHC IS HIGH ENOUGH YET TO STILL KEEP THE MENTION IN THE FORECAST. TEMPS AGAIN WILL NOT CHANGE MUCH THROUGH THE PERIOD AS HIGHS REMAIN IN THE UPPER 70S TO NEAR 80 THROUGH MOST OF THE PERIOD. NJJ .GRR...NONE.
MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-021000- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 646 AM EDT FRI AUG 1 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE SOUTHWEST QUARTER OF LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ALL OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN HAS BEEN PLACED IN A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY BY THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE BOTH TODAY AND TONIGHT ACROSS SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN...WITH THE MOST LIKELY TIME BEING BETWEEN 100 PM AND MIDNIGHT. STORMS TODAY WILL LIKELY CONTAIN HEAVY RAINFALL...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES AND LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS TO 30 MPH. THE STRONGEST OF STORMS COULD CONTAIN HAIL TO AROUND ONE INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 60 MPH. THUNDERSTORM MOVEMENT WILL BE TO THE EAST AT 20 TO 30 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE EACH DAY THIS WEEKEND AND INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK AS THE GREAT LAKES REGION REMAINS IN A VERY STAGNANT WEATHER PATTERN. STORMS ON SATURDAY WILL ALSO NEED TO BE MONITORED...ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR HAIL TO AROUND THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH AND WINDS GUSTS TO AROUND 60 MPH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. RJD
MIZ051-052-057>059-064>067-071>074-012000-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
1102 AM EDT FRI AUG 1 2003
THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
FOR PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHWEST QUARTER OF LOWER MICHIGAN EFFECTIVE
UNTIL 400 PM EDT FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THIS WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES
IN CENTRAL MICHIGAN
MONTCALM AND GRATIOT
IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
KENT...ALLEGAN...BARRY...KALAMAZOO AND VAN BUREN
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.
MJSThe Grand Rapids radar (KGRR), 71 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:42 UTC.
10 hail, 7 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Three quarters inch hail was reported six miles north of the town of Ithaca.
Severe thunderstorm wind gusts blew down several trees in northeastern Kalamazoo county, about ten miles northwest of the city of Battle Creek.
One and three quarters inch diameter hail was reported in Wacousta.
A report of three quarters inch diameter hail was received from Dimondale, and several trees were blown down in Charlotte.
Several trees were blown down in the city of Battle Creek.
A 60 m.p.h. wind gust was reported in Battle Creek.
A 77 m.p.h. wind gust was recorded in the city of Jackson.
Three quarters inch diameter hail was reported in Schoolcraft.
One and three quarters inch diameter hail was reported in Ada and also in Rockford, and three quarters inch diameter hail was reported one mile north of east Grand Rapids.
A report of one inch diameter hail was received from three miles east of Vicksburg.
One inch diameter hail was reported in Middleville.
Seven eighths inch diameter hail was observed in the city of Allegan.
Numerous trees were blown down by severe thunderstorm wind gusts in the city of Battle Creek.
Several trees were blown down in Paw Paw.
Three quarters inch diameter hail was reported in Allegan.
A report of three quarters inch hail was received from four miles west of Athens.
Several trees were blown down and uprooted by severe thunderstorm wind gusts in Colfax.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, August 2003
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: 5369079, 5369080, 5369081, 5369082, 5369083, 5369084, 5369085, 5369086, 5369087, 5369088, 5369150, 5369151, 5369152, 5368708, 5368709, 5368710, 5368711.