Damaging Winds in Michigan, July 20, 2003

Name: Damaging Winds in Michigan, July 20, 2003
Start: 2003-07-20T22:30
End: 2003-07-20T22:38
Location: Michigan

July 20, 2003 · NWS IWX · 2 events in 1 county or zone

2 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 Northern Indiana wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 20, 3:00 PM EST, 7 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 20, 3:00 PM EST, 7 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
300 PM EST SUN JUL 20 2003

FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...

THE ATMOSPHERE HAS BECOME VERY UNSTABLE THIS AFTERNOON BUT AS OF YET
ONLY ONE STORM HAS FIRED UP IN OUR NORTHEAST. THE FUEL IS THERE BUT
AS OF YET NOTHING TO KICK OF A BUNCH OF STORMS. LAPS CAPE FROM 600
IN OUR NORTHEAST TO 3000 IN OUR SOUTHWEST AND LI RANGING FROM -2 TO
-5. THERE WAS SOME ROTATION IN THAT ONE STORM BUT LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE THE MAIN THREATS INTO THE EVENING.

OVERNIGHT A LOW PRESSURE CENTER AND COLD FRONT WILL BE MOVING
THROUGH THE CWA GIVING US A VERY GOOD CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. FWC AND MAV ARE SHOWING 1 TO 2 INCHES FOR OVERNIGHT
AND 60 TO 80 POP. WITH ONGOING INSTABILITY AND A STRONG INDICATION
FOR STORMS TONIGHT KEPT CATEGORICAL POPS FOR TONIGHT. THE COLD FRONT
WILL BE MOVING SOUTHEASTWARD OF THE CWA LATE TOMORROW CONTINUING A
CHANCE FOR STORMS DURING THE DAY MONDAY. THE GREATER CHANCE SHOULD
BE TONIGHT AHEAD AND ALONG THE COLD FRONT. MAV IS SHOWING 30 TO 50
POP FOR MONDAY WITH A 60 POP AT AOH AND FWC IS SHOWING 50 TO 70 POP.
BUFKIT INDICIES ARE SHOWING A GREATER CHANCE FOR TONIGHT THAN DURING
THE DAY MONDAY. AGREE WITH THIS AS AM THINKING THAT THE GREATEST
INSTABILITY APPEARS TO BE AHEAD AND ALONG THE FRONT. WE WILL ALSO BE
ON THE RIGHT REAR OF A JET STREAK TONIGHT. THEN FOR TUESDAY JUST
EXPECTING RAIN SHOWERS AS MODELS ARE STILL SHOWING SOME INSTABILITY
AND LIFT WITH SUFFICIENT MOISTURE IN THE ATMOSPHERE AS A SHORTWAVE
MOVES THROUGH. FOR TUESDAY NIGHT GFS IS PROJECTING A LOW PRESSURE
CENTER TO MOVE NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH TENNESSEE AND KENTUCKY AND THEN
TO PENNSYLVANIA BY LATE WENESDAY. THIS COULD GIVE OUR EASTERN
COUNTIES A CHANCE ON WEDNESDAY.

FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...

NO MAJOR CHANGES TO THIS FORECAST PERIOD. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED
TO BE AROUND NORMAL.

.IWX...
IN...NONE.
MI...NONE.
OH...NONE.

LOTHAMER/LASHLEY

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 20, 11:39 AM EST, 10 hours 51 minutes before

INZ003>009-012>018-020-022>027-032>034-MIZ077>081-OHZ001-002-004-005-
015-016-024-025-210915-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
1139 AM EST SUN JUL 20 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHERN INDIANA...NORTHWEST
OHIO AND SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT ACROSS NORTHERN INDIANA...SOUTHERN MICHIGAN AND NORTHWEST
OHIO. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA FROM THE WEST TONIGHT.
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AHEAD OF THE FRONT TODAY. SOME
OF THESE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE THIS AFTERNOON WITH LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS.  AS THE STRENGTHENING COLD FRONT APPROACHES OUR AREA
TONIGHT...THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO FORM INTO A LINE MOVING
SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA.  SEVERE STORMS ARE AGAIN POSSIBLE.
DAMAGING WINDS ARE THE MAIN THREAT TONIGHT. FORECAST WIND PROFILES
INDICATE THAT ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE.  HEAVY RAIN WILL
LIKELY ACCOMPANY THE STORMS...HOWEVER...MOVEMENT OF THE
THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO BE SUFFICIENT TO AVOID EXCESSIVE
RAINFALL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT WILL LIKELY BE
ONGOING MONDAY MORNING ACROSS NORTHWEST OHIO AND SOUTHERN PORTIONS
OF NORTHEAST INDIANA.  SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE WITH
DAMAGING WINDS POSSIBLE SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM HUNTINGTON INDIANA
TO ARCHBOLD OHIO.

ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA SATURDAY...POSSIBLY
CAUSING THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY EITHER THIS AFTERNOON OR TONIGHT OR
BOTH.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES, OR
CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/IWX

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 20, 7:47 PM EST, 2 hours 43 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
0747 PM EST SUN JUL 20 2003

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

0715 PM    NEW CARLISLE              IN   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/03   ST. JOSEPH                     NUMEROUS TREES AND
                                          POWERLINES DOWN. REPORTED
                                          BY FIRE DEPARTMENT.

WAMSLEY

Local storm report, Jul 20, 8:03 PM EST, 2 hours 27 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
0803 PM EST SUN JUL 20 2003

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

0800 PM    ELKHART                   IN   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/03   ELKHART                        POWERLINES DOWN. REPORTED
                                          BY 911 DISPATCH.

0750 PM    3 N ELKHART               IN   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/03   ELKHART                        POWERLINES DOWN. REPORTED
                                          BY 911 DISPATCH.

WAMSLEY

Local storm report, Jul 20, 8:17 PM EST, 2 hours 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
0817 PM EST SUN JUL 20 2003

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

0739 PM    5 W EDWARDSBURG           MI   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/03   CASS                           POWERLINE DOWN. REPORTED
                                          BY 911 DISPATCH.

WAMSLEY

Local storm report, Jul 20, 8:44 PM EST, 1 hour 46 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
0844 PM EST SUN JUL 20 2003

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

0816 PM    CONSTANTINE               MI   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/03   ST. JOSEPH                     LARGE TREE DOWN. BLOCKING
                                          ROAD. REPORTED BY 911
                                          DISPATCH.

WAMSLEY

Local storm report, Jul 20, 9:35 PM EST, 55 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
0935 PM EST SUN JUL 20 2003

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

0834 PM    1 NW STURGIS              MI   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/03   ST. JOSEPH                     POWERLINE DOWN. REPORTED
                                          BY 911 DISPATCH.

WAMSLEY

Local storm report, Jul 20, 9:37 PM EST, 53 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT : CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
0937 PM EST SUN JUL 20 2003

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

0834 PM    1 NW STURGIS              MI   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/03   ST. JOSEPH                     POWERLINE DOWN. REPORTED
                                          BY 911 DISPATCH.

0816 PM    CONSTANTINE               MI   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/03   ST. JOSEPH                     LARGE TREE DOWN. BLOCKING
                                          ROAD. REPORTED BY 911
                                          DISPATCH.

0800 PM    ELKHART                   IN   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/03   ELKHART                        POWERLINES DOWN. REPORTED
                                          BY 911 DISPATCH.

0750 PM    3 N ELKHART               IN   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/03   ELKHART                        POWERLINES DOWN. REPORTED
                                          BY 911 DISPATCH.

0739 PM    5 W EDWARDSBURG           MI   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/03   CASS                           POWERLINE DOWN. REPORTED
                                          BY 911 DISPATCH.

0715 PM    NEW CARLISLE              IN   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/03   ST. JOSEPH                     NUMEROUS TREES AND
                                          POWERLINES DOWN. REPORTED
                                          BY FIRE DEPARTMENT.

0652 PM    7 N KINGSFORD HEIGHTS     IN   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/03   LA PORTE                       NUMEROUS TREES AND
                                          POWERLINES DOWN. REPORTED
                                          BY 911 DISPATCH.

0645 PM    MICHIGAN CITY             IN   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/03   LA PORTE                       TREE FELL ON HOUSE. BRANCH
                                          12 INCHES IN DIAMETER INTO
                                          HOUSE. REPORTED BY 911
                                          DISPATCH.

0645 PM    MICHIGAN CITY             IN   WIND DAMAGE
07/20/03   LA PORTE                       NUMEROUS TREES AND
                                          POWERLINES DOWN. REPORTED
                                          BY 911 DISPATCH.

WAMSLEY

The radar

The Northern Indiana radar (KIWX), 77 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:28 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Berrien

When: July 20, 10:30 PM EST
Where: Berrien County, Buchanon
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.833, -86.367

Law enforcement reported trees down in Buchanan.

Thunderstorm Wind, Berrien

When: July 20, 10:38 PM EST
Where: Berrien County, Niles
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.833, -86.250

Law enforcement reported trees down in Niles.

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Michigan in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in Michigan, July 2003

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: 5372738, 5372739.