Hail, Saginaw
- When
- June 23, 8:17 PM EST
- Where
- Saginaw County, 3 mi NW of Oakley
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 43.167, -84.217
Hail and Damaging Winds in Michigan, June 23, 2004
Max temperatures in the lower 90s coupled with surface dew points in the mid 70s lead to an very unstable airmass over southeast Michigan. Thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours of the 23rd, producing mainly hail.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 9
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 DTX wrote it up.
Max temperatures in the lower 90s coupled with surface dew points in the mid 70s lead to an very unstable airmass over southeast Michigan. Thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours of the 23rd, producing mainly hail.
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 Detroit, MI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 23, 12:30 PM EST, 7 hours 47 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jun 23, 12:30 PM EST, 7 hours 47 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 130 PM EDT WED JUN 23 2004 .DISCUSSION... CONVECTION TRYING TO FIRE AHEAD OF FRONT AND FRONTAL WAVE OVER SOUTHERN WISCONSIN AND SHOULD DEVELOP OVER WEST CENTRAL LOWER AS WELL AS CAPES HAVE INCREASED TO AROUND 1000J/KG. WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE CONVECTION FIRE A LITTLE FURTHER SOUTH OVER NORTHERN ILLINOIS AS WELL AS NOSE OF 850 MB JET WORKS EAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN OHIO VALLEY. FOCUSING MECHANISM LACKING OVER LOWER MICHIGAN THIS AFTERNOON...SO ORGANIZED CONVECTION WILL BE HARD TO GENERATE. LIMITING FACTOR ALSO WILL BE DEGREE OF INSTABILITY...SFC DEW POINTS IN MID 50S...AND LACK OF GOOD SHEAR AT THE ONSET. BY 00Z SHEAR SHOULD INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY AS 850 MB JET APPROACHES SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN. HAIL ALSO A CONCERN WITH WET BULB ZERO AROUND 8500 FT. MAIN THREAT FOR STRONG CONVECTION REMAINS FROM PTK NORTHWARD. MODELS IN GENERAL AGREEMENT THROUGH 84 HOURS. HOWEVER THE ETA IS MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH SURFACE WAVE MOVING ACROSS NORTHERN LOWER OVERNIGHT. PREFER THE STRONGER ETA SOLUTION AT THIS TIME AS LFQ OF 300 MB JET INTERACTS WITH THIS FEATURE. WATER VAPOR LOOP SHOWS NOSE OF THIS JET ENTERING INTO SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND APPROACHING THE FRONTAL WAVE ALREADY. COMBINATION OF DEEPENING SURFACE WAVE AND STRENGTHENING 850 MB JET COULD RESULT IN ORGANIZED CONVECTION EARLY THIS EVENING OVER THE NORTHERN PORTION OF CWA. MODELS SHOW LEAD COLD FRONT HANGING UP OVER NORTHERN LOWER THIS EVENING AS SURFACE WAVE DEVELOPS RESULTING IN LACK OF GOOD LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE SOUTH OF PTK UNTIL AROUND MIDNIGHT. LEAD 500 MB VORTICITY LOBE ALSO TRACKING ACROSS MAINLY NORTHERN PORTION OF CWA LATE THIS EVENING...AND SECOND WAVE AROUND 09Z. THUS GREATER QPF AND POPS OVER NORTH HALF OF CWA TONIGHT. WILL CONTINUE WITH MENTION OF TRW THROUGH THE NIGHT AS WELL...WITH FRONTAL BOUNDARY HUNG UP OVER NORTHERN LOWER PERSISTENT 850 MB THETA-E ADVECTION ACROSS THE CWA OVERNIGHT AND MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES AROUND 6C. GOOD SHOT OF 850-500 MB DPVA AS VORT SHEAR AXIS PUSHES THROUGH NORTHERN CWA AROUND 00Z FRIDAY AND SOUTHERN CWA OVERNIGHT THURSDAY. THUS WILL CONTINUE WITH CHANCE POPS FOR THURSDAY NIGHT. WILL ALSO HAVE TO CONTEND WITH COLD UPPER CORE PASSING JUST NORTH OF CWA LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING ACROSS THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE CWA. 500 MB TEMPERATURES COOL TO -18C...HOWEVER 850 TEMPS ALREADY PLUNGING...RESULTING IN VERTICAL TOTALS IN THE LOWER TO MID 20S. WILL MENTION ISOLATED TRW FROM MBS NORTHWARD 21Z THURSDAY THROUGH 03Z FRIDAY. FRONT TO FAR SOUTH AND RH FIELDS TO DRY FOR MENTION OF POPS ON FRIDAY...EVEN WITH WEAK UPPER WAVE MOVING ACROSS THE FAR SOUTH. PREFER THE COOLER FWC TEMPS FOR TONIGHT AND THE COOLER MET GUIDANCE TEMPS FOR THURSDAY...GIVEN CLOUD COVER AND MAGNITUDE OF COLD AIR ADVECTION IN THE AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY NORTH OF PTK. && .DTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && GSS EXPERIMENTAL GRAPHICAL FORECASTS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/DTX (ALL LOWER CASE)
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 23, 8:00 PM EST, 17 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 900 PM EDT WED JUN 23 2004 MIZ047>049-053-054-241000- BAY-HURON-MIDLAND-SAGINAW-TUSCOLA- 900 PM EDT WED JUN 23 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR TRI-CITIES AND NORTHERN THUMB REGION. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 515 IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT TONIGHT... NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE TRI CITIES AND THUMB TONIGHT. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS TO 70 MPH THE MAIN HAZARD...BUT HAIL AROUND 1 INCH IS ALSO POSSIBLE. STORM MOVEMENT WILL BE TO THE EAST AROUND 40 MPH. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE FROM NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN TO THE SAGINAW VALLEY TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER THE SAGINAW VALLEY AND THUMB REGIONS THROUGH MIDNIGHT. A SECOND CLUSTER OF STORMS OVER WISCONSIN WILL MOVE EASTWARD WITH A SECONDARY COLD FRONT AND COULD AFFECT THE TRI CITIES AND THUMB AFTER MIDNIGHT. .DAY TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... DISPATCHERS...PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR EMERGENCY MANAGER IMMEDIATELY. SPOTTER ACTIVATION HAS TAKEN PLACE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 515. MIZ055-060>063-068>070-241000- GENESEE-LAPEER-LIVINGSTON-MACOMB-OAKLAND-SANILAC-SHIAWASSEE- ST. CLAIR- 900 PM EDT WED JUN 23 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE I 69 AND M 59 CORRIDORS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 515 IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT TONIGHT... NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA DURING THE LATE EVENING. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS TO 70 MPH THE MAIN HAZARD...BUT HAIL AROUND 1 INCH IS ALSO POSSIBLE. THE BEST CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE FROM 9 PM TO MIDNIGHT AS STORMS MOVE EAST AROUND 40 MPH. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE FROM NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN TO THE SAGINAW VALLEY TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER THE SAGINAW VALLEY AND THUMB REGIONS THIS EVENING THEN DROP SOUTH INTO THE I 69 AND M 59 CORRIDORS OVERNIGHT. .DAY TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... DISPATCHERS...PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR EMERGENCY MANAGER IMMEDIATELY. SPOTTER ACTIVATION HAS TAKEN PLACE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 515. MIZ075-076-082-083-241000- LENAWEE-MONROE-WASHTENAW-WAYNE- 900 PM EDT WED JUN 23 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR LOCATIONS SOUTH OF M-59. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 515 IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT TONIGHT... THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME NUMEROUS DURING THE LATE EVENING HOURS. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS TO 70 MPH THE MAIN HAZARD...BUT HAIL AROUND 1 INCH IS ALSO POSSIBLE. THE BEST CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE FROM 10 PM TO MIDNIGHT AS STORMS MOVE EAST AROUND 40 MPH. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE FROM NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN TO THE SAGINAW VALLEY TONIGHT. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ALONG THIS FRONT...AND MOVE ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 96 AFTER 10 PM. .DAY TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... DISPATCHERS...PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR EMERGENCY MANAGER IMMEDIATELY. SPOTTER ACTIVATION HAS TAKEN PLACE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 515. BT
The radar
The Detroit radar (KDTX), 80 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:18 UTC.
Event by event
7 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, Saginaw
- When
- June 23, 8:30 PM EST
- Where
- Saginaw County, Chesaning
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 43.183, -84.117
Hail, Shiawassee
- When
- June 23, 8:40 PM EST
- Where
- Shiawassee County, New Lothrop
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 43.117, -83.967
Thunderstorm Wind, Genesee
- When
- June 23, 8:47 PM EST
- Where
- Genesee County, 4 mi S of Montrose
- Measured
- 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 43.133, -83.867
Hail, Genesee
- When
- June 23, 8:55 PM EST
- Where
- Genesee County, 1 mi NE of Flushing
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
- Coordinates
- 43.083, -83.817
Hail, Genesee
- When
- June 23, 9:04 PM EST
- Where
- Genesee County, 5 mi NE of Flint
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 43.083, -83.617
A trained weather spotter also estimated a 62 mph thunderstorm wind gust.
Hail, Genesee
- When
- June 23, 9:10 PM EST
- Where
- Genesee County, 4 mi N of Burton
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 43.033, -83.633
A trained weather spotter also measured a 62 mph thunderstorm wind gust.
Hail, Lapeer
- When
- June 23, 9:35 PM EST
- Where
- Lapeer County, 6 mi W of Lapeer
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 43.050, -83.433
Thunderstorm Wind, Lapeer
- When
- June 23, 9:55 PM EST
- Where
- Lapeer County, Imlay City
- Measured
- 56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 43.033, -83.083
A trained weather spotter reported a small tree and 6 inch tree limbs down.
What these are
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
- 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
- Tornadoes and Hail in Wisconsin, June 23, 2004
- Tornadoes and Hail in Wisconsin, June 23, 2004
- Tornadoes and Hail in Wisconsin, June 23, 2004
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Texas, June 23, 2004
- Damaging Winds in Georgia, June 23, 2004
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Michigan, June 23 to 24, 2004
- Tornadoes and Hail in North Dakota, June 23, 2004
- Damaging Wind in Mississippi, June 23, 2004
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, June 23, 2004
- Cold in Minnesota, June 23 to 24, 2004
- Cold in North Dakota, June 23 to 24, 2004
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, June 23, 2004
More
Every storm in Michigan in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, June 2004
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: 5405134, 5405138, 5405135, 5405136, 5405139, 5405140, 5405141, 5405137, 5405142.