1 lightning, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 Detroit, MI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 20, 3:58 AM EST, 2 hours 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 357 AM EST SAT MAR 20 2004 .DISCUSSION... AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER NORTHWEST ONTARIO HAS AN ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW CENTERED JUST NORTH OF LAKE SUPERIOR...WITH A TRAILING COLD FRONT EXTENDING ACROSS CENTRAL WISCONSIN AND INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. A 50-55KT LOW LEVEL JET AHEAD OF THIS FRONT HAS BROUGHT A SURGE OF HIGH 850-700MB THETA E AIR INTO LOWER MI. THE STRENGTH OF THE LOW LEVEL ADVECTION HAS ALSO LED TO QUITE A BIT OF ELEVATED INSTABILITY ON THE NOSE OF THE 850MB JET. GRR RADAR AND AREA LIGHTNING DATA HAS SHOWN QUITE A BIT OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY ACROSS SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS. THE UPPER TROUGH WILL AMPLIFY OVER THE GREAT LAKES REGION TODAY AS A POLAR VORTEX DROPS INTO SOUTHERN QUEBEC BY THE END OF THE WEEKEND. THERE IS GOOD AGREEMENT AMONG THE ETA AND GFS WITH RESPECT TO TIMING THE SURFACE COLD FRONT THROUGH THE REGION. THE COLD FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN BETWEEN 15Z AND 18Z. THE CURRENT AREA OF PRECIPITATION NOW ACROSS THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA WILL SLOWLY SLIDE SOUTH THIS MORNING...WITH THE STRONGEST LOW LEVEL ISENTROPIC ASCENT EXITING TO THE SOUTHEAST AROUND 15Z. WILL KEEP MENTION OF SHOWERS THROUGH 19Z ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA GIVEN THE LIFT ALONG THE SURFACE BOUNDARY AND LINGERING DEEP LAYER MOISTURE. THE LOW LEVEL JET WILL VEER MORE WESTERLY THIS MORNING AS THE COLD FRONT APPROACHES...TRANSPORTING THE HIGHER LOW LEVEL THETA E AIR ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE LOW LEVEL LIFT WILL NOT BE QUITE AS STRONG OVER SE MICHIGAN THIS MORNING AS IT WAS OVER SW LOWER...SO THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD NOT BE SO WIDESPREAD. WILL CARRY JUST A MENTION OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS SOUTH OF THE I-69 CORRIDOR. GIVEN THE VERY STABLE BOUNDARY LAYER...NOT EXPECTING STRONG WINDS WITH THESE STORMS. DID HOWEVER RECEIVE SOME REPORTS OF PEA SIZED HAIL NEAR GRAND RAPIDS FROM THE GRR NWS OFFICE. ONCE THE COLD FRONT PASSES THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA...STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION WILL GET UNDERWAY AS A 1044MB HIGH BUILDING INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS WILL DRIVE ARCTIC AIR SOUTH INTO THE REGION. MIXING DEPTHS WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA AT THE ONSET OF COLD AIR ADVECTION...ESPECIALLY FROM FLINT NORTH. ETA SOUNDINGS ON BUFKIT EASILY TAP INTO 35KT WINDS ACROSS THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE FOREST AREA BY LATE AFTERNOON...WITH SOME 40KTS NOTED IN THE MIXED LAYER AS WELL. COUPLED WITH A TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT...WINDS WILL BE QUITE STRONG DURING THE AFTERNOON AND HEADING INTO THE EVENING. THE ETA INDICATES THE STRONGEST DOWNWARD MOMENTUM TRANSPORT TO OCCUR JUST NORTHWEST OF THE FORECAST AREA...SO WILL REFRAIN FROM ISSUING A WIND ADVISORY AT THIS TIME. THE DAY SHIFT WILL HAVE TO MONITOR TRENDS IN THE LOW LEVEL WIND FIELD CLOSELY. WITH THE DEEP TROUGH OVER EASTERN NORTH AMERICA AND HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING INTO THE WESTERN LAKES...TEMPS WILL AVERAGE WELL BELOW NORMAL TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. HAVE ACTUALLY TAKEN TEMPS DOWN A COUPLE DEGREES IN THE GRIDS...IN LINE WITH THE LATEST MAV GUIDANCE. BOTH THE ETA AND GFS INDICATE 1000-500MB THICKNESS AROUND 510DM MONDAY AFTERNOON. QUITE A BIT OF DRY AIR WILL BE ADVANCING ACROSS THE REGION DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. WITH NORTH-NORTHWESTERLY FLOW...MOST OF THE LAKE EFFECT ACTIVITY SHOULD REMAIN WEST OF THE FORECAST AREA. WILL STILL CARRY A CHANCE OF FLURRIES TONIGHT GIVEN SOME MOISTURE ALONG THE 850MB FRONT. A SECONDARY SHORT WAVE WILL DROP THROUGH THE LOWER LAKES ON SUNDAY. DESPITE THE OVERALL LACK OF MOISTURE SHOWN IN THE ETA...WILL MAINTAIN THE CHANCE OF FLURRIES ON SUNDAY AS THERE WILL BE SOME UPPER JET SUPPORT COUPLED WITH THE LIFT AHEAD OF THE SHORT WAVE. THE GFS AND NGM ALSO SHOW A LITTLE MORE MOISTURE WITH THIS FEATURE. THE 00Z GFS HAS TRENDED DEEPER WITH AN UPPER LOW OFF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LATE NEXT WEEK. THIS WOULD ALLOW HEIGHTS TO BUILD ACROSS THE EASTERN US AND LIFT THE POLAR VORTEX OVER CENTRAL CANADA FARTHER NORTH. THIS SOLUTION IS SUPPORTED BY THE CANADIAN AND UKMET AND WOULD INDICATE THAT THE ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL REMAIN NORTH OF THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH NEXT WEEK. HAVE THEREFORE DECIDED TO RAISE TEMPERATURES THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. THE CHANCE OF RAIN WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY STILL LOOKS REASONABLE GIVEN THE PROJECTED WARM AIR ADVECTION AND MOISTURE TRANSPORT. && .DTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GALE WARNING...THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING...LAKE HURON. GALE WARNING...TONIGHT...LAKE ST CLAIR. && CONSIDINE EXPERIMENTAL GRAPHICAL FORECASTS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/DTX (ALL LOWER CASE)
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 434 AM EST SAT MAR 20 2004 MIZ047>049-053>055-201500- BAY-HURON-MIDLAND-SAGINAW-SANILAC-TUSCOLA- 434 AM EST SAT MAR 20 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE SAGINAW VALLEY AND THUMB. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A GALE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR LAKE HURON TONIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO THE LAKE HURON FORECAST FOR MORE DETAILS. OTHERWISE...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .DAY TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY GALE FORCE WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY MORNING ON LAKE HURON. OTHERWISE...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. MIZ060>063-201500- GENESEE-LAPEER-SHIAWASSEE-ST. CLAIR- 434 AM EST SAT MAR 20 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR MID MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH 8 AM. THESE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE. A BRIEF PERIOD OF HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OCCUR WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM. THUNDERSTORM MOVEMENT WILL BE TO THE EAST AT 40 MPH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION TODAY. .DAY TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. MIZ068>070-075-076-082-083-201500- LENAWEE-LIVINGSTON-MACOMB-MONROE-OAKLAND-WASHTENAW-WAYNE- 434 AM EST SAT MAR 20 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH 10 AM...THEN END. THESE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE. THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PEA SIZED HAIL AND A BRIEF PERIOD OF HEAVY RAINFALL. THUNDERSTORM MOVEMENT WILL BE TO THE EAST AT 40 MPH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON. A GALE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR LAKE ST CLAIR TONIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO THE LAKE ST CLAIR FORECAST FOR MORE DETAILS. .DAY TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. CONSIDINE
The Detroit radar (KDTX), 49 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:21 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning struck and damaged a house in the 14000 block of South Yost. According to Fire Department officials, the lightning hit the chimney and traveled down through the bathroom. The molding and ceramic tile were blown off the bathroom wall, and all of the circuit breakers in the house were knocked out.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, March 2004
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: 5388813.