Several strong to severe thunderstorms moved off of Northeast Lower Michigan.
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 episode as NWS APX wrote it up.
Several strong to severe thunderstorms moved off of Northeast Lower Michigan.
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 Gaylord, MI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 15, 3:04 PM EST, 1 hour 6 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI
404 PM EDT TUE JUL 15 2008
.DISCUSSION...LATEST SURFACE ANALYSIS THIS AFTERNOON REVEALS MUCH
WARMER AND MORE HUMID CONDITIONS IN PLACE ACROSS NORTHERN MICHIGAN
THIS AFTERNOON. A FULL DAY OF MIXING HAS ALLOWED WINDS TO GUST UP
TO 35 MPH AT TIMES. MEANWHILE...SHORTWAVE HAS BEGUN TO PUSH ACROSS
NORTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN...PRODUCING AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. A COLD FRONT IS DROPPING SOUTHWARD ACROSS UPPER
MICHIGAN...WITH WINDS BECOMING WEST TO NORTHWEST ACROSS THE LAKE
SUPERIOR SHORELINE. THIS HAS ALLOWED FOR A CONVERGENCE AXIS TO SET
UP THIS AFTERNOON TRIGGERING A FEW ISOLATED SHOWERS ACROSS EASTERN
UPPER MICHIGAN IN THE VICINITY OF WHITEFISH BAY. FORECAST CONCERNS
WILL CONTINUE TO REVOLVE AROUND PRECIPITATION CHANCES WITH THE
COLD FRONT TONIGHT...THEN CHANCES AS THE FRONT LIFTS BACK TO THE
NORTH AS A WARM FRONT TOMORROW AND TOMORROW NIGHT. MODELS ARE
HANDLING THE NEXT 24 HOURS REASONABLY WELL.
TONIGHT...SHORTWAVE WILL PROGRESS ACROSS NORTHERN MICHIGAN DURING
THE EVENING HOURS. WAVE SHOULD BE A QUICK MOVER WITH CURRENT BATCH
OF PRECIPITATION DEPARTING BY 00Z. HOWEVER...0-6KM BULK SHEAR
VALUES AROUND 40 KNOTS WILL LEAD TO A THREAT FOR DAMAGING WIND
GUSTS THROUGH THE THE EARLY AND MID EVENING HOURS. COLD FRONT WILL
CONTINUE TO SETTLE SOUTHWARD ACROSS NORTHERN MICHIGAN...BUT LACK
OF ANY FORCING (OUTSIDE OF DIURNAL PROCESSES)...WILL KEEP THE
FRONT FAIRLY QUIET AS IT DROPS THROUGH THE AREA.
REGARDLESS...HARD TO GO COMPLETELY DRY GIVEN THE FRONTAL
BOUNDARY...SO WILL LEAVE A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN ALONG THE
FRONTAL BOUNDARY OVERNIGHT. THE THREAT WILL BE SHIFTING SOUTHWARD
THROUGH THE NIGHT. LOWS TONIGHT WILL REMAIN MILDER TONIGHT WITH
INCREASED WINDS AND DEWPOINTS. THUS...LOWS WILL REMAIN MAINLY IN
THE 50S TONIGHT WITH A FEW 60S POSSIBLE.
TOMORROW...FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN STALLED ACROSS CENTRAL
LOWER MICHIGAN THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. WITH 850-700MB RH
FALLING TO UNDER 40 PERCENT...WITH LITTLE OR NO FORCING IN THE
AREA...CERTAINLY LOOKS LIKE A GOOD BET THAT THE MORNING WILL
REMAIN DRY. HOWEVER...BY LATE IN THE DAY...A SHORTWAVE WILL EMERGE
OUT OF THE CENTRAL PLAINS...ACTING TO PUSH THE FRONT BACK TO THE
NORTH AS A WARM FRONT. THE BEST CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION
DEVELOPMENT WILL BE SOUTH OF THE GRAND TRAVERSE BAY REGION...THEN
EVENTUALLY SPREADING NORTHWARD INTO THE EVENING HOURS. HIGHS WILL
VARY FROM THE 70S NORTH TO THE 80S SOUTH DURING THE AFTERNOON.
KAS
REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST (WEDNESDAY THROUGH NEXT TUESDAY)...MORE
SUMMER LIKE PATTERN APPEARS TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE PERIOD AS UPPER
LEVEL HEIGHTS REMAIN PRETTY HIGH ACROSS THE REGION. THERE WILL BE
LOTS OF CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE REMAINDER
OF THE WORK WEEK AND AGAIN EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH A BREAK POSSIBLE IN
BETWEEN THIS WEEKEND. THE MAIN FORECAST CONCERN WILL REVOLVE AROUND
POPS THROUGH THE ENTIRE PERIOD.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY...SURFACE WARM FRONT REMAINS DRAPED ACROSS
THE REGION. POSSIBLE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES MOVING THROUGH THE
FLOW COMBINED WITH WARM AIR ADVECTION (THETA-E RIDGE DRAPED ACROSS
NORTHERN MICHIGAN) COULD GENERATE PRECIPITATION AT ANY TIME DURING
THIS PERIOD (HIGH CHANCE POPS). IT WILL BE MORE HUMID WITH LOWS IN
THE UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S WITH HIGHS IN THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 80S.
FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT...MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT THAT A
SURFACE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION FRIDAY AFTERNOON
(NORTHWEST) AND FRIDAY EVENING (SOUTHEAST) SO WILL HAVE HIGH CHANCE
POPS FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS. IT SHOULD REMAIN RATHER HUMID WITH
HIGHS AGAIN RANGING FROM THE MIDDLE 70S NORTH TO THE MIDDLE 80S
SOUTHEAST.
SATURDAY...WEAK SURFACE RIDGE TRIES TO BUILD DOWN FROM THE NORTHWEST
BUT THERE REALLY DOES NOT LOOK LIKE THE SURFACE FRONT WILL PROGRESS
TOO FAR TO OUR SOUTH AND COULD END UP MOVING NORTH AGAIN AND
STALLING OVER THE AREA. WILL CONTINUE TO BE OPTIMISTIC WITH NO POPS.
HIGHS IN THE MIDDLE 70S TO LOWER 80S.
SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...EXTENDED MODELS ARE HAVING A BIT OF A HARD
TIME WITH THE PATTERN. ECMWF AND GFS ARE TRYING TO BRING A TROUGH
DOWN FROM THE NORTHWEST EITHER LATE IN THE WEEKEND OR EARLY NEXT
WEEK. IN ADDITION...SURFACE WARM FRONT LOOKS TO BE NEAR THE AREA.
HOWEVER...WILL LEAVE OUT POPS ON SUNDAY AND LET MODELS SORT
THEMSELVES OUT. CHANCE POPS THEREAFTER DUE TO THE COMBINATION OF THE
FRONT AND TROUGH. SIMILAR HIGHS OF THE MIDDLE 70S TO MIDDLE 80S.
SULLIVAN
&&
.AVIATION... /ISSUED 122 PM EDT TUE JUL 15 2008/
MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD.
HOWEVER...SOME MID CLOUDS HAVE BEEN WORKING EASTWARD ACROSS NORTHERN
WISCONSIN THIS AFTERNOON...PRODUCING SOME PRECIPITATION AT THE
SURFACE. CLOUD BASES REMAIN AT OR GREATER THAN 6KFT. THERE HAS BEEN
THUNDER WITH THIS ACTIVITY...AND IT WILL SPREAD INTO THE VICINITY OF
THE TAF SITES BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A COLD FRONT
DROPPING SOUTHWARD WILL PUSH ALL THE ACTIVITY SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE
EVENING HOURS...EVENTUALLY DEPARTING ALL THE TAF SITES BY MIDNIGHT.
THEN...VFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MIDDAY TOMORROW.
KAS
&&
.APX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MI...NONE.
LM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR LMZ323-341-
342-344>346.
LH...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR LHZ347>349.
LS...NONE.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI 407 PM EDT TUE JUL 15 2008 LHZ345>349-LMZ323-341-342-344>346-LSZ321-322-MIZ008-015>036-041-042- 161200- STRAITS OF MACKINAC-ST IGNACE TO FALSE DETOUR CHANNEL- MACKINAC BRDG TO PRESQUE ISLE LT-PRESQUE ISLE LT TO STURGEON PT- STURGEON PT TO ALABASTER-GRAND TRAVERSE BAY- SEUL CHOIX PT TO MACKINAC BRDG-NORWOOD TO MACKINAC BRDG- SLEEPING BEAR PT TO GRAND TRAVERSE LT-PT BETSIE TO SLEEPING BEAR PT- MANISTEE TO PT BETSIE-WHITEFISH BAY-ST. MARYS RIVER-CHIPPEWA- MACKINAC-EMMET-CHEBOYGAN-PRESQUE ISLE-CHARLEVOIX-LEELANAU-ANTRIM- OTSEGO-MONTMORENCY-ALPENA-BENZIE-GRAND TRAVERSE-KALKASKA-CRAWFORD- OSCODA-ALCONA-MANISTEE-WEXFORD-MISSAUKEE-ROSCOMMON-OGEMAW-IOSCO- GLADWIN-ARENAC- 407 PM EDT TUE JUL 15 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF LAKE HURON...LAKE MICHIGAN...LAKE SUPERIOR...EASTERN UPPER MICHIGAN AND NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN THROUGH THIS EVENING. A FEW STORMS MAY CONTAIN DAMAGING WIND GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL. THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVERNIGHT ACROSS NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED OVERNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS ALL OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT...THEN AGAIN SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS...PLEASE RELAY ANY SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN GAYLORD. KAS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI
434 PM EDT TUE JUL 15 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0427 PM TSTM WND DMG ATLANTA 45.00N 84.15W
07/15/2008 MONTMORENCY MI PUBLIC
SEVERAL LARGE TREE LIMBS DOWNED.
&&
JZPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI
436 PM EDT TUE JUL 15 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0433 PM TSTM WND GST 2 S ATLANTA 44.97N 84.15W
07/15/2008 E50 MPH MONTMORENCY MI TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
JZPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI
438 PM EDT TUE JUL 15 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0436 PM TSTM WND DMG 2 S ATLANTA 44.97N 84.15W
07/15/2008 MONTMORENCY MI TRAINED SPOTTER
LARGE TREE DOWNED ONTO SPOTTERS HOME.
&&
JZPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI
459 PM EDT TUE JUL 15 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0440 PM TSTM WND GST 3 S LOVELLS 44.77N 84.47W
07/15/2008 E45 MPH CRAWFORD MI TRAINED SPOTTER
LARGE TABLE BLOWN OFF PATIO.
&&
JZPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI
504 PM EDT TUE JUL 15 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0450 PM TSTM WND DMG COMINS 44.80N 84.05W
07/15/2008 OSCODA MI TRAINED SPOTTER
MANY LARGE TREE LIMBS DOWNED. PEA SIZED HAIL.
&&
JZPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI
508 PM EDT TUE JUL 15 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0400 PM TSTM WND DMG 8 SW GAYLORD 44.95N 84.79W
07/15/2008 OTSEGO MI NWS EMPLOYEE
TREES DOWNED ALONG HAYES TOWER ROAD...2 MILES NORTH OF
MANCELONA ROAD.
&&
JZThe NCL Michigan radar (KAPX), 107 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:11 UTC.
1 marine thunderstorm wind, 1 marine hail. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Lake Huron in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather history
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: 126535, 126536.