An isolated severe pulse thunderstorm developed over Saginaw.
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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 DTX wrote it up.
An isolated severe pulse thunderstorm developed over Saginaw.
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 Aug 17, 2:08 PM EST, 3 hours 17 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 308 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 2008 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT WDSPRD CU FIELD HAS DEVELOPED THIS AFTERNOON IN RESPONSE TO INCREASING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE FIELDS. WHERE SURFACE CONVERGENCE AND DEW POINT POOLING IS MAXIMIZED ALONG LAKESHORES...CU HAS BEEN A LITTLE THICKER WITH A LITTLE MORE VERTICAL DEVELOPMENT. EXPECT AN ISOLATED SHOWER OR TWO LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING IN THESE AREAS AS MODIFIED SOUNDINGS GIVING NEAR 1500 J/KG. STILL...WITH BEST FORCING WELL NORTH NOT EXPECTING ANYTHING REALLY ORGANIZED OR WIDESPREAD. CU FIELD OUGHT TO DIURNALLY DISSIPATE FAIRLY QUICKLY THIS EVENING AS WELL...AND HAVE TRIMMED BACK QUITE A BIT ON MODEL CLOUD FIELDS FOR THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD. EXPECTING MINS PRETTY SOLIDLY IN THE MID 60S TONIGHT...EXCEPT IN SOME OF THE TYPICAL MICRO-CLIMATES IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE CWA. && .LONG TERM...MONDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... SOUTHEAST LOWER MI WILL LIE WITHIN A MODERATING PRE-FRONTAL AIRMASS ON MONDAY...UNDER A PREDOMINANT LOW LEVEL WESTERLY FLOW NORTH OF AN ELONGATED AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE. WARM AIR ADVECTION WILL PUSH 850MB TEMPERATURES TO AROUND 16-17C...AND COMBINED WITH A DECENT AMOUNT OF INSOLATION...WILL LEAD TO ABOVE NORMAL HIGHS. GFS SEEMINGLY A LITTLE TOO AGGRESSIVE WITH THE THERMAL RECOVERY...AND WILL LEAN TOWARD THE SLIGHTLY COOLER NAM READINGS WITH READINGS IN THE MID/UPPER 80S. NO APPARENT LARGE SCALE FORCING MECHANISM AND ONLY MODEST INSTABILITY/MOISTURE LEAVES CHANCES FOR PRECIP EXTREMELY LIMITED DURING THE DAY. BEST OPPORTUNITY WILL COME LATE AFTERNOON/EVENING ACROSS THE SAGINAW VALLEY/THUMB...AS A STRONG SHORTWAVE DROPPING SOUTHEAST ACROSS ONTARIO SENDS A COLD FRONT SOUTH INTO MICHIGAN. LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE REMAINS UNIMPRESSIVE GIVEN THE PARALLEL PRE-FRONTAL WESTERLY FLOW...BUT WILL BE SUFFICIENT ENOUGH AS MOISTURE POOLS ALONG THE BOUNDARY TO WARRANT CARRYING AT LEAST A SMALL CHANCE FOR SHOWERS/TSTORMS. FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL THEN TRANSLATE SOUTH THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST AREA MONDAY NIGHT. WANING INSTABILITY AND CONTINUED MEAGER FRONTAL CONVERGENCE WILL KEEP PRECIP CHANCES LIMITED...SO WILL JUST RETAIN A SLIGHT CHANCE POP OVERNIGHT AREAWIDE. COOLER/ DRIER POST-FRONTAL AIRMASS WILL THEN FILTER IN FOR TUESDAY. MAY SEE SOME PESKY LOW STRATUS HANG AROUND THROUGH MIDDAY (ESPECIALLY NORTH) AS THE LOW LEVEL FLOW SHIFTS OFF LAKE HURON. TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE NORTH WILL STRUGGLE TO CLIMB OUT OF THE 60S...WITH EVERYONE SEEING BELOW NORMAL DAYTIME READINGS. 12Z MEDIUM RANGE MODEL SUITE SHOWING GOOD CONSENSUS IN DEPICTING UPPER RIDGING BUILDING EASTWARD ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES DURING THE MIDWEEK PERIOD. AIRMASS WILL SLOWLY BEGIN TO MODERATE ON WEDNESDAY UNDER NEARLY FULL INSOLATION...ALTHOUGH THE WEAK LOW LEVEL GRADIENT WITH HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED JUST TO THE EAST WILL KEEP THE ADVECTIVE PROCESS NEUTRAL. WILL ADJUST LOW TEMPS DOWN SLIGHTLY WEDNESDAY NIGHT GIVEN MORE FAVORABLE RADIATIONAL COOLING CONDITIONS...WITH CLEAR SKIES/LIGHT WINDS AND A DEEP DRY LAYER IN PLACE. A MORE SOUTHERLY COMPONENT TO THE LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL GIVE HIGH TEMPERATURES A BIGGER BOOST ON THURSDAY...WITH THE RELATIVELY DRY RESIDENT AIRMASS PROVIDING PLENTY OF SUNSHINE. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN SEASONABLE INTO THURSDAY...WITH HIGHS IN THE 80-85F RANGE WITH LOWER HUMIDITY. THE MODELS BEGIN TO DIVERGE TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK...SHOWING DIFFICULTY HANDLING THE UPPER LOW THAT REMAINS CUTOFF BENEATH THE RIDGE OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. AN UPPER TROUGH WILL BE EJECTING EASTWARD ACROSS THE NORTHWEST CONUS DURING THIS TIME. THE GFS MAINTAINS A MORE AMPLIFIED TROUGH...ALLOWING THIS FEATURE TO HELP LIFT THE REMAINS OF THE UPPER LOW NORTHEAST TOWARD THE GREAT LAKES FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. THIS IS ACCOMPANIED BY A DEEP PLUME OF TROPICAL MOISTURE AS THE GULF OPENS UP AND THE MEAN FLOW DEEPENS OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST. MEANWHILE...THE ECMWF HOLDS MOST OF THE UPPER ENERGY AND DEEPER MOISTURE SOUTH AND WEST OF THE AREA DURING THIS TIME. OVERALL FAVOR GOES TOWARD THE ECMWF...WHICH HAS SHOWN MORE CONSISTENCY RECENTLY IN HANDLING THE LARGER SCALE FEATURES WITHIN THIS BLOCKY PATTERN. WILL RETAIN THE GOING LOW POPS FOR FRI NGT/SAT GIVEN THE UNCERTAINTY...BUT MAY VERY WELL SEE THIS PERIOD DRY WITH JUST AN INCREASE IN HIGHER CLOUDINESS AS THE AIRMASS CONTINUES TO MOISTEN. STRENGTHENING WARM AIR ADVECTION WILL ACT TO COUNTER THE INCREASE IN MOISTURE/CLOUD COVER...WITH THE RISING LOW LEVEL THICKNESSES TRANSLATING INTO HIGHS APPROACHING THE MID/UPR 80S FRIDAY AND SATURDAY ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF. THE AFOREMENTIONED UPPER TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL SWING THROUGH DURING THE SAT NGT/EARLY SUNDAY TIMEFRAME. THE INCREASING LARGE SCALE ACCENT AND LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE WORKING WITH AN AXIS OF DEEPER MOISTURE WILL BRING POSSIBLY THE BEST CHANCE OF RAIN DURING THE EXTENDED PERIOD. && .MARINE... A TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT AND DEEPER DAYTIME MIXING WILL RESULT IN INCREASING WESTERLY WINDS ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES ON MONDAY. LATEST MODEL GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THE POTENTIAL FOR GUSTS TO APPROACH 25 KNOTS ACROSS LAKE HURON FROM MIDDAY INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS AND A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR ALL NEARSHORE WATERS. THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT WILL BRING A BRIEF LULL EARLY TUESDAY NIGHT WHILE WINDS SHIFT TOWARD THE NORTHEAST...BEFORE INCREASING AGAIN EARLY TUESDAY AS A COLDER AIRMASS MOVES OVER THE WARMER LAKE WATERS. THIS FLOW OVER THE LONG LAKE HURON FETCH WILL GENERATE HIGHER WAVES...LEADING TO ANOTHER PERIOD OF SMALL CRAFT CONDITIONS ON TUESDAY. WINDS AND WAVES WILL DIMINISH BY TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES. && .PREV DISCUSSION...ISSUED 1258 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 2008 AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS AGAIN TO PERSIST THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES REMAIN PRETTY SMALL THIS AFTERNOON...WITH JUST AN ISOLATED CELL OR TWO POSSIBLY POPPING UP ALONG THE LAKESHORES WHERE DEW POINTS MAY POOL A BIT INTO THE LOWER 60S. OTHERWISE...JUST EXPECTING SCT CU WITH BASES AOA 5KFT. MORNING RAOBS INDICATE A LITTLE BIT OF WIND OFF THE SURFACE AND ARE STARTING TO MIX A LITTLE OF THAT DOWN FOR THIS AFTERNOON. STILL... NOT EXPECTING GUSTS ANY HIGHER THAN 15 KTS OR SO THROUGH ABOUT 22-23Z. && .DTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...NONE. LAKE HURON...NONE. LAKE ST CLAIR...NONE. MI WATERS OF LAKE ERIE...NONE. && SHORT TERM...05 LONG TERM....MR MARINE.......MR AVIATION.....05 YOU CAN OBTAIN YOUR LATEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECASTS ONLINE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/DETROIT (ALL LOWER CASE).
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 303 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 2008 MIZ047>049-053>055-060>063-068>070-075-076-082-083-181915- MIDLAND-BAY-HURON-SAGINAW-TUSCOLA-SANILAC-SHIAWASSEE-GENESEE-LAPEER- ST. CLAIR-LIVINGSTON-OAKLAND-MACOMB-WASHTENAW-WAYNE-LENAWEE-MONROE- 303 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE AS THEY MOVE TO THE SOUTHEAST AT AROUND 20 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE SAGINAW VALLEY AND THUMB REGION MONDAY AFTERNOON AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH. THIS FRONT WILL CONTINUE DROPPING SOUTH AND BRING A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TO THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA MONDAY NIGHT. THE CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL LINGER INTO TUESDAY NEAR THE OHIO BORDER. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE THROUGH TONIGHT. LCZ422-423-460-LEZ444-LHZ361>363-421-422-441>443-462>464-181915- ST. CLAIR RIVER-DETROIT RIVER-LAKE ST. CLAIR- MICHIGAN WATERS OF LAKE ERIE FROM DETROIT RIVER TO NORTH CAPE MI- LAKE HURON FROM 5NM EAST OF MACKINAC BRIDGE TO PRESQUE ISLE LT BEYOND 5 NM OFF SHORE- LAKE HURON FROM PRESQUE ISLE LIGHT TO STURGEON POINT MI BEYOND 5NM OFF SHORE- LAKE HURON FROM STURGEON POINT TO ALABASTER MI BEYOND 5NM OFF SHORE- OUTER SAGINAW BAY SW OF ALABASTER TO PORT AUSTIN MI TO INNER SAGINAW BAY-INNER SAGINAW BAY SW OF POINT AU GRES TO BAY PORT MI- PORT AUSTIN TO HARBOR BEACH MI-HARBOR BEACH TO PORT SANILAC MI- PORT SANILAC TO PORT HURON MI- LAKE HURON FROM PORT AUSTIN TO HARBOR BEACH BEYOND 5NM OFF SHORE- LAKE HURON FROM HARBOR BEACH TO PORT SANILAC BEYOND 5NM OFF SHORE- LAKE HURON FROM PORT SANILAC TO PORT HURON BEYOND 5NM OFF SHORE- 303 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF LAKE ERIE...LAKE HURON AND LAKE ST CLAIR. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE AS THEY MOVE TO THE SOUTHEAST AT AROUND 20 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT ON MONDAY FOR THE NEARSHORE WATERS OF LAKE HURON INCLUDING SAGINAW BAY. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST MARINE PRODUCTS.../MWWDTX/ AND /NSHDTX/...FOR DETAILS. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS LAKE HURON MONDAY AFTERNOON AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH. THIS FRONT WILL CONTINUE DROPPING SOUTH AND BRING A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TO THE REMAINDER OF THE MARINE AREAS MONDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE THROUGH TONIGHT. MR YOU CAN OBTAIN YOUR LATEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECASTS ONLINE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/DETROIT (ALL LOWER CASE).
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 527 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 2008 MIZ047-048-172300- BAY-MIDLAND- 527 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 2008 ...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT... AT 526 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF MIDLAND...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 16 MPH. PEA SIZE HAIL...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND WIND GUSTS OVER 30 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. * THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... AUBURN BY 540 PM EDT... 6 MILES SOUTH OF LINWOOD BY 550 PM EDT... KAWKAWLIN BY 600 PM EDT... BAY CITY BY 615 PM EDT... ESSEXVILLE BY 625 PM EDT... MUNGER BY 640 PM EDT... STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED. DG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI 625 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 2008 MIZ053-054-061-180030- GENESEE-SAGINAW-TUSCOLA- 625 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 2008 ...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT... AT 622 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 7 MILES NORTH OF SAGINAW TO 11 MILES WEST OF BIRCH RUN...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 14 MPH. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE SOME MINOR FLOODING OR PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS. PEA SIZE HAIL...WINDS GREATER THAN 30 MPH AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST OF THESE STORMS. * THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR... BRIDGEPORT BY 635 PM EDT... MONTROSE BY 655 PM EDT... REESE AND FRANKENMUTH BY 710 PM EDT... CLIO BY 725 PM EDT... VASSAR BY 745 PM EDT... MILLINGTON BY 800 PM EDT... OTISVILLE BY 815 PM EDT... GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL OBJECTS SUCH AS TRASH BINS TO BLOW AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED. DG
The Detroit radar (KDTX), 89 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:27 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Local television meteorologist reported large tree limbs down and trees uprooted along and near Gratiot Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, August 2008
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: 131301.