Scattered thunderstorms developed primarily during the afternoon and evening hours of July 23rd. This was the result of instability generated from daytime heating and with a pool of cold air aloft due to an upper level trough, and weak to moderate surface convergence resulting from a lake breeze.
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 GRR wrote it up.
Scattered thunderstorms developed primarily during the afternoon and evening hours of July 23rd. This was the result of instability generated from daytime heating and with a pool of cold air aloft due to an upper level trough, and weak to moderate surface convergence resulting from a lake breeze. Seven eighths inch diameter from an isolated stronger storm was reported in Woodland by the public.
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 Grand Rapids, MI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 23, 3:53 PM EST, 1 hour 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 453 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009 LATEST UPDATE...ALL SECTIONS EXCEPT AVIATION... .SYNOPSIS...(453 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009) EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL FADE AFTER SUNSET SETTING THE STAGE FOR AREAS OF FOG TO DEVELOP ONCE AGAIN. FOG HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME DENSE TONIGHT. AFTER THE FOG BURNS OFF FRIDAY MORNING SKIES SHOULD BECOME AT LEAST PARTLY SUNNY WITH TEMPERATURES WARMING TO AROUND 80 DEGREES. A SOUTHWEST WIND WILL BECOME BREEZY DURING THE AFTERNOON IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT. SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL DEVELOP IN WISCONSIN FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND PUSH INTO SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN AT NIGHT. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS MAY LINGER INTO SATURDAY MORNING. UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND STORMS POSSIBLE. TEMPERATURES OVER THE WEEKEND WILL BE ON THE COOL SIDE OF NORMAL IN THE 70S. && .SHORT TERM...(453 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009) SHOWERS AND STORMS CONTINUE TO EVOLVE THIS EVENING AND WILL CONTINUED TO BE MONITORED AS WE ARE IN AN UNSTABLE PULSE ENVIRONMENT. THESE STORMS WILL DECREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY AFTER SUNSET AS THEY ARE DIURNALLY DRIVEN. ALSO THE SHORTWAVE DROPPING INTO THE AREA FROM THE WEST WILL BE SLIDING OFF TO THE SOUTHEAST. HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES TO BE THE MAIN THREAT FROM STORMS AS THEY ARE MOVING RATHER SLOWLY. EXPECT A BIT OF A FLARE THIS EVENING THOUGH AS WIND SHEAR IN THE VERTICAL...WHICH IS HURTING STORM DEVELOPMENT RIGHT NOW...WEAKENS. WINDS ALOFT ARE SOUTHERLY AT 20-25 KNOTS WHILE LOW LEVEL WINDS ARE NORTHERLY AT 15 KNOTS. THIS HAS TENDED TO SHEAR THE STORMS AFTER THEY GO UP. IN THE 21Z-03Z TIME FRAME THOUGH THE SHEAR ALOFT WEAKENS AND UPDRAFTS WILL HAVE A BETTER CHANCE AT SUSTAINING THEMSELVES. FOG APPEARS TO BE A GOOD BET OVERNIGHT IN A FAIRLY LIGHT WIND REGIME WITH A MOIST AIR MASS. DENSE FOG NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. MAIN FOCUS OF THE SHORT TERM IS THE CHANCES FOR STORMS...POTENTIALLY SEVERE FRIDAY NIGHT. AT THIS POINT IT APPEARS THAT THE EVOLUTION FAVORS STORM DEVELOPMENT IN WISCONSIN WHICH WILL MOVE INTO LOWER MICHIGAN OVERNIGHT. THE LOW LEVEL JET...OF 30-40 KNOTS...WILL PUSH THROUGH SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN BETWEEN 1000 PM AND 500 AM. THAT WILL BE THE MAIN TIME FRAME OF CONCERN. GIVEN THE TIMING A SEVERE THREAT LOOKS TO BE FAIRLY LOW...BUT THE LLJ IS HEALTHY. FEEL WE ARE LOOKING AT A LINEAR MCS TRYING TO PUSH IN FROM THE WEST...WITH WINDS BEING THE MAIN THREAT. && .LONG TERM...(453 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009) (SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY) 12Z GFS GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THAT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY WITH THE H5 TROF AXIS OVERHEAD. HOWEVER MOST OF THE DAY SHOULD BE DRY. DRY WX IS ANTICIPATED SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. A FEW SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE POSSIBLE BEGINNING MONDAY NIGHT IN A WAA REGIME OUT AHEAD OF THE NEXT APPROACHING TROUGH/COLD FRONT. THIS FRONT WILL BRING A BETTER CHANCE OF STORMS TUESDAY. 12Z GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SUGGEST THAT THE FRONT WILL STALL OUT OVER OUR REGION AND THAT SEVERAL WAVES OF LOW PRESSURE MAY TRACK NE ALONG THE BOUNDARY. THEREFORE WE WILL MENTION POTENTIAL FOR RAIN AND TSTORMS WEDNESDAY AS WELL. TEMPS SHOULD AVERAGE FAIRLY CLOSE TO NORMAL THROUGH THE LONG RANGE FCST PD. && .AVIATION...(1255 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009) MVFR TO VFR CONDITIONS ARE ANTICIPATED AT ALL TAF SITES THIS AFTERNOON. SHOWERS AND TSTMS SHOULD DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON ENHANCED BY DAYTIME HEATING AND THE LAKE BREEZE AND CONTINUE THROUGH ABOUT 02Z. HOWEVER COVERAGE OF THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD BE LESS THAN YESTERDAY. IT IS POSSIBLE IF STORMS DIRECTLY IMPACT A TAF SITE THAT CONDITIONS WILL FALL TO IFR FOR A WHILE DUE TO HEAVY RAIN. HOWEVER CONFIDENCE/PROBABILITY OF THIS OCCURRING DOES NOT WARRANT MENTION OF THIS IN THE TAFS AT THIS TIME. THERE IS NO CONVECTION ANYWHERE NEAR ANY OF THE TAF SITES ATTM. WILL MONITOR RADAR TRENDS CLOSELY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. CONDITIONS POSSIBLY BECOMING IFR ARE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT DUE TO SCATTERED LOW CIGS/VISBYS AND PATCHY FOG. && .MARINE...(453 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009) WAVES ARE UP A BIT THIS EVENING IN SOUTHERN AREAS WITH A NORTHWEST WIND OF 10-15 KNOTS THIS AFTERNOON. WAVES GENERALLY BE 2 FEET OR LESS INTO TONIGHT BEFORE KICKING UP SOME ON FRIDAY. SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT...KICKING UP WAVES INTO THE 2-4 FOOT RANGE FRIDAY AFTERNOON. WAVES MAY PUSH INTO THE 3-5 FOOT RANGE FRIDAY NIGHT...BEFORE SUBSIDING SOME ON SATURDAY. RIP CURRENTS MAY BECOME AN ISSUE ON FRIDAY ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON IN THE SOUTHWEST FLOW. BEACHES ADJACENT TO PIERS ESPECIALLY ON THE SOUTH SIDE MAY BE THE MOST PRONE TO RIP CURRENTS TOMORROW (E.G. GRAND HAVEN ST. PARK...PERE MARQUETTE PARK). WAVES ARE STILL A BIT OF A QUESTION MARK YET SO WE WILL BE TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT WAVE HEIGHTS TONIGHT. && .HYDROLOGY...(453 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009) HEAVY RAIN WAS SPOTTY LAST NIGHT...BUT WHERE IT FELL IT WAS QUITE INTENSE. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES WERE REPORTED BOTH IN THE GRAND RAPIDS AND LANSING AREAS. TONIGHT MUCH THE SAME IS EXPECTED...LOCALIZED AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN. A MORE WIDESPREAD RAIN IS EXPECTED FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING ALONG AND AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. STORMS SHOULD SPREAD INTO THE AREA DURING THE EVENING FROM THE NORTHWEST. A WIDESPREAD .50 TO 1.00 INCHES OF RAIN IS EXPECTED WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. && .GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...NONE. LM...NONE. && SYNOPSIS: DUKE SHORT TERM: DUKE LONG TERM: LAURENS AVIATION: LAURENS MARINE: DUKE HYDROLOGY: DUKE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 1236 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009 LMZ844>849-MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-240945- ST JOSEPH TO SOUTH HAVEN MI-SOUTH HAVEN TO HOLLAND MI- HOLLAND TO GRAND HAVEN MI-GRAND HAVEN TO WHITEHALL MI- WHITEHALL TO PENTWATER MI-PENTWATER TO MANISTEE MI-MASON-LAKE- OSCEOLA-CLARE-OCEANA-NEWAYGO-MECOSTA-ISABELLA-MUSKEGON-MONTCALM- GRATIOT-OTTAWA-KENT-IONIA-CLINTON-ALLEGAN-BARRY-EATON-INGHAM- VAN BUREN-KALAMAZOO-CALHOUN-JACKSON- 1236 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ONCE AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH ALL AREAS HAVING THE POTENTIAL FOR STORMS. SUNSHINE COMBINED WITH COOL AIR ALOFT AND A MOIST AIR MASS NEAR THE SURFACE HAS RESULTED IN UNSTABLE CONDITIONS. HEAVY RAIN WILL BE THE BIGGEST THREAT...WITH THE SLOW MOVING STORMS POTENTIALLY PUTTING DOWN AN INCH OR TWO OF RAIN IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES...GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MPH AND PEA SIZE HAIL ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. A FEW SEVERE STORMS CANNOT BE RULED OUT WITH HAIL TO NEAR AN INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH POSSIBLE IN THE STRONGEST OF STORMS THAT DEVELOP. STORM MOVEMENT WILL BE TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY AND ALSO ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. THE HIGHEST PROBABILITY OF STORMS IS ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING. SOME OF THE STORMS AT THAT TIME COULD BE STRONG AND PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. MEADE DUKE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 441 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009 MIZ057-058-065-066-073-232115- BARRY-CALHOUN-EATON-IONIA-KENT- 441 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY... AT 439 PM EDT...NEAR HASTINGS...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. * LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE STORM INCLUDE... IRVING... FREEPORT... HASTINGS... DOWLING... MORGAN... LACEY... NASHVILLE... KALAMO... VERMONTVILLE... ASSYRIA... THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL...OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED. && LAT...LON 4256 8492 4239 8520 4269 8547 4281 8528 TIME...MOT...LOC 2042Z 297DEG 16KT 4267 8524 WDM
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 454 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009 MIZ057-058-065-066-073-232115- BARRY-CALHOUN-EATON-IONIA-KENT- 454 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY... AT 454 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR HASTINGS...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH WILL HAVE HAIL TO AROUND A HALF INCH IN DIAMETER...LOCALLY VERY HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES. * LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE STORM INCLUDE... IRVING... FREEPORT... HASTINGS... DOWLING... MORGAN... LACEY... NASHVILLE... KALAMO... VERMONTVILLE... ASSYRIA... THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL...OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED. && LAT...LON 4256 8492 4239 8520 4269 8547 4281 8528 TIME...MOT...LOC 2042Z 297DEG 16KT 4267 8524 WDM
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
523 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009
MIZ051-058-059-066-067-232215-
CLINTON-EATON-INGHAM-IONIA-MONTCALM-
523 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
AT 524 PM EDT...A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED ALONG A
LINE EXTENDING FROM 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF HUBBARDSTON TO 7 MILES
NORTHEAST OF IONIA WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH. THE STRONGEST
CELLS IN THIS CLUSTER OF STORMS WILL HAVE HAIL TO A HALF INCH IN
DIAMETER...LOCALLY VERY HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING STRIKES.
* LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
FENWICK... ORLEANS... PALO...
IONIA... MUIR... LYONS...
PEWAMO... HUBBARDSTON... PORTLAND...
WESTPHALIA... EAST LANSING... LANSING...
WAVERLY... GRAND LEDGE... RILEY...
WACOUSTA... FOWLER... EAGLE...
THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL...FREQUENT CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. SEEK SHELTER IN A
STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED.
&&
LAT...LON 4312 8484 4309 8451 4269 8448 4273 8475
4299 8515 4317 8514
TIME...MOT...LOC 2119Z 303DEG 10KT 4313 8495 4302 8494
WDMSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
553 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009
MIZ058-059-065-066-232245-
BARRY-CLINTON-EATON-IONIA-
553 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
AT 553 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
CLUSTER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ABOUT 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF
CHARLOTTE...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. EXPECT HAIL TO HALF AN INCH IN
DIAMETER...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING
AND GUSTY WINDS AS THIS STORM PASSES OVERHEAD.
* LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE STORM INCLUDE...
WOODLAND... VERMONTVILLE... SUNFIELD...
MULLIKEN... GRAND LEDGE... CHARLOTTE...
THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL...FREQUENT CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. SEEK SHELTER IN A
STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED.
&&
LAT...LON 4282 8502 4278 8467 4251 8487 4272 8532
4285 8523
TIME...MOT...LOC 2151Z 280DEG 10KT 4274 8513
WDMSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
605 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009
MIZ057>059-232300-
CLINTON-IONIA-KENT-
605 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
AT 604 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM IONIA TO SARANAC TO LAKE
ODESSA... MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. EXPECT HAIL TO HALF AN INCH IN
DIAMETER...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING
AND GUSTY WINDS AS THIS STORM PASSES OVERHEAD.
* LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
SARANAC... LAKE ODESSA... CLARKSVILLE...
IONIA... BERLIN CENTER... MUIR...
LYONS... PEWAMO... PORTLAND...
RILEY... FOWLER... EAGLE...
WESTPHALIA... ST. JOHNS...
THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL...FREQUENT CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. SEEK SHELTER IN A
STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED.
&&
LAT...LON 4305 8451 4285 8469 4278 8481 4279 8543
4292 8528 4312 8508
TIME...MOT...LOC 2204Z 279DEG 13KT 4303 8504 4291 8515
4284 8523
WDMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
617 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0616 PM HAIL 1 NW GREENVILLE 43.19N 85.27W
07/23/2009 M0.70 INCH MONTCALM MI TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
GWETZELThe Grand Rapids radar (KGRR), 38 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:16 UTC.
1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
An isolated strong thunderstorm resulted in a report from the public in Woodland of seven eighths inch diameter hail.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, July 2009
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: 175951.