Strong Wind in Michigan, May 14, 2009

Name: Strong Wind in Michigan, May 14, 2009
Start: 2009-05-14T07:00
End: 2009-05-14T17:00
Location: Michigan

May 14, 2009 · NWS MQT · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Strong west winds in the wake of a cold front caused power outages in the Laurium/Calumet area of Houghton County on the morning of the 14th.

Where it happened

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.

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $3,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 MQT wrote it up.

Strong west winds in the wake of a cold front caused power outages in the Laurium/Calumet area of Houghton County on the morning of the 14th.

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 Marquette, MI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 14, 6:40 AM EST, 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 14, 6:40 AM EST, 20 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI
740 AM EDT THU MAY 14 2009

UPDATED FOR 12Z AVIATION DISCUSSION

.DISCUSSION...

UPPER AIR PATTERN CONSISTS OF A TROUGH INTO THE PACIFIC NW AND ONE
ACROSS THE CENTRAL U.S. WITH STRONG SHORTWAVES OVER ONTARIO AND OVER
MN. THERE IS ALSO RIDGING ACROSS THE ERN U.S. THE SHORTWAVE OVER MN
WILL CONTINUE TO HEAD EAST AND AFFECT THE AREA THIS MORNING.

AFTER THE SHORTWAVE MOVES BY THIS MORNING...SHORTWAVE RIDGING MOVES
IN FOR THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH FRI BEFORE THE NEXT SYSTEM ARRIVES
THAT IS NOW IN THE PACIFIC NW. THIS SYSTEM THEN AFFECTS THE AREA FOR
FRI NIGHT. UPPER LEVEL TROUGHING THEN STICKS AROUND FOR SAT THROUGH
SUN. SHOWERS SHOULD COME TO AN END THIS MORNING AS MOISTURE MOVES
OUT.

850-500 MB Q-VECTOR CONVERGENCE AND DEEP MOISTURE DEPART THIS
MORNING AND DO NOT RETURN AGAIN UNTIL FRI AFTERNOON ACROSS THE WEST
AND THEN ACROSS ALL OF THE CWA FRI NIGHT. HIKED POPS UP TO LIKELY ON
FRI NIGHT AS MOISTURE AND DYNAMICS ARE DECENT WITH THE NEXT SYSTEM.
NEXT BIG CHANGE I DID IS LOWER HIGHS ON SATURDAY. NAM/GFS AND ECMWF
ALL SHOW 850 MB TEMPERATURES DROPPING TO -4C TO -8C AND MIXING THIS
DOWN TO THE SFC GIVES ME HIGHS IN THE 40S EVERYWHERE. LOWERED HIGHS
A COUPLE DEGREES ON SATURDAY DUE TO THE COLDER AIR. WOULD NOT BE
SURPRISED IF THERE WAS SOME SPRINKLES ON SAT IN THE WRAPAROUND...BUT
DID NOT FEEL CONFIDENT TO PUT THEM IN RIGHT NOW. OVERALL...DID NOT
MAKE TOO MANY CHANGES TO THE GOING FORECAST.

&&

.AVIATION (FOR THE 12Z TAF ISSUANCE)...

GUSTY WESTERLY WINDS BEHIND A COLD FRONT WILL IMPACT BOTH TAF SITES
THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH ARE POSSIBLE AT
CMX...WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH POSSIBLE AT SAW. WINDS OFF LAKE SUPERIOR
WILL ALSO CREATE MVFR CEILINGS THROUGH THIS MORNING.

&&

.MARINE (FOR THE 4 AM LAKE SUPERIOR FORECAST ISSUANCE)...

WESTERLY GALES TO 40 KNOTS ACROSS THE LAKE WILL SLOWLY DIMINISH
THROUGHOUT THE DAY AS LOW PRESSURE OVER JAMES BAY SHIFTS NORTHEAST.
ANOTHER ROUND OF WESTERLY GALES IS POSSIBLE SATURDAY AND SATURDAY
NIGHT BEHIND ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TRACKING ACROSS THE UPPER
GREAT LAKES ON SATURDAY. AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM...STRONG SOUTHERLY
WINDS TO 30 KNOTS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

&&

.MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
UPPER MICHIGAN...
  WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 3 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR MIZ001-003.

LAKE SUPERIOR...
  GALE WARNING UNTIL 7 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR LSZ267.

  GALE WARNING UNTIL 7 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR LSZ244-245-264>266.

  GALE WARNING UNTIL 2 PM EDT /1 PM CDT/ THIS AFTERNOON FOR LSZ162.

  GALE WARNING UNTIL 5 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR LSZ263.

  GALE WARNING UNTIL 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR LSZ242-243-249-250.

  GALE WARNING UNTIL 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR LSZ251.

  GALE WARNING UNTIL 4 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR LSZ247-248.

  GALE WARNING UNTIL 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR LSZ246.

  GALE WARNING UNTIL 3 PM EDT /2 PM CDT/ THIS AFTERNOON FOR LSZ240-
     241.

LAKE MICHIGAN...NONE.

&&

DISCUSSION...07
AVIATION...PEARSON
MARINE...PEARSON

Hazardous weather outlook, May 14, 3:43 AM EST, 3 hours 17 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI
443 AM EDT THU MAY 14 2009

MIZ002-004>007-009>014-084-085-151200-
ONTONAGON-BARAGA-MARQUETTE-ALGER-LUCE-GOGEBIC-IRON-DICKINSON-
MENOMINEE-DELTA-SOUTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT-SOUTHERN HOUGHTON-
NORTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT-
443 AM EDT THU MAY 14 2009 /343 AM CDT THU MAY 14 2009/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN UPPER
MICHIGAN AND CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

AREAS OF FROST CAN BE EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT ESPECIALLY AWAY FROM
THE GREAT LAKES SHORELINE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS FAR WESTERN
UPPER MICHIGAN AND THEN ACROSS ALL OF UPPER MICHIGAN FRIDAY NIGHT.

THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH
WEDNESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS
TIME.

MIZ001-003-151200-
KEWEENAW-NORTHERN HOUGHTON-
443 AM EDT THU MAY 14 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL UPPER
MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

STRONG WESTERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE KEWEENAW THROUGH
EARLY AFTERNOON. WINDS COULD GUST AS HIGH AS 45 MPH THROUGH EARLY
AFTERNOON.

AREAS OF FROST CAN BE EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT AND AGAIN MONDAY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS
TIME.

LSZ162-240>251-263>267-151200-
LAKE SUPERIOR WEST OF A LINE FROM SAXON HARBOR WI TO GRAND
PORTAGE MN BEYOND 5NM-SAXON HARBOR WI TO BLACK RIVER MI-
BLACK RIVER TO ONTONAGON MI-
ONTONAGON TO UPPER ENTRANCE OF PORTAGE CANAL MI-
UPPER ENTRANCE OF PORTAGE CANAL TO EAGLE RIVER MI-
EAGLE RIVER TO MANITOU ISLAND MI-
MANITOU ISLAND TO POINT ISABELLE MI-
POINT ISABELLE TO LOWER ENTRANCE OF PORTAGE CANAL MI-
LOWER ENTRANCE OF PORTAGE CANAL TO HURON ISLANDS MI INCLUDING
KEWEENAW AND HURON BAYS-HURON ISLANDS TO MARQUETTE MI-
MARQUETTE TO MUNISING MI-MUNISING TO GRAND MARAIS MI-
GRAND MARAIS TO WHITEFISH POINT MI-
LAKE SUPERIOR FROM SAXON HARBOR WI TO UPPER ENTRANCE TO PORTAGE
CANAL MI 5NM OFF SHORE TO THE US/CANADIAN BORDER INCLUDING ISLE
ROYALE NATIONAL PARK-
LAKE SUPERIOR FROM UPPER ENTRANCE TO PORTAGE CANAL TO MANITOU
ISLAND MI 5NM OFF SHORE TO THE US/CANADIAN BORDER-
LAKE SUPERIOR WEST OF LINE FROM MANITOU ISLAND TO MARQUETTE MI
BEYOND 5NM FROM SHORE-
LAKE SUPERIOR EAST OF A LINE FROM MANITOU ISLAND TO MARQUETTE MI
AND WEST OF A LINE FROM GRAND MARAIS MI TO THE US/CANADIAN BORDER
BEYOND 5NM FROM SHORE-
LAKE SUPERIOR FROM GRAND MARAIS MI TO WHITEFISH POINT MI 5NM OFF
SHORE TO THE US/CANADIAN BORDER-
443 AM EDT THU MAY 14 2009 /343 AM CDT THU MAY 14 2009/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN LAKE
SUPERIOR...CENTRAL LAKE SUPERIOR AND WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

WESTERLY GALES ARE EXPECTED ACROSS ALL OF LAKE SUPERIOR TODAY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

WESTERLY GALES ACROSS THE EAST HALF OF LAKE SUPERIOR ARE POSSIBLE
SATURDAY.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS
TIME.

LMZ221-248-250-151200-
GREEN BAY NORTH OF LINE FROM CEDAR RIVER MI TO ROCK ISLAND
PASSAGE-SEUL CHOIX POINT TO POINT DETOUR MI-
5NM EAST OF A LINE FROM FAIRPORT MI TO ROCK ISLAND PASSAGE-
443 AM EDT THU MAY 14 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN LAKE
LAKE MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY NIGHT AND AGAIN MONDAY
NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS
TIME.

07

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, Northern Houghton

When: May 14, 7:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Northern Houghton forecast zone
Measured: 45 kt (52 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.992, -88.652 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The observer in Laurium reported extended power outages on the 14th in the Laurium/Calumet area. Michigan State Police also reported that a transformer started on fire and burned a power pole. The Houghton County Airport ASOS measured a wind gust to 45 knots during the event.

What these are

Strong Wind: Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Michigan in 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in Michigan, May 2009

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: 169685.