Strong southwest winds ahead of an approaching cold front downed a large pine tree in the Watersmeet area on the 18th.
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The episode as NWS MQT wrote it up.
Strong southwest winds ahead of an approaching cold front downed a large pine tree in the Watersmeet area on the 18th.
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 18, 8:50 AM CST, 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 1050 AM EDT MON MAY 18 2009 .UPDATE... MADE SOME MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO AFTERNOON FORECAST...MAINLY TO CUT BACK AND PUSH BACK TIMING OF PRECIP CHANCES TODAY. TAIL END OF S/WV OVER NRN ONTARIO WILL GRAZE THE AREA LATER TODAY AS COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO PROGRESS SOUTHEASTWARD FROM ONTARIO. WITH LIMITED MOISTURE RETURN INTO THE AREA AND FRONT NOT EXPECTED INTO THE REGION UNTIL EVENING WILL LOWER POPS INTO THE SLGT CHANCE RANGE MOST AREAS WITH CHANCE POPS STILL ACROSS NORTHERN LAKE SUPERIOR. BEST PRECIP CHANCES WILL HOLD OFF TIL AFTER FRONTAL PASSAGE TONIGHT AS SOUTHWARD PROGRESSION OF FRONT SLOWS AND OVERRUNNING SCENARIO SETS UP. SOME HIGH AND MID LEVEL CLOUDINESS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON WHICH WILL SLOW DOWN MIXING PROCESS. HOWEVER...ABUNDANT SUNSHINE THIS MORNING HAS ALLOWED RHS VALUES TO FALL INTO THE 25-30 PERCENT RANGE ACROSS MANY AREAS AWAY FROM LAKE MICHIGAN. WINDS WILL REMAIN QUITE GUSTY WITH HIGHEST WINDS EXPECTED IN THE EAST. ALREADY ISSUED A WILDFIRE POTENTIAL STATEMENT FOR THE EASTERN COUNTIES BUT MAY EXPAND THAT WESTWARD BASED ON MIXING TRENDS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. .PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... ISSUED AT 518 AM EDT UPPER AIR PATTERN CONSISTS OF A 500 MB TROUGH ACROSS THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES INTO THE SOUTHEAST WITH RIDGING OVER THE ROCKIES. THERE IS ALSO A SHORTWAVE TROUGH ACROSS NORTHERN SASK AND NORTHERN MAN WHICH IS HEADING SE AND WILL STAY TO THE NORTH TODAY. THE RIDGE IN THE WEST THEN STARTS TO BUILD INTO THE AREA LATE TUE INTO WED WITH A TROUGH MOVING INTO THE PACIFIC NW WITH THE TROUGH MOVING INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND PLAINS BY THU MORNING. ONE THING I NOTICED IS THAT THE NAM AND ECMWF ARE NOW QUICKER TO BRING PCPN BACK TO THE NORTH AND DO NOT TAKE THE COLD FRONT THAT MOVES THROUGH TONIGHT TOO FAR SOUTH OF US. IN FACT...LOOKING AT BOTH MODELS...TUE MIGHT NOT BE SO DRY NOW. THEN ON WED...WARM FRONT IS ALMOST THROUGH THE AREA ALREADY AT 12Z AND THEN IS TO THE NORTH BY AFTERNOON. NAM HAS SOME 850-500 MB Q-VECTOR CONVERGENCE WITH SOME DEEPER MOISTURE ARRIVING TONIGHT AND THEN THE MOISTURE AND DYNAMICS HEAD SOUTH TO THE SOUTHERN CWA ON TUE AND THEN THE MOISTURE AND DYNAMICS HEAD NORTH TUE NIGHT WITH A WARM FRONT. THE MOISTURE THEN HEADS NORTH OF THE CWA ON WED AND THEN STARTS RETURNING TO THE WEST WITH THE COLD FRONT WHICH MOVES THROUGH FOR THU. GFS SHOWS ABOUT THE SAME THING AS THE NAM AND WILL USE THESE TWO MODEL ALONG WITH THE ECMWF FOR THIS FORECAST. BASICALLY...BIG CHANGE IS FOR TUE WHERE HUNG ON TO PCPN ACROSS THE FAR SOUTH IN THE MORNING AND THEN ALONG THE WI BORDER IN THE AFTERNOON AS ALL THREE MODELS SHOWED SLOWING QPF FIELDS...FRONT SLOWING DOWN AND THEN COMING BACK NORTH AS A WARM FRONT. FOLLOWED THE GFS IDEA OF FRONT MOVING SOUTH IN THE MORNING...STALLING AND THEN HEADING BACK NORTH TUE AFTERNOON AND THEN WARM FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE AREA TUE NIGHT. BY WEDNESDAY...WENT DRY AS FRONT IS TO THE NORTH AND MOISTURE ALSO WELL TO THE NORTH AT THAT TIME. WARMED TEMPERATURES UP A BIT MORE WEDNESDAY AS WE WILL SEE SUNSHINE AND SHOULD MIX UP TO 850 MB AT LEAST WITH 850 MB TEMPERATURES ANYWHERE FROM 16C OFF THE GFS UP TO 22C OFF THE ECMWF AND NAM IS CLOSE TO THE GFS. MIXING THESE DOWN TO THE SFC GIVES ME MID 80S TO MID 90S. COULD BE CONCEIVABLE A 90 DEGREE TEMPERATURE IS POSSIBLE WED...BUT WILL ONLY GO MID 80S FOR NOW AS NOT SURE HOW MUCH SUNSHINE WE WILL SEE AND HOW FAR WE WILL MIX UP TO. PUSHED TIMING BACK OF FRONT WED NIGHT AND POPS WITH WARM SECTOR HANGING AROUND AND RAISED LOW TEMPERATURES AS A RESULT AS FRONT MOVES THROUGH LATE WED NIGHT. THEN SLOWLY DRIED THINGS OUT THU AS DRY AND COLDER AIR FILTERS INTO THE REGION. LOWERED HIGHS A BIT THU AS TEMPERATURES COOL OFF PRETTY GOOD. ONLY OTHER CHANGE IS FOR TEMPERATURES ON TUE AND WARMED THEM A BIT AS COLD FRONT DOES NOT GET AS FAR SOUTH AND COLD AIR DOES NOT COME AS FAR SOUTH EITHER. ALSO...DEW POINTS ON WED INCREASED A BIT WITH 40S AROUND AND WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE 50-55 IN THE AFTERNOON. ONLY QUESTION IS HOW HIGH MIXING WILL OCCUR AND HOW MUCH MOISTURE GETS ADVECTED INTO THE AREA. RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WEDNESDAY GET DOWN TO 30 PERCENT IN A FEW PLACES. && .AVIATION (FOR THE 12Z TAF ISSUANCE)... VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL FOR MAJORITY OF THIS FCST PERIOD AT KCMX/KSAW AS HIGH PRESSURE GIVES WAY TO INCREASING SW FLOW AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT FOR THIS EVENING. ONGOING LLWS WILL END OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HRS AS MIXING DEPTH INCREASES. THEN...EXPECT GUSTY WINDS THROUGHOUT THE DAY...WITH GUSTS PROBABLY IN THE 30-35KT RANGE FREQUENTLY AND POSSIBLY HIGHER AT TIMES. SOME SHRA SHOULD ACCOMPANY COLD FRONT THRU THE AREA TONIGHT. EARLY THIS MORNING...A BAND OF LOW MVFR CIGS IS LURKING BEHIND THE FRONT IN MANITOBA/NRN ONTARIO. ITS POSSIBLE SOME THESE LOW MVFR CIGS MAY SHOW UP LATE TONIGHT AFTER FROPA...ESPECIALLY IF SHRA ARE WIDESPREAD ALONG FRONT. && .MARINE (FOR 4 AM LAKE SUPERIOR FORECAST ISSUANCE)... TIGHTENING PRES GRADIENT BTWN HIGH PRES TO THE E AND A COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE NW WILL RESULT IN SUSTAINED S TO SW WINDS INCREASING TO 20-30KT TODAY. WITH WINDS OF 40-50KT WITHIN A COUPLE KFT ABOVE THE SFC...GALE FORCE GUSTS WILL BE A CONCERN...MAINLY OVER PORTIONS OF ERN LAKE SUPERIOR AND IN PARTICULAR OVER THE NEARSHORE AREAS FROM PICTURED ROCKS EWD DUE TO DEEPER MIXING OFF THE LAND. FARTHER OUT OVER THE LAKE...GALE FORCE GUSTS SHOULD BE LESS FREQUENT OR MAY NOT OCCUR AT ALL DUE TO GREATER STABILITY GENERATED FROM THE COLD WATER TEMPS IN THE 30S. SO...GALE WARNING WILL ONLY BE IN EFFECT FOR THE NEARSHORE WATERS FROM MUNISING TO WHITEFISH POINT FOR A SHORT TIME THIS AFTN/EARLY EVENING. COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SE ACROSS LK SUPERIOR TONIGHT. SHOULD SEE NRLY WINDS OF 20-30KT FOR SEVERAL HRS AFTER FRONTAL PASSAGE...ESPECIALLY CNTRL/ERN LAKE SUPERIOR. HIGH PRES WILL THEN BUILD OVER ERN LAKE SUPERIOR TUE...BRINGING LIGHTER WINDS. HOWEVER...A DEVELOPING WARM FRONT TO THE SW WILL SET THE STAGE FOR STRONGER WINDS TUE OVER FAR WRN LAKE SUPERIOR. COASTAL CONVERGENCE/FUNNELING SHOULD RESULT IN NE WINDS INCREASING TO 30KT THERE. NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION THAT SOME GALE FORCE GUSTS COULD OCCUR ALSO. WARM FRONT WILL SURGE N OF LAKE SUPERIOR WED. ALTHOUGH WINDS WITHIN A FEW KFT ABOVE THE SFC WILL BE IN THE 40-50KT RANGE...INCREASING STABILITY OVER THE LAKE SHOULD GENERALLY KEEP WINDS IN THE 15-25KT RANGE W HALF AND 20-30KT E. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL PASS LATE WED NIGHT/THU MORNING WITH HIGH PRES BUILDING INTO THE AREA FOR FRI. && .MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UPPER MICHIGAN...NONE. LAKE SUPERIOR... GALE WARNING 2PM THIS AFTN TO 8PM EDT THIS EVENING LSZ250-251. LAKE MICHIGAN...NONE. && UPDATE...MZ DISCUSSION...07 AVIATION...ROLFSON MARINE...ROLFSON
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 551 AM EDT MON MAY 18 2009 MIZ001>007-009>014-084-085-191200- KEWEENAW-ONTONAGON-NORTHERN HOUGHTON-BARAGA-MARQUETTE-ALGER-LUCE- GOGEBIC-IRON-DICKINSON-MENOMINEE-DELTA-SOUTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- SOUTHERN HOUGHTON-NORTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- 551 AM EDT MON MAY 18 2009 /451 AM CDT MON MAY 18 2009/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN AND CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SOUTH WINDS COULD GUST AS HIGH AS 40 MPH THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS ALGER AND LUCE COUNTIES. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SOME OF THE STORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING COULD PRODUCE SOME SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH...ESPECIALLY ACROSS WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE WISCONSIN BORDER TUESDAY AND ACROSS ALL OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN TUESDAY NIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. LSZ162-240>251-263>267-191200- 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- 551 AM EDT MON MAY 18 2009 /451 AM CDT MON MAY 18 2009/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN LAKE SUPERIOR...CENTRAL LAKE SUPERIOR AND WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SOUTH GALE FORCE GUSTS TO 35 KNOTS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM MUNISING TO WHITEFISH POINT. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING COULD CONTAIN SOME SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 35 KNOTS ACROSS WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS LATE TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. LMZ221-248-250-191200- 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- 551 AM EDT MON MAY 18 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN LAKE LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT AND AGAIN LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. 07
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong winds knocked down a large jack pine on top of an automobile at the Ranger Station of the Ottawa National Forest in Watersmeet.
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, May 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: 173295.