Severe storms rolled through during the late afternoon and evening hours producing numerous reports of high thunderstorm wind gusts of up to around 75 mph as well as several reports of large hail. In spite of the powerful winds, National Weather Service storm damage surveys revealed only spotty tree damage in Muskegon, Kent, Ionia and Clare counties which resulted in some power outages.
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.
Severe storms rolled through during the late afternoon and evening hours producing numerous reports of high thunderstorm wind gusts of up to around 75 mph as well as several reports of large hail. In spite of the powerful winds, National Weather Service storm damage surveys revealed only spotty tree damage in Muskegon, Kent, Ionia and Clare counties which resulted in some power outages.
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 Sep 21, 3:00 PM EST, 1 hour 32 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 400 PM EDT TUE SEP 21 2010 LATEST UPDATE...ALL SECTIONS EXCEPT AVIATION... .SYNOPSIS...(400 PM EDT TUE SEP 21 2010) A COLD FRONT EXTENDING FROM THE U.P. OF MICHIGAN THROUGH SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN WILL GRADUALLY SINK SOUTH THROUGH THE AREA THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME NUMEROUS LATE THIS AFTERNOON TOWARD LUDINGTON... AND SPREAD THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA TONIGHT. STRONG TO LOCALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE...ALONG WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL MOVE SOUTH OF THE AREA BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON WITH THE FRONT. THEY WILL THEN MOVE BACK INTO THE AREA LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. WARMER AIR WILL MOVE BACK IN FOR THE DAY ON THURSDAY. && .SHORT TERM...(400 PM EDT TUE SEP 21 2010) (TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT) PRIMARY CONCERN OF THE SHORT TERM IS OBVIOUSLY THE CONVECTIVE AND RAINFALL TRENDS EXPECTED THROUGH THE NEXT 12-18 HOURS ACROSS THE CWFA WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. CWFA HAS WARMED UP AS EXPECTED WITH THE STRONG SW WINDS IN THE WARM SECTOR OF THE SYSTEM. MOST TEMPS ARE IN THE MID 80S ACROSS THE CWFA WITH SFC DEW POINTS IN THE LOW TO MID 60S. THIS IS YIELDING SB CAPES OF OVER 2000 J/KG AND ML CAPES OVER 100J/KG. THE COLD FRONT IS TRYING TO LIGHT UP TO OUR NW WITH TWO MORE ORGANIZED AREAS OF CONVECTION. ONE IS MOVING EAST OF NRN LAKE HURON OUT AHEAD OF A SHORT WAVE TROUGH...AND ANOTHER IS APPROACHING THE QUAD CITIES WITH ANOTHER SHORT WAVE. SOME SHORT WAVE RIDGING IN BETWEEN THESE TROUGHS IS LIKELY IMPEDING WIDESPREAD DEVELOPMENT SO FAR. WE EXPECT AS THIS SHORT WAVE RIDGING MOVES AWAY FROM THE AREA OVER THE NEXT 2-4 HOURS...MORE WIDESPREAD CONVECTION WILL DEVELOP/MOVE IN FROM THE SW. THE BEST INSTABILITY IS LIKELY OCCURRING RIGHT NOW WITH THE PEAK HEATING OF THE DAY. THIS IS EXPECTED TO WANE SOME BEFORE ACTIVITY PICKS UP BY EARLY EVENING. WE SHOULD KEEP A DECENT AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY WITH MOISTURE POOLING ALONG THE FRONT AND SOME RESIDUAL INSTABILITY EXPECTED JUST ABOVE THE COOLING SFC. THE LOSS OF THE DIURNAL INSTABILITY LOOKS TO BE THE MAIN LIMITING FACTOR OF A WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER EVENT. DEEP LAYER SHEAR VALUES OF 35 TO 45 KNOTS WILL KEEP THE THREAT OF ORGANIZATION GOING WITH ANY STORMS. WIND REMAINS THE MAIN THREAT TONIGHT WITH A UNIDIRECTIONAL FLOW IN PLACE AND A DRY LAYER IN THE LOWEST 5-6K FEET. SOME DECENT CAPE PROFILES IN THE -10C TO -30C LAYER WOULD ALSO SUPPORT A HAIL THREAT. THE TORNADO THREAT SEEMS QUITE LOW WITH FAIRLY HIGH LCLS AND A LACK OF DIRECTIONAL SHEAR IN THE LOWER LEVELS. IF WE HAVE THE SFC WAVE MOVE THROUGH LATER...WE CAN NOT RULE SOMETHING SPINNING UP NEARBY WITH THE MESOSCALE PROFILES. PLEASE SEE THE HYDROLOGY SECTION BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS ON RAINFALL/FLOODING POTENTIAL. ONCE THE SFC WAVE MOVES BY LATER TONIGHT/EARLY WED MORNING...THE FRONT SHOULD BE PUSHED FURTHER SOUTH. SOME SCATTERED CONVECTION NEAR THE FRONT WILL BE POSSIBLE MAINLY IN THE MORNING HOURS BEFORE MOST OF THE AREA SEES A BRIEF BREAK IN THE RAIN POTENTIAL. THE FRONT WILL THEN RETURN BACK NORTH AS A WARM FRONT LATER WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY AS THE TROUGH COMING ONSHORE ACROSS CA TONIGHT MOVES INTO THE PLAINS STATES. A FEW SCATTERED STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS...HOWEVER THE LLJ WILL FOCUS TO OUR NW AND PROVIDE MORE WIDESPREAD STORMS TO OUR NW AND EVENTUALLY NORTH. IT APPEARS THAT MOST OF THE AREA WILL GET INTO THE WARM SECTOR BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON...PROVIDING ANOTHER DAY OF 80S FOR PORTIONS OF THE AREA. THE COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH LATER THU NIGHT...BRINGING ANOTHER GOOD POTENTIAL OF SHOWERS AND STORMS. && .LONG TERM...(400 PM EDT TUE SEP 21 2010) (FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY) WHAT WAS LOOKING LIKE A RATHER BENIGN PERIOD OF WEATHER FROM THIS WEEKEND INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK IS BEGINNING TO LOOK WETTER NOW. THERE HAS BEEN CONSIDERABLE MODEL DISAGREEMENT AND A FAIR AMOUNT OF SPREAD IN THE ENSEMBLE MEMBERS AS TO HOW THE WEATHER PATTERN OVER THE CONUS WILL EVOLVE IN THE DAY 3 TO DAY 7 TIME FRAME. THIS OF COURSE LEADS TO CONSIDERABLE UNCERTAINTY IN OUR FORECAST FOR THIS TIME PERIOD. WHAT SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING IS THE REX BLOCK OVER ALASKA INTO THE ALEUTIANS WILL BE BROKEN DOWN BY A POWERFUL STORM COMING OFF KOREA TODAY. THAT SYSTEM DEVELOPS AN EXTENDED EAST ASIAN JET WITH A 180 KNOT JET CORE AS IT HEADS ACROSS THE DATELINE THURSDAY. WITH ALL ENERGY PUSHING INTO WESTERN NORTH AMERICA IT WILL DEVELOP A LARGE RIDGE JUST INLAND OF THE CONUS WEST COAST STARTING FRIDAY. DUE TO THE WAVE LENGTH OF THE UPSTREAM RIDGE AND DOWN STREAM TROUGH... THE GREAT LAKES AND THE EASTERN CONUS ARE THE AREA MOST LIKELY TO BE IN THE AREA OF THE DIGGING DOWNSTREAM TROUGH. THE ECMWF HAS BEEN PLAYING THIS SCENARIO FOR SEVERAL DAYS NOW WHILE THE GFS UP UNTIL THE PAST TWO RUNS HAS NOT ALLOWED AS MUCH DIGGING OVER THE EASTERN CONUS. THE ECMWF HAS SO MUCH DIGGING THAT A CLOSED UPPER LOW DEVELOPS OVER THE EASTERN CONUS BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. WHAT THIS ALL MEANS TO THOSE IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN IS WE WOULD SEE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY AS THE INITIAL TROUGH BEGINS TO BUILD OVER THE EASTERN CONUS. THAT WOULD BRING A DECENT COLD FRONT THROUGH THIS AREA DURING FRIDAY. WHILE IT WOULD DRY OUT FRIDAY NIGHT... ANOTHER DIGGING NORTHERN STREAM SHORTWAVE WOULD BRING MORE SHOWERS SATURDAY AS EASTERN TROUGH DEEPENS. AS THE SYSTEM CONTINUES TO DIG AND DEVELOP SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN WOULD BE ON THE DRY SIDE OF THE SYSTEM BY SUNDAY AS THE BUILDING HIGH BEHIND THE EAST COAST SYSTEM WOULD BE CENTERED OVER SOUTHEAST ONTARIO. THAT WOULD BRING DRY AIR FROM SOUTHERN CANADA INTO MICHIGAN FROM THE NORTHEAST. HOWEVER THAT DRY WEATHER WILL NOT LAST IF THAT CLOSED LOW DEVELOPS AS THE ECMWF SUGGESTS IT WILL. ANOTHER NORTHERN STREAM SHORTWAVE BEHIND THAT DIGS INTO THE EASTERN TROUGH AND RETROGRADES THE EAST COAST SYSTEM BRINGING ATLANTIC MOISTURE BACK WESTWARD INTO MICHIGAN. THAT WOULD LEAD TO A EXTENDED WET PERIOD STARTING TUESDAY. WITH THE PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES APPROACHING 2 INCHES (OVER 200 PCT OF NORMAL)BY 8 AM FRIDAY. THAT RAISES THE SPECTER FOR HEAVY RAIN FRIDAY. THE 50 TO 60 KNOT LOW LEVEL JET CROSSING SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN NEAR BEH TOWARD MBS AT 8 AM IN COMBINATION WITH THE 95 KNOT 300 MB JET CORE CROSSING CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN AT THAT TIME WOULD BRING THE RISK OF SEVERE STORMS DEPENDING HOW THIS REALLY PLAYS OUT. THAT TIMING WOULD SUGGEST AT TIME THAT IS NOT FAVORABLE TO SEVERE STORMS...STILL THE DYNAMICS LOOK GOOD FOR IT. THUS FRIDAY WILL HAVE BE WATCHED FOR OUR NEXT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER EVENT. && .AVIATION...(125 PM EDT TUE SEP 21 2010) VFR CIGS/VSBY INTO LATE AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL DIMINISH TOWARD SUNSET. I USED THE HRRR RUC AS MY PRIMARY GUIDANCE FOR TIMING ON THE THUNDERSTORMS. THAT BRINGS THE STORMS INTO THE MKG/GRR AREA AROUND 01Z AND SPREADS THE STORMS SOUTHEAST FROM THERE. IT DOES APPEAR THERE WILL BE A WAVE ON THE FRONT SO I BROUGHT IFR CIGS/VSBY BTW 06Z AND 09Z. WITH THE WAVE MOVING THROUGH THE RAIN AND IFR CONDITIONS SHOULD PREVAIL INTO MID MORNING WEDNESDAY. && .MARINE...(400 PM EDT TUE SEP 21 2010) WE WILL BE DROPPING THE GALE WARNING FOR THE ENTIRE NEARSHORE WITH THIS FORECAST PACKAGE AS WINDS AT ALL MARINE COASTAL OBSERVATION SITES HAVE REMAINED BELOW CRITERIA. WINDS ARE FLIRTING WITH SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CRITERIA...HOWEVER WAVES APPEAR TO BE EASILY HITTING CRITERIA. WINDS WILL BE DROPPING OFF PRETTY QUICKLY THIS EVENING...AND WAVE MODEL INDICATES WAVES DROPPING BELOW 4 FEET BY LATE EVENING. WE WILL KEEP THE ADVISORY GOING THROUGH THE EVENING ISSUANCE. && .HYDROLOGY...(400 PM EDT TUE SEP 21 2010) HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY STORMS THAT MOVE THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT WITH PRECIPITABLE WATERS INCREASING TO 1.5 TO 2 INCHES AHEAD OF THE FRONT. STORMS WILL BE SOMEWHAT PROGRESSIVE WITH THE FRONT EARLY THIS EVENING FOR THE NRN PORTION OF THE CWFA. THE POTENTIAL FOR MORE WIDESPREAD HEAVIER RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE FARTHER SOUTH WHERE THE FRONT SLOWS DOWN AND THE POTENTIAL FOR TRAINING OF STORMS WILL BE HIGHER. THE RAINFALL POTENTIAL WILL CONTINUE DOWN SOUTH UNTIL ABOUT DAYBREAK WEDNESDAY MORNING WHEN THE FRONT MOVES FAR ENOUGH AWAY. && .GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI....NONE. LM....SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MANISTEE TO ST. JOSEPH. && SYNOPSIS: NJJ SHORT TERM: NJJ LONG TERM: WDM AVIATION: WDM MARINE: NJJ HYDROLOGY NJJ
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 625 AM EDT TUE SEP 21 2010 MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-221000- MASON-LAKE-OSCEOLA-CLARE-OCEANA-NEWAYGO-MECOSTA-ISABELLA-MUSKEGON- MONTCALM-GRATIOT-OTTAWA-KENT-IONIA-CLINTON-ALLEGAN-BARRY-EATON- INGHAM-VAN BUREN-KALAMAZOO-CALHOUN-JACKSON- 625 AM EDT TUE SEP 21 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER EXISTS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THE MAIN THREAT IS DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS BUT LARGE HAIL IS ALSO POSSIBLE. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL COULD CREATE URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING. THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY AFTER 3 PM NORTH OF A MUSKEGON TO MOUNT PLEASANT LINE. THE STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND SPREAD SOUTH ACROSS THE REST OF THE AREA THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. INDIVIDUAL STORM MOVEMENT WILL BE EAST AT 30 TO 50 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A THUNDERSTORM CHANCE WILL LINGER WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT... AND NORTH OF GRAND RAPIDS ON THURSDAY. ANOTHER GOOD CHANCE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXISTS AREA WIDE LATE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED AFTER 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON NORTH OF GRAND RAPIDS.... AND AFTER 7 PM SOUTH OF GRAND RAPIDS. LMZ844>849-221000- 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- 625 AM EDT TUE SEP 21 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SOUTH WINDS TO 35 KNOTS WILL CREATE A HAZARD TO SMALL CRAFT TODAY BEFORE DIMINISHING TONIGHT. A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER EXISTS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THE MAIN THREAT IS DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS OF 60 MPH BUT LARGE HAIL IS ALSO POSSIBLE. THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY AFTER 3 PM NORTH OF MUSKEGON. THE STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND SPREAD SOUTH ACROSS THE REST OF THE LAKE THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. INDIVIDUAL STORM MOVEMENT WILL BE EAST AT 30 TO 50 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY GALE FORCE WINDS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. THE WINDS THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT WILL BE OUT OF THE SOUTH... SHIFTING TO THE WEST ON FRIDAY. A THUNDERSTORM CHANCE WILL LINGER WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT... AND NORTH OF MUSKEGON ON THURSDAY. ANOTHER GOOD CHANCE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXISTS AREA WIDE LATE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED AFTER 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON NORTH OF HOLLAND... AND AFTER 7 PM SOUTH OF HOLLAND. MEADE
The Grand Rapids radar (KGRR), 127 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:32 UTC.
9 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
The fire department reported hail up to one inch in diameter two miles northeast of Summit township.
Clare county emergency managers reported trees down in a subdivision north of Harrison.
Golf ball sized hail was reported near Weidman by a trained spotter.
The fire department reported golf ball sized hail in Morley.
An NWS storm survey revealed only spotty tree damage near Duck Lake state park and Muskegon. A 76 mph wind gust was measured at the Muskegon GLERL field station.
Three quarters to one inch diameter hail was reported in Beal City and also near Rosebush.
A trained spotter reported a measured 75 mph wind gust at West County Park in Fennville. A 72 mph measured wind gust was recored at the Holland ASOS.
A 63 mph wind gust was measured at the South Haven GLERL site.
Power lines were blown down on Chicago Drive in Hudsonville.
Several large trees were blown down across portions of Kent county and the bow echo produced a 72 mph measured wind gust at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids.
An NWS employee reported one inch diameter hail in Mt. Pleasant.
Local fire departments reported that around a dozen house fires were produced by lightning from Ada south to Caledonia.
An NWS storm survey reported spotty tree damage across portions of Ionia county.
Amateur radio operators reported that several eight inch diameter trees were blown down in Six Lakes.
An Ingham county emergency manager reported that numerous trees and power lines were blown down between Williamston and Webberville.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, September 2010
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: 257327, 257328, 257329, 257330, 257332, 257333, 257335, 257336, 257337, 257339, 257341, 257342, 257344, 257346, 257347.