Scattered thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening mainly produced brief heavy rainfall and frequent lightning, but a couple of storms did produce hail of up to three quarters of an inch to an inch and a half in diameter.
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 during the afternoon and evening mainly produced brief heavy rainfall and frequent lightning, but a couple of storms did produce hail of up to three quarters of an inch to an inch and a half in diameter.
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 May 13, 2:56 PM EST, 2 hours 19 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 356 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011 LATEST UPDATE...ALL BUT AVIATION... .SYNOPSIS...(PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011) A COLD FRONT WILL BRING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT AND ALSO USHER IN SOME MUCH COOLER WEATHER FOR THE WEEKEND. EXPECT CLOUDS AND SCATTERED SHOWERS FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WITH HIGHS ONLY IN THE 50S. SOME SCATTERED FROST IS POSSIBLE BY MONDAY MORNING. && .SHORT TERM...(356 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011) (TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT) COLD FRONT SAGGING SOUTH THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT WILL TOUCH OFF SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...WITH ISOLATED HAILERS POSSIBLE ONCE AGAIN. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN COULD ALSO BE AN ISSUE WITH SOME OF THE SLOWER MOVING STORMS THIS EVENING. STRONG STORMS SHOULD DIMINISH BY LATE EVENING. THEN THE FORECAST FOCUS SHIFTS TO ASSESSING WHERE THE RAIN WILL FALL ON SATURDAY. SFC AND UPPER LOW CONSOLIDATE JUST SOUTH OF LOWER MICHIGAN OVER THE WEEKEND WITH BANDS OF MODERATE RAIN EXPECTED IN AREA OF MID LEVEL F-GEN AND EASTERLY FLOW NORTH OF THE LOW. THIS COULD SET UP ACROSS THE CENTRAL OR EVEN NORTHERN FORECAST AREA AS SHOWN BY SOME MODELS. KEPT LIKELY POPS GOING ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN FORECAST AREA. WILL HAVE CHANCE GOING ACROSS THE NORTH FOR NOW...BUT HAVE TO WATCH MODEL TRENDS ON WHERE THE NORTHERN EDGE OF THE RAIN WILL SET UP. TRICKY FORECAST FOR SUNDAY NIGHT. IF SKIES CLEAR AND WINDS ARE ABLE TO DECOUPLE...WE COULD SEE FROST AND EVEN SOME FREEZING TEMPERATURES UP NORTH. WENT CLOSE TO MAVMOS WHICH SHOWS LOWS IN THE 30S MONDAY MORNING. WILL PROBABLY NEED A FROST ADVISORY IF IT LOOKS LIKE SKIES CAN CLEAR OUT. && .LONG TERM...(356 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011) (MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY) MAIN CHALLENGE OF THE LONG TERM PORTION OF THE FCST IS DETERMINING PCPN CHCS THROUGH THE PERIOD AS AN UPPER LOW COMPLEX IS FCST TO REMAIN IN THE REGION A MAJORITY OF THE TIME. IT DOES APPEAR THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A DRY DAY ON MON...ALTHOUGH THAT IS NOT EVEN A SURE THING. THE UPPER LOW DIVING SE LATE IN THE WEEKEND WILL TEMPORARILY SWEEP THE MOISTURE AND RAIN SHOWERS OUT OF THE AREA SUN NIGHT AND MON. HOW FAR THIS LOW GOES BEFORE IT STARTS WRAPPING THE OTHER UPPER WAVE BACK TO THE NW WILL DETERMINE THE CHC FOR A DRY DAY ON MON. TEMPS ON MON WILL BE COOL EVEN WITH SOME SUN AS H850 TEMPS WILL ONLY BE IN THE 1-2C RANGE. THE MODELS ARE IN AGREEMENT THAT A LARGER LOBE OF THE UPPER LOW COMPLEX WILL ROTATE BACK TO THE NW BY TUE. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR SHORT WAVES TO OCCASIONALLY ROTATE THROUGH THE CWFA...ALONG WITH POP UP DIURNAL SHOWERS TO BE POSSIBLE EACH DAY THROUGH THU. IT WILL NOT BE RAINING THE ENTIRE TIME...BUT IT DOES LOOK TO BE FAIRLY GLOOMY. WE SHOULD HAVE A SOMEWHAT LIMITED TEMP SWING EACH DAY WITH CLOUDS HOLDING TEMPS UP AT NIGHT...AND LIMITING THE WARMTH DURING THE DAY. WE WILL SEE A MODIFICATION OF THE AIR MASS ALOFT OVER THE AREA AS THE UPPER LOW ADVECTS SOME WARMER AIR IN OVER THE AREA FROM THE EAST. THE MODELS ARE TRYING TO BUILD IN SOME UPPER RIDGING THEN FOR THE DAY ON FRI NEXT WEEK. THE MODELS ARE NOTORIOUS FOR TRYING TO KICK UPPER LOWS OUT TOO QUICK...BUT WE WILL GO WITH AN OPTIMISTIC DRY AND MILDER FCST ON FRI FOR NOW. && .AVIATION...(153 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011) FIRST CHALLENGE WITH THIS SET OF TERMINAL FCSTS IS DEALING WITH THE THREAT OF CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON. INSTABILITY IS CURRENTLY BUILDING ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA...AND CONVECTION IS ONGOING SOUTH OF THE STATE ACROSS NRN IN AND NRN IL. THE ONLY ORGANIZED MECHANISM FOR TOUCHING OFF CONVECTION MIGHT BE A LAKE BREEZE BOUNDARY. OTHERWISE IT WILL JUST BE RANDOM ISOLATED CELLS. WE HAVE A VCTS IN ALL FCSTS FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING BEFORE INSTABILITY WILL DIMINISH. LOW CLOUDS CURRENTLY IN PLACE TO OUR NW ACROSS LAKE MICHIGAN...THE U.P....AND WI...WILL SINK SE THROUGH THE EVENING AND EARLY OVERNIGHT HOURS TONIGHT. THIS WILL BRING MVFR AND EVENTUALLY IFR CONDITIONS TO ALL TERMINALS BY 06Z OR SO. THEN...MORE ORGANIZED SHOWERS WILL MOVE IN/DEVELOP FROM THE SOUTH TOWARD DAYBREAK SAT MORNING. IFR CONDITIONS WITH CIGS CAN BE EXPECTED. && .MARINE...(356 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011) NORTH WINDS WILL PICK UP THIS EVENING AND GUST TO 25 KNOTS AS WAVES BUILD TO 4 FEET. WINDS WILL REMAIN STRONG OVER THE WEEKEND AND NORTHEAST GALES ARE POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY. COMBINED WITH THE RAIN AND COLD TEMPERATURES...IT WILL NOT BE A GOOD WEEKEND TO BE OUT ON THE LAKE. && .HYDROLOGY...(356 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011) SCATTERED DOWNPOURS EXPECTED TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH WITH MORE WIDESPREAD RAIN OVER THE WEEKEND. HARD TO PIN DOWN WHERE THE HEAVIER RAIN WILL FALL...BUT SOME PLACES COULD SEE UP TO AN INCH OF RAIN BASIN AVERAGE BEFORE THE SLOW MOVING LOW TAKES LEAVE SUNDAY NIGHT. && .GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...NONE. LM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY ENTIRE NEARSHORE TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. && SYNOPSIS: OSTUNO SHORT TERM: OSTUNO LONG TERM: NJJ AVIATION: NJJ MARINE: OSTUNO HYDROLOGY: OSTUNO
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 533 AM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011 MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-140945- MASON-LAKE-OSCEOLA-CLARE-OCEANA-NEWAYGO-MECOSTA-ISABELLA-MUSKEGON- MONTCALM-GRATIOT-OTTAWA-KENT-IONIA-CLINTON-ALLEGAN-BARRY-EATON- INGHAM-VAN BUREN-KALAMAZOO-CALHOUN-JACKSON- 533 AM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AN ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM COULD DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON OR EVENING WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL THE PRIMARY THREAT. ANY STORMS TODAY WILL BE SLOW MOVING AND COULD LEAD TO LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY RAINFALL OVER THE WEEKEND COULD BE HEAVY ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF A MUSKEGON TO MOUNT PLEASANT LINE. OVER AN INCH OF RAIN IS LIKELY ALONG THE INTERSTATE 94 CORRIDOR. THIS WOULD CAUSE CONSIDERABLE RISES ON SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. LMZ844>849-140945- 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- 533 AM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE INTO TONIGHT. CLOUD TO WATER LIGHTNING STRIKES AND GUSTY WINDS MAY POSE A RISK TO MARINERS. AREAS OF DENSE FOG WILL LIMIT THE VISIBILITY INTO THIS EVENING. WINDS AND WAVES WILL BE ON THE INCREASE TONIGHT AS A NORTHERLY FLOW SETS UP. CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME HAZARDOUS TO SMALL CRAFT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NORTHEAST TO NORTH WINDS OVER 20 KNOTS ARE LIKELY FOR MUCH OF THE WEEKEND. AN ELEVATED RISK FOR GALES EXISTS ON SUNDAY. THUS HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS TO SMALL CRAFT ARE EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 409 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011 MIZ064-132115- ALLEGAN- 409 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY... AT 406 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR ALLEGAN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 5 MPH. PEA SIZE HAIL...WINDS GREATER THAN 30 MPH...OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... OTSEGO... SHELBYVILLE... MARTIN... PLAINWELL... PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... 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 THIS STORM HAS PASSED. && LAT...LON 4262 8555 4242 8555 4242 8587 4259 8587 TIME...MOT...LOC 2010Z 246DEG 4KT 4251 8579 NJJ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 411 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011 MIZ040-132115- CLARE- 411 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY... AT 410 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF CLARE...MOVING SOUTH AT 5 MPH. PEA SIZE HAIL...WINDS GREATER THAN 30 MPH...OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... SHERIDEN TWP... CLARE... PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... 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 THIS STORM HAS PASSED. && LAT...LON 4382 8461 4381 8480 4398 8479 4400 8460 TIME...MOT...LOC 2011Z 011DEG 4KT 4388 8465 NJJ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 518 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011 MIZ059-132200- CLINTON- 518 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY... AT 513 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES WEST OF ST. JOHNS...MOVING NORTH AT 5 MPH. FUNNEL CLOUDS...PEA SIZE HAIL...WINDS GREATER THAN 30 MPH... OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... EUREKA... MAPLE RAPIDS... PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... 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 THIS STORM HAS PASSED. && LAT...LON 4312 8472 4312 8437 4296 8453 4298 8479 TIME...MOT...LOC 2117Z 200DEG 5KT 4301 8463 NJJ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 549 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011 MIZ072-073-132245- CALHOUN-KALAMAZOO- 549 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY... AT 546 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES SOUTH OF KALAMAZOO...MOVING NORTH AT 10 MPH. FUNNEL CLOUDS...ONE HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL...WINDS GREATER THAN 30 MPH...OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS... ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... PORTAGE... OSHTEMO... ALAMO... KALAMAZOO... PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... 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 THIS STORM HAS PASSED. && LAT...LON 4207 8574 4241 8575 4242 8530 4207 8542 TIME...MOT...LOC 2149Z 180DEG 9KT 4213 8561 NJJ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
557 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011
MIZ052-132300-
GRATIOT-
557 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
AT 555 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER SOUTH CENTRAL MIDLAND COUNTY...MOVING SOUTH
AT 10 MPH.
ONE HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL...WINDS GREATER THAN 30 MPH...OCCASIONAL
CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...ARE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
WHEELER... BRECKENRIDGE... LAFAYETTE TWP...
NORTH STAR...
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
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 THIS STORM HAS PASSED.
&&
LAT...LON 4319 8456 4347 8455 4347 8437 4347 8436
4320 8436
TIME...MOT...LOC 2157Z 355DEG 10KT 4350 8441
NJJThe Grand Rapids radar (KGRR), 108 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:13 UTC.
2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained spotter three miles north northwest of Wheeler reported that a severe thunderstorm produced hail that was predominately dime sized, but also some nickel sized hail and even a few hailstones which were up to an inch and a half in diameter. The larger stones may have stuck together on the ground after falling.
A trained spotter two miles north northwest of Dimondale reported that hail ranging from pea sized to nickel (three quarters inch diameter) fell for three minutes.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, May 2011
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: 291188, 291189.