A wake low resulting from a thunderstorm complex moving through Wisconsin caused wind damage over Gogebic County on the afternoon of the 9th.
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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 MQT wrote it up.
A wake low resulting from a thunderstorm complex moving through Wisconsin caused wind damage over Gogebic County on the afternoon of the 9th.
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 9, 3:04 AM CST, 8 hours 51 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 504 AM EDT MON MAY 9 2011 .DISCUSSION /TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... EXPECT A SIMILAR DAY TODAY AS YESTERDAY...WITH DRY CONDITIONS AND FIRE WX CONCERNS THE MAIN ISSUE. BIGGEST QUESTION WILL BE IF ALL THREE RED FLAG WARNING CRITERIA WILL COME TOGETHER. FIRST...MID CLOUDS SPREADING OVER MUCH OF THE AREA EARLY THIS MORNING SHOULD CONTINUE TO SLIDE NE AND GRADUALLY DISSIPATE AS THEY HEAD INTO THE DRIER AIR FROM THE HIGH JUST E OF HUDSON BAY. FARTHER W...WIDESPREAD LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS HAS DEVELOPED AND MOVED INTO WRN MN. EXPECT THIS AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO CONTINUE TO TRACK ENE AND TOWARDS THE AREA AND SPREAD HIGH CLOUDS OVER THE WRN CWA DURING THE MORNING. SHORTWAVE AIDING THIS AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD ALSO CONTINUE NE AND POSSIBLY BRING SOME SHOWERS TO THE FAR WRN CWA THIS AFTN. DRY AIR BELOW H700 WILL LIKELY HOLD OFF PCPN FOR THE REST OF THE AREA UNTIL THE EVENING HOURS. MODELS CONSISTENT ON HOLDING THE BEST INSTABILITY FARTHER S THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY...SO HAVE JUST MENTIONED SHOWERS AND EXPECT THE THUNDERSTORMS TO FEED SE INTO THE BETTER INSTABILITY AND H850 JET. AS FOR HIGHS TODAY...EXPECT VALUES TO BE AT OR SLIGHTLY BELOW HIGHS REACHED YESTERDAY. CLOUDS STREAMING ACROSS THE AREA AND INCREASING WAA WILL TRY TO LIMIT MIXING...MODELS ONLY SHOW MIXING UP TO H900-875...WHICH WOULD PRODUCE TEMPS IN THE MID/UPPER 60S TODAY. THIS IS SIMILAR TO NAM/MET AND THEIR BIAS CORRECTED TEMPS...WHICH HAVE PERFORMED WELL THIS SPRING IN THESE SITUATIONS. THINK THE BEST CHANCE FOR REACHING 70 TODAY WILL BE OVER THE SE WIND DOWNSLOPE AREAS AND OVER THE ERN CWA...WHERE THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO SEE MORE SUN AND INCREASED MIXING. MIXING INTO THE DRIER AIR ALOFT SHOULD PRODUCE ANOTHER DAY WITH DEWPOINTS FALLING INTO THE UPPER 20S OVER THE CNTRL/ERN CWA...WHICH PRODUCES RH VALUES RIGHT AROUND 25 PERCENT WITH THE CURRENT TEMP FORECAST. FINALLY...GRADIENT BETWEEN THE DEVELOPING LOW OVER WRN NEBRASKA AND HIGH JUST E OF HUDSON BAY WILL LEAD TO SE WINDS SUSTAINED AROUND 10 TO 15KTS TODAY. MIXING TO H900-875 WOULD PRODUCE GUSTS TOWARDS 25KTS...WHICH WOULD ADD ONE MORE INGREDIENT TO THE HEIGHTENED FIRE WX CONCERNS. WAS VERY TEMPTED TO ISSUE A RED FLAG WARNING FOR MUCH OF THE AREA...BUT CONCERNS OVER TEMPS THIS AFTN WITH CLOUDS AND APPROACHING PCPN...ALONG WITH UNCERTAINTY ON SEEING SUSTAINED WINDS REACHING THE 20MPH CRITERIA FOR 3HRS HAS CAUSED ME TO HOLD OFF. WILL ISSUE A WILDFIRE POTENTIAL STATEMENT AND PASS CONCERNS ONTO THE NEXT SHIFT FOR MONITORING. TONIGHT...PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED SHORTWAVE AND ISENTROPIC ASCENT WILL SLIDE ACROSS THE CWA TONIGHT. NAM/GFS/ECMWF ALL SHOWING ELEVATED INSTABILITY TRYING TO WORK INTO THE SRN PART OF THE CWA...WHICH MAY BE ENOUGH TO PRODUCE A FEW RUMBLES OF THUNDER. OTHERWISE...FELT THE PREVIOUS SHIFT HAD A GOOD HANDLE ON POPS...WITH THE BEST CHANCES OVER THE SRN PART OF THE AREA CLOSER TO THE BEST WAA AND POSSIBLE CONVECTION OVER WI. TROUGH WILL CONTINUE TO DIG OVER THE WRN CONUS ON TUES AND AMPLIFY THE RIDGE BEHIND THE EXITING SHORTWAVE. THIS SHOULD DIMINISH THE LINGERING PCPN OVER THE ERN CWA DURING THE MORNING. PLENTY OF MOISTURE BELOW H750...ALONG WITH PERSISTANT WAA...WILL LIKELY PRODUCE PARTLY/MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES ACROSS THE AREA. MEANWHILE...WARM/DRY AIR ABOVE H750 WILL LIKELY CAP ANY PCPN DEVELOPMENT. THEREFORE...HAVE WENT WITH A MAINLY DRY FORECAST...OTHER THAN A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS OVER THE SERN CWA IN THE MORNING. TEMPS WILL DEPEND ON CLOUD COVER AND IN TURN THE AMNT OF MIXING INTO THE WARM AIR ALOFT...BUT EXPECT VALUES TO REMAIN NEAR NORMAL AND IN THE 60S. TUES NIGHT INTO WED...SFC LOW WILL BE TRACKING N THROUGH THE ERN DAKOTAS DURING THIS TIME...WHILE THE WARM FRONT REMAINS HUNG UP S OF THE AREA...FROM SRN MN TO NRN INDIANA. BEST CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS LOOKS TO BE ON TUES NIGHT...WITH DECENT ELEVATED CAPE VALUES /APPROACHING 1000 J/KG/ AND STRONG H700-500 LAPSE RATES OVER 7C/KM. EXPECT THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP ALONG THE STRONG H850-700 WAA TUES NIGHT AND THEN QUICKLY PUSH NE INTO CANADA BY WED MORNING. WITH THE RIDGE AXIS STARTING TO SHIFT E ON WED...EXPECT THE WARMEST TEMPS OF THE WEEK TO OCCUR. WARMEST AIR SHOULD STAY TO THE S OF THE AREA...AS THE WARM FRONT PUSHES IN TO SRN WI...BUT STILL EXPECT ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS AND LIKELY THE WARMEST VALUES OF THE WEEK. ONCE AGAIN...TEMPS WILL LARGELY DEPEND ON CLOUD COVER AND MIXING AS THE MAIN PCPN FROM TUES NIGHT STARTS TO SHIFT TO THE N OF THE AREA...BUT WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE A COUPLE LOCATIONS TRY TO HIT 80. NEXT PIECE OF ENERGY LOOKS TO SHIFT TOWARDS THE CWA ON WED AFTN. HAVE CONTINUED CHANCE POPS DURING THAT TIME...BUT DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS ON THE WARM AIR AROUND H850 BEING ENOUGH TO CAP ANY DEVELOPMENT. EXPECT THE UNSETTLED WEATHER TO CONTINUE WED NIGHT INTO THURS...AS THE UPPER LOW BEGINS TO SLIDE NE AND ENERGY ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROUGH CONTINUES TO EJECT INTO THE AREA. WILL CONTINUE CHANCE POPS WITH SHORTWAVE PROGGED TO SLIDE NE ACROSS THE AREA WED NIGHT INTO THURS MORN. WITH THE RIDGE AXIS JUST TO THE E OF THE AREA...EXPECT NORMAL TO ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS TO CONTINUE...AS H850 TEMPS REACH 16C AND FORM THE TOP OF THE INVERSION. && .AVIATION /FOR THE 06Z TAF ISSUANCE/... VFR CEILINGS AND VIS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE PERIOD. THE MAIN DILEMMA AVIATION WISE WILL BE STRENGTHENING SE WINDS...WITH GUSTS IN THE MID TO UPPER 20KT RANGE MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND ALSO SOME LLWS FOR TONIGHT AT SAW AND FOR BOTH SITES MON EVENING. && .MARINE /FOR THE 4 AM LAKE SUPERIOR FORECAST ISSUANCE/... ESE WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 25 KTS LATE TODAY AND CONTINUE INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY DUE TO A STRENGTHENING GRADIENT BTWN HUDSON BAY HIGH PRESSURE MOVING EAST INTO QUEBEC AND LOW PRES SLOWLY LIFTING NORTH THROUGH THE CENTRAL PLAINS. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE OVER CENTRAL AND EASTERN LAKE SUPERIOR. WINDS WILL DECREASE BLO 20 KNOTS BY WED EVENING AS THE LOW PRESSURE TROUGH OVER THE NRN PLAINS MOVES INTO WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR. && .MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UPPER MICHIGAN... NONE. LAKE SUPERIOR... NONE. LAKE MICHIGAN... NONE. && DISCUSSION...SRF AVIATION...07 MARINE...VOSS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 512 AM EDT MON MAY 9 2011 MIZ001>007-009>014-084-085-101200- KEWEENAW-ONTONAGON-NORTHERN HOUGHTON-BARAGA-MARQUETTE-ALGER-LUCE- GOGEBIC-IRON-DICKINSON-MENOMINEE-DELTA-SOUTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- SOUTHERN HOUGHTON-NORTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- 512 AM EDT MON MAY 9 2011 /412 AM CDT MON MAY 9 2011/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN AND CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE COMBINATION OF LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES...GUSTY SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS...AND ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES WILL LEAD TO ELEVATED FIRE DANGER TODAY AWAY FROM LAKE MICHIGAN AND THE KEWEENAW PENINSULA. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT NEAR THE WISCONSIN BORDER. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. LSZ162-240>251-263>267-101200- 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- 512 AM EDT MON MAY 9 2011 /412 AM CDT MON MAY 9 2011/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN LAKE SUPERIOR...CENTRAL LAKE SUPERIOR AND WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. LMZ221-248-250-101200- 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- 512 AM EDT MON MAY 9 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN LAKE LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS LATE TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. SRF
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong southeast winds from a wake low knocked down numerous trees near Little Girls Point in far western Gogebic County. Winds at the AWOS in Ironwood gusted near 50 mph during the event.
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: 302200.