A cluster of thunderstorms in East Central Lower Michigan produced a few pockets of wind damage.
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 APX wrote it up.
A cluster of thunderstorms in East Central Lower Michigan produced a few pockets of wind damage.
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 Gaylord, MI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 3, 6:27 AM EST, 2 hours 58 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI 727 AM EDT SAT SEP 3 2011 .SYNOPSIS.../ISSUED AT 415 AM/ THE COOL FRONT THAT MOVED INTO THE GREAT LAKES FRIDAY...WILL BECOME STATIONARY OVER CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN TODAY...AS IT AWAITS ANOTHER UPPER-LEVEL DISTURBANCE...AND A MUCH STRONGER CANADIAN COLD FRONT. PERIODS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ALONG THE FRONT...UNTIL THE STRONGER COLD FRONT SLIDES THROUGH AROUND DAYBREAK SUNDAY. SCATTERED LAKE EFFECT RAIN SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP SUNDAY INTO MONDAY...AS THE CORE OF THE CHILLIEST AIR SWINGS OVER THE WARM LAKES. HIGH PRESSURE WILL SETTLE OVER THE REGION TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...WITH TEMPERATURES SLOWLY AND MODESTLY CREEPING UPWARD. HALBLAUB && .SHORT TERM.../ISSUED AT 415 AM/...TODAY EARLY MORNING COMPOSITE ANALYSIS SHOWS A SERIES OF BAROCLINIC ZONES DRAPED FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MICHIGAN. ONE BOUNDARY LIES ALONG M-55 AND MARKS A SUBSTANTIAL BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE GRADIENT...WHILE THE SURFACE PRESSURE TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED WINDSHIFT IS LOCATED OVER SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN...WITH THE MOST JUICY AND UNSTABLE AIR JUST TO IT/S SOUTH. NORTH OF THE NORTHERN FRONT...ACROSS MOST OF THE CWA...A BUBBLE HIGH HAS MOVED OVERHEAD WITH WEAK NORTHERLY FLOW EMANATING FROM THIS FEATURE. AS WE MOVE UPSTAIRS...THERE ARE TWO PRIMARY FEATURES OF NOTE. THE FIRST IS A SUBTLE PV ANOMALY /WITH ASSOCIATED MID LEVEL JET MAX/ CENTERED OVER NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA AND MOVING NORTHEAST. THIS FEATURE HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR EXPANDING CONVECTION ACROSS NORTHEASTERN IOWA EXTENDING INTO SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN. A FAR MORE POTENT UPSTREAM SHORTWAVE IS THE SECOND FEATURE...CURRENTLY CENTERED OVER NORTHERN NORTH DAKOTA AND MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST. THIS FEATURE WILL CONTINUE TO HELP PUSH THE DOWNSTREAM WAVE NORTH AND EAST WHILE AT THE SAME TIME PROVIDING MID LEVEL HEIGHT FALLS THAT SHOULD COAX THE LOW LEVEL FLOW TO BACK SOME THIS MORNING...AND BEGIN THE PROCESS OF SHIFTING THE AFOREMENTIONED BAROCLINIC ZONES NORTH. FINAL FEATURE OF NOTE IS 120KT JET STREAK AT H25 THAT WILL EDGE TOWARDS THE REGION...PARTICULARLY THIS AFTERNOON SPREADING IT/S RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OVERHEAD. PRECIPITATION ALONG AND NORTH OF THESE BOUNDARIES...AS WELL AS SEVERE CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL ARE THE PRIMARY FORECAST CHALLENGES FOR TODAY. GRB/ARX BASE REFLECTIVITY SHOWS WEAK BUT EXPANDING CONVECTION STARTING TO BREAK OUT AS ISENTROPIC ASCENT DEVELOPS ALONG THE 310K SURFACE AND BRINGS A CONDITIONALLY UNSTABLE AIRMASS UPWARDS... ALLOWING OR ELEVATED CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT. TIMING THESE SHOWERS/STORMS INTO THE CWA BRINGS THEM HERE IN THE PRE DAWN HOURS. I FULLY EXPECT THE EXPANDING TREND IN PRECIPITATION ECHOES TO CONTINUE AND WILL EXPAND LIKELY POPS FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE CWA DURING THE MORNING HOURS. STRONGEST CONVECTION IS CURRENTLY ALONG THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE PRECIPITATION SHIELD...CLOSEST TO 925/850 MOISTURE CONVERGENCE AND IN THE PRESENCE OF SUBSTANTIAL INSTABILITY. THIS IS PROGGED TO MAKE A RUN AT MY SOUTHWEST ZONES TOWARDS 12Z AND WHILE OUR PRIMARY SEVERE THREAT WILL LIKELY HOLD OFF UNTIL LATER /SEE BELOW/ WILL CERTAINLY INDICATE ARRIVING PRECIPITATION WILL CONTAIN THUNDER. AN INTERESTING AFTERNOON MAY BE IN STORE AS INITIAL SHORTWAVE CONTINUES TO PULL EAST...WITH ARRIVING HEIGHT FALLS HELPING COAX BOTH NEARBY BAROCLINIC ZONES NORTH...WITH THESE BOUNDARIES LIKELY RESIDING OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE CWA AS WE START DESTABILIZING. EXPECT AFTERNOON CONVECTION TO HAVE NO PROBLEM GETTING GOING ALONG PRE FRONTAL TROUGH AHEAD OF PRIMARY COLD FRONT DURING THE AFTERNOON. MIXED LAYER CAPES INCREASE RAPIDLY FROM NORTH TO SOUTH...WITH LITTLE INSTABILITY TO SPEAK OF OVER EASTERN UPPER INCREASING TOWARDS 2000 J/KG ALONG M-55. BULK SHEAR WILL BE AMPLE FOR ROTATING UPDRAFTS...BETWEEN 40-50 KNOTS. SO...THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER...MAINLY FOR SOUTHERN AREAS /ALONG AND SOUTH OF M-72/ GIVEN THE BEST INSTABILITY. SPC HAS THESE AREAS IN THE NEW DAY 1 SLIGHT RISK...AND WILL INCLUDE SEVERE WORDING IN THE AFTERNOON FORECAST FOR THESE SPOTS. WITH ROTATING UPDRAFTS POSSIBLE...ALONG WITH A MOIST BOUNDARY LAYER AND IN-SITU LOW LEVEL BOUNDARIES...AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION AS WELL. TEMPERATURES SHOULD REACH THE LOWER/MIDDLE 70S FOR MOST LOCATIONS... EXCEPT UPPER 70S ALONG/SOUTH OF M-55. ARNOTT && .LONG TERM.../ISSUED AT 415 AM/...TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY PATTERN: RECONFIGURATION OF THE MID/UPPER LEVEL PATTERN UNDERWAY WITH MOBILE TROUGH OVER THE NORTH CENTRAL CONUS EARLY THIS MORNING SET TO DEEPEN AND SLOW AS IT REACHES THE EAST COAST BY MONDAY. THIS TROUGH LOCATION...COMBINED WITH LONGWAVE TROUGH DEVELOPMENT OVER THE CENTRAL PACIFIC...WITH SUBSEQUENT DOWNSTREAM HEIGHT RISES OVER WESTERN NOAM SPELLS NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT FOR OUR REGION AFTER THE AFOREMENTIONED MOBILE TROUGH PASSES EAST OF OUR LONGITUDE ON MONDAY. A SHARP COOLING TREND WILL START THE PERIOD WITH MODERATION TO FOLLOW EARLY NEXT WEEK...BRINGING TEMPERATURES TOWARDS SEASONAL NORMS BY MIDWEEK. TONIGHT...COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO APPROACH FROM THE WEST WITH ONGOING DYNAMIC SUPPORT FOR ASCENT IN A GRADUALLY STABILIZING ENVIRONMENT GIVEN THE TIME OF DAY AND AFTERNOON/EVENING CONVECTION. WILL CARRY LIKELY POPS THROUGH THE EVENING FOR ALL LOCATIONS GIVEN THE IMPRESSIVE PRESENTATION OF THE ARRIVING SHORTWAVE AND A MOIST AIRMASS TO INTERACT WITH. WILL TAPER POPS TO CHANCE BUT MAINTAIN SCATTERED WORDING AFTER MIDNIGHT AS BEST DYNAMIC SUPPORT BEGINS TO SHIFT EAST. ANOTHER WELL-ABOVE NORMAL NIGHT IS IN STORE IN THE TEMPERATURE DEPARTMENT GIVEN OUR LOCATION AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT...WITH SUBSTANTIAL CLOUDS/PRECIP. EXPECT LOWS GENERALLY TO FALL INTO THE LOWER 60S. FOR SUNDAY...COLD FRONT WILL BE STARTING TO MOVE ONSHORE FROM LAKE MICHIGAN TO START THE DAY WITH SOLID GFS/NAM/ECMWF AGREEMENT ON FRONTAL POSITION. INTERESTING DAY TO UNFOLD AS MIDLEVEL DRYSLOT IS SLATED TO MOVE OVERHEAD DURING THE DAY AS STRONG COLD ADVECTION BRINGS 850 TEMPERATURES FROM NEAR 13C TO START THE DAY DOWN TO AROUND 7C BY EVENING. WE MIGHT ACTUALLY SQUEAK OUT A FEW DECENT HOURS DURING THE DAY POST FRONTAL...AND BEFORE THE LAKE EFFECT MACHINE CAN GET GOING /AS IT NORMALLY TAKES A LITTLE LONGER THAN THE MODELS INDICATE/. WILL CARRY CHANCE POPS AS SHOWERS SHOULD EXIT STAGE RIGHT BY NOON I-75 WEST...AND BY MID AFTERNOON FOR POINTS EAST. WILL HOLD OFF ON LAKE EFFECT POPS UNTIL 21Z AS THE LOWER HALF OF THE TROPOSPHERE RE-MOISTENS AND THE LAKE RESPONSE GETS GOING. WILL CONTINUE LAKE EFFECT RAIN SHOWERS THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT WITH THE FLOW SHIFTING MORE NORTHERLY AFTER MIDNIGHT GIVEN THE PASSAGE OF A SECONDARY TROUGH AXIS WEST OF THE DEPARTING SURFACE LOW. HIGHS SUNDAY WILL LIKELY MAKE A RUN INTO THE LOWER 70S EAST OF I-75 GIVEN A LATER FRONTAL PASSAGE...WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 60S WEST. LOWS WILL FALL INTO THE 40S CWA-WIDE. MODEL TRENDS FOR THE MONDAY-MONDAY NIGHT PERIOD INDICATE A SLOWING TREND TO THE DEEP SHORTWAVE TROUGH AXIS THAT WILL LIKELY BE OVER THE AREA TO BEGIN THE DAY. THIS APPEARS REASONABLE GIVEN WHAT LOOKS TO BE SOME IMPACTS FROM TROPICAL STORM LEE AS IT LIKELY CAUSES SOME BUILDING OF EASTERN NOAM HEIGHTS GIVEN A CONTINUOUS FLOW OF WARMTH AND HEAT EVACUATING INTO A STRENGTHENING SOUTHWEST/NORTHEAST JET STREAK ACROSS THE EASTERN CONUS. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR OUR WEATHER IS A SLOWER EXIT TO LAKE INDUCED CLOUDINESS/PRECIPITATION UNDER N/NNW FLOW AS SYNOPTIC MOISTURE REMAINS AMPLE THROUGH THE DAY MONDAY TO ASSIST IN CONTINUED PRECIPITATION PRODUCTION. GOING GRIDS HAVE MOSTLY CLOUDY AND SHOWERY SCENARIO WELL IN HAND...BUT WILL DELAY CLEARING UNTIL THE EVENING MONDAY NIGHT /FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST/. THIS SCENARIO COULD PUT OUR PREVIOUSLY FROSTY LOWS IN JEOPARDY AND LIKE HOW THE PREVIOUS SHIFT DID BUMP UP LOWS SOME. WILL REMOVE FROST MENTION FROM THE FORECAST...BUT CONTINUE TO MENTION THE POSSIBILITY /ALBEIT NOT AS GREAT/ IN THE MORNING HWO. THE TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY PERIOD LOOKS BEAUTIFUL UNDER WEAK NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WITH AN AXIS OF SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED ALONG THE US/CANADIAN BOARDER. THIS POSITION SUGGESTS DRY NORTHEASTERLY TRAJECTORIES FOR THE LOW LEVEL AIRMASS SO AMPLE SUN IS EXPECTED. 850 TEMPS WILL MODERATE FROM 8C TO 10C FROM TUESDAY TO WEDNESDAY...SO EXPECT HIGHS AROUND 70 TUESDAY TO WARM INTO THE LOWER 70S ON WEDNESDAY. A CHILLY NIGHT IS LIKELY IN BETWEEN THESE TWO NICE DAYS GIVEN THE DRY LOW LEVEL AIRMASS WITH LOWS LIKELY DROPPING TO NEAR 40F. ARNOTT && .MARINE.../ISSUED AT 415 AM/ LIGHT WINDS IN THE VICINITY OF A STATIONARY FRONT DRAPED ACROSS THE REGION THIS MORNING. THIS FRONT WILL SLOWLY LIFT NORTH TODAY AS AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. STRONG TO POTENTIALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY...PARTICULARLY SOUTH OF A POINT BETSIE TO STURGEON POINT LINE WITH STRONG WINDS AND HAIL POSSIBLE. OUTSIDE OF STORMS...WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW SMALL CRAFT LEVELS. NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL STRENGTHEN TO SMALL CRAFT LEVELS ON SUNDAY AS A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES EAST OF THE REGION. THE SMALL CRAFT CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY PERSIST INTO MONDAY BEFORE SLACKENING WINDS/WAVES BRING QUIETER CONDITIONS FOR MID WEEK AS A REGION OF HIGH PRESSURE ARRIVES FROM THE NORTHWEST. ARNOTT && .AVIATION.../ISSUED AT 717 AM/...VALID FOR 12Z TAFS A REGION OF MVFR CIGS IS IMPACTING EACH OF THE TERMINALS EARLY THIS MORNING WITH AN ARRIVING AREA OF SHOWERS /AND EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS/ LIKELY TO MAINTAING MVFR RESTRICTIONS THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. BY AFTERNOON...EXPECT THE FIRST BACTCH OF SHOWERS/STORMS TO MOVE EAST...WITH A SECOND ROUND DEVELOPING DURING THE MID AFTERNOON. HAVE BROUGHT IMPROVEMENT TO VFR BY LATE MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON AT EACH SITE...WITH CB GROUPS TO INDICATE POTENTIAL CONVECTIVE REDEVELOPMENT. WITH BEST CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL SOUTH OF THE TAF SITES...CONFIDENCE IS NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO INCLUDE TEMPO GROUPS AT THIS TIME. BEST CHANCES FOR CONVECTION WOULD BE IN THE 21-00Z TIMEFRAME. TONIGHT...A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE REGION FROM THE WEST WITH SHOWERS REDEVELOPING...ALONG WITH MVFR RESTRICTIONS IN STRATUS/MIST. COULD SEE SOME RUMBLES OF THUNDER IN THE EVENING...BUT DO NOT EXPECT THUNDER FOR THE OVERNIGHT. SOUTHEAST WINDS AROUND 5KTS WILL DEVELOP BY AFTERNOON /EXCEPT NORTHEAST AT TVC/ WITH WINDS SHIFTING SOUTHERLY TO SOUTWESTERLY AROUND 5KTS TONIGHT. ARNOTT && .APX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...NONE. LH...NONE. LM...NONE. LS...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI 347 AM EDT SAT SEP 3 2011 LHZ345>349-LMZ323-341-342-344>346-LSZ321-322-MIZ008-015>036-041-042- 041100- STRAITS OF MACKINAC-ST IGNACE TO FALSE DETOUR CHANNEL- MACKINAC BRDG TO PRESQUE ISLE LT-PRESQUE ISLE LT TO STURGEON PT- STURGEON PT TO ALABASTER-GRAND TRAVERSE BAY- SEUL CHOIX PT TO MACKINAC BRDG-NORWOOD TO MACKINAC BRDG- SLEEPING BEAR PT TO GRAND TRAVERSE LT-PT BETSIE TO SLEEPING BEAR PT- MANISTEE TO PT BETSIE-WHITEFISH BAY-ST. MARYS RIVER-CHIPPEWA- MACKINAC-EMMET-CHEBOYGAN-PRESQUE ISLE-CHARLEVOIX-LEELANAU-ANTRIM- OTSEGO-MONTMORENCY-ALPENA-BENZIE-GRAND TRAVERSE-KALKASKA-CRAWFORD- OSCODA-ALCONA-MANISTEE-WEXFORD-MISSAUKEE-ROSCOMMON-OGEMAW-IOSCO- GLADWIN-ARENAC- 347 AM EDT SAT SEP 3 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN... EASTERN UPPER MICHIGAN...AND ADJACENT NEARSHORE WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN...LAKE HURON AND LAKE SUPERIOR. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN TODAY. THERE IS A CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF M-72 THIS AFTERNOON. THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREATS WOULD BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS ALSO POSSIBLE. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING ALONG AND SOUTH OF M-72. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A FROST IS POSSIBLE OVER INTERIOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN MONDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON. ARNOTT
The NCL Michigan radar (KAPX), 105 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:24 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees and power lines were downed in the Gladwin area.
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, September 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: 339370.