A large complex of thunderstorms impacted the Straits of Mackinac and far northern Lake Huron.
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 large complex of thunderstorms impacted the Straits of Mackinac and far northern Lake Huron.
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 Jul 30, 6:04 PM EST, 2 hours 46 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI 704 PM EDT MON JUL 30 2012 .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 324 PM EDT MON JUL 30 2012 A COLD FRONT OVER WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN AND NW WISCONSIN WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL ACCOMPANY THIS FRONT AS IT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. BEHIND THE FRONT...NW WINDS WILL BRING SLIGHTLY COOLER CONDITIONS TO THE AREA ON TUESDAY. UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL CONTINUE FOR MIDWEEK AS ANOTHER UPPER DISTURBANCE WILL BRING ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO NORTHERN MICHIGAN WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. && .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 704 PM EDT MON JUL 30 2012 LINE OF SHOWERS/STORMS ALIGNED ALONG AND AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT IS MAKING SLOW EASTWARD PROGRESS INTO ERN UPR MICHIGAN THIS EVENING. THIS LINE OF CONVECTION HAS PRODUCED MARGINALLY SEVERE WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ACROSS CENTRAL UPR MICHIGAN AND NE WISCONSIN. IN COORDINATION WITH SPC...DO NOT ANTICIPATE THE ISSUANCE OF A WATCH FURTHER EAST. HOWEVER...STILL EXPECT AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM DURING THE BALANCE OF THE EVENING...SPECIFICALLY FOR NRN SECTIONS OF OUR CWA THANKS TO BETTER DYNAMICS IN PROXIMITY TO THE SURFACE LOW TO OUR NORTH...AND WHERE THE INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE AXES RESIDE THIS EVENING. BOTH INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE WILL GENERALLY DECREASE WITH EASTWARD PROGRESS THIS EVENING...WHICH WILL LIKELY LIMIT THE POTENTIAL FOR FURTHER SVR WX. CERTAINLY EXPECT SCT/NMRS SHOWERS/STORMS FOR MUCH OF OUR CWA...AND WILL MAKE NO MAJOR CHANGES TO WX/POPS AT THIS TIME. && .SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 324 PM EDT MON JUL 30 2012 THE COLD FRONT AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY ARE THE MAIN CONCERNS IN THE SHORT TERM. THE LATEST SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS THE COLD FRONT ENTERING WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN. LATEST RADAR IMAGERY FROM KMQT SUGGEST THAT SHOWERS ARE TRYING TO ORGANIZE AHEAD OF THE FRONT AS IT ENCOUNTERS THE AXIS OF INSTABILITY OVER CENTRAL UPPER MI INTO EASTERN UPPER MI. HOWEVER...THE SHOWERS OVER LAKE SUPERIOR AND UPPER MICHIGAN ARE STRUGGLING TO GET ORGANIZED...PERHAPS DUE TO THE REDUCED MID LVL LAPSE RATES OBSERVED OVER UPPER MI. HOWEVER...AS THE FRONT MOVES EAST...EXPECT THE SHOWERS AND STORMS TO INTENSIFY AS SOME STEEPER LAPSE RATES CLOSE TO 6 C/KM ADVECT INTO EASTERN UPPER THROUGH NRN LAKE MICHIGAN INTO NE WI. WITH A 40-50 KT MID LVL WIND MAX ROTATING AROUND THE UPPER TROUGH...EXPECT A LINE OF STORMS TO DEVELOP AND MOVE ACROSS EASTERN UPPER AND NORTHERN LOWER THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. IT IS STILL UNCERTAIN HOW STRONG THE STORMS WILL BE AS THEY MOVE INTO THE FORECAST AREA AS THE RUC GUIDANCE SHOWS MID LVL LAPSE RATES DIMINISHING TO BELOW 6 C/KM ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA SOON AFTER SUNSET. IN ADDITION...THE BEST UPPER FORCING ASSOCIATED WITH THE SHORT WAVE WILL PASS NORTH OF THE AREA. HOWEVER...IF A LINE OF STRONG STORMS CAN DEVELOP OVER UPPER MICHIGAN...THERE IS A CHANCE THEY COULD MAKE IT ACROSS THE LAKE...BUT THE EXPECTATION IS THAT THEY WILL BE DIMINISHING AS THE LINE OUTRUNS THE BEST INSTABILITY. WITH ALL OF THAT SAID...WILL GO WITH LIKELY POPS ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA AS THE FRONT MOVES EAST. AREAS TO THE SE OF WEST BRANCH WILL NOT SEE ANY RAIN CHANCES UNTIL AFTER 2AM. THE FRONT MOVES EAST OF THE AREA BY 12Z. DRIER AIR WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA DURING THE AFTN BUT SOME MOISTURE LINGERS SE OF APX WITH 850MB DWPTS STILL AROUND 18C IN THE MORNING BEFORE THE 850MB TROUGH MOVES THROUGH. WILL HANG ONTO CHC POPS FOR THE SE PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA DURING THE MORNING HOURS. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 324 PM EDT MON JUL 30 2012 THE 500MB TROUGH WILL BE TO OUR E...WITH THE LARGE SCALE RIDGE PUSHING IN...ENCOMPASSING AN AREA FROM CA THROUGH ID AND S SASKATCHEWAN THROUGH THE UPPER GREAT LAKES. THE SFC HIGH WILL BE SET UP FROM SE MN THROUGH WI...UPPER MI...AND LAKE MI...NUDGING OUR WAY. WHILE THE NEARING SFC HIGH DOES LOOK TO SCOUR OUT MUCH OF THE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WEDNESDAY MORNING...THE FCST SOUNDINGS AT KAPN DO KEEP THE POTENTIAL FOR LOWER CLOUDS. WILL NOT GO WITH BR YET...BUT WILL NEED TO MONITOR WILL LIMIT THE POTENTIAL FOR NOW...BUT WILL NEED AND POSSIBLE BR GIVEN THE SLOWER EXIT OF PRECIPITATION.WITH THE CENTER OF THE SFC HIGH WILL SHIFT FROM N WI TO S LAKE MI BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...WE WILL FEEL THE AFFECTS. THE WARMEST DAY LOOKS TO BE WEDNESDAY...WITH HIGHS IN THE 80S. 850MB TEMPS ARE IN THE 16-18C RANGE. DOWNSLOPE SW WINDS SHOULD RESULT IN SOME OF THE WARMEST TEMPS NEAR THE LS SHORELINE...AS WELL AS THE E HALF OF N LOWER /ALTHOUGH WINDS ARE NEARLY CALM THERE/. LOOK FOR ZONAL FLOW TO PUSH IN ALOFT BY THURSDAY...THANKS TO THE SUPPRESSION OF THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE...WITH THE NEARLY STEADY STATE LOW SPINNING OVER NE HUDSON BAY AND FAR N QUEBEC. SPECIFIC TIMING OF THE INCOMING TROUGH AND SMALLER SCALE FEATURES REMAINS DIFFICULT. FOR EXAMPLE...THE SFC LOW SKIMMING THE MN/ONTARIO BORDER WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON WILL EITHER REMAIN STEADY STATE...OR DEEPEN AS THE 30/06Z GFS HAS IT GOING. THE 30/00Z CANADIAN RUN WILL BE THROWN OUT...AS IT LOOKS TO BE TOO QUICK COMPARED BY 6HRS OR MORE FOR THE THURSDAY TIME PERIOD. THE NAM...ALTHOUGH FAST...IS NOT QUITE AS FAST AS THE CANADIAN...BUT WILL ALSO BE USED SPARINGLY IN THIS FCST PACKAGE. GIVEN THE DIFFERENCES...THE LOW AND ITS ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL LIKELY CROSS THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY EVENING. EXPECT RIDGING TO SLIDE BACK IN ALOFT TEMPORARILY LATE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY IN RESPONSE TO A 500MB LOW PUSHING FROM NEAR AK TODAY ACROSS CANADA OVER THE SECOND HALF OF THE WORK WEEK. THE ECMWF/GFS/AND CANADIAN ARE ALL FAIRLY CONSISTENT WITH THE LOW SET UP OVER N MN AND SW ONTARIO AT 00Z SUNDAY. AS EXPECTED...SOME SIGNIFICANT DISCREPANCIES DO SHOW THEMSELVES SUNDAY...WITH THE 30/06Z GFS OPENING UP THE LOW AND PUSHING IT SLIGHTLY MORE NE...WHILE THE 30/00Z ECMWF KEEP S THE BALL ROLLING EASTWARD ACROSS LAKE SUPERIOR AND S ONTARIO SUNDAY EVENING. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 704 PM EDT MON JUL 30 2012 SCT/NMRS SHOWERS/STORMS WILL IMPACT MUCH OF NRN LWR MICHIGAN TONIGHT ALONG AND AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT AS IT SLIDES THRU THE REGION. PRECIP WILL REACH PLN/TVC/MBL BY 01Z...AND APN BY 03Z. VSBYS WILL DIMINISH TO MVFR WITHIN HEAVIER SHOWERS AND STORMS. PRECIP WILL END LATE TONIGHT...BUT SOME LOW CLOUDS/FOG/IFR CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP THANKS TO LINGERING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE BEHIND THE FRONT. LOW CLOUDS/FOG WILL MIX OUT INTO SCT CU BY MIDDAY...WITH SOLID VFR CONDITIONS AND DRY WX RETURNING TO NRN LWR MICHIGAN FOR THE REST OF TUESDAY. WINDS WILL REMAIN BELOW 10 KTS TONIGHT...THEN SHIFT TO THE N/NW AND STRENGTHEN TO 10 TO 15 KTS BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON. && .MARINE... ISSUED AT 324 PM EDT MON JUL 30 2012 INCREASED WSW WINDS WILL ASSIST IN BRINGING A GOOD CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY TONIGHT INTO EARLY TUESDAY BEFORE WINDS SLOWLY TURN MORE OUT OF THE NW AS LOW PRESSURE PUSHES OVERHEAD AND SWINGS A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE AREA. LOOK FOR WINDS AND WAVES TO BE ON THE INCREASE TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY...BEFORE DIMINISHING TUESDAY NIGHT AS HIGH PRESSURE SLOWLY PUSHES IN. SCA CONDITIONS MAY AGAIN BE REACHED OVER MAINLY CENTRAL LM BRIEFLY BEHIND THE FRONT TUESDAY. THE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL SINK TO THE SE WEDNESDAY. ANOTHER LOW...SET UP FROM LAKE SUPERIOR THROUGH W QUEBEC THURSDAY MORNING...SHOULD SINK ACROSS N LH AND LM THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THE STRONGEST WINDS SHOULD BE WEDNESDAY NIGHT OVER N LM GIVEN A EXTENDED PERIOD OF SSW WINDS THE THE CLOSER POSITION TO THE NEARING LOW. SCA WILL BE LIKELY N...WITH WINDS JUST ABOVE THE SFC AT 20-30KTS. THESE STRONGER WINDS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA DURING THE DAYTIME HOURS THURSDAY. THE LOW AND ITS ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL LIKELY CROSS THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY EVENING...WITH LIGHTER N-NE WINDS FOLLOWING AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN AND REMAINS NEAR THE AREA THROUGH THE END OF THE WORK WEEK. && .APX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...NONE. LH...NONE. LM...NONE. LS...NONE. && UPDATE...MR SYNOPSIS...MRD SHORT TERM...MRD LONG TERM...KF AVIATION...MR MARINE...MRD/KF
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI 315 PM EDT MON JUL 30 2012 LHZ345>349-LMZ323-341-342-344>346-LSZ321-322-MIZ008-015>036-041-042- 312215- 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- 315 PM EDT MON JUL 30 2012 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...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. A FEW STRONGER STORMS ARE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY WEST OF I-75...WHERE GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVER NORTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN TUESDAY MORNING. ADDITIONAL CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FOUND ACROSS THE REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY NIGHT...AND AGAIN SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH MIDWEEK. HOWEVER... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO RELAY RAINFALL AMOUNTS AND ANY REPORTS OF HAIL OR GUSTY WINDS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT ANY TIME. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/APX (ALL LOWERCASE) MRD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI 616 PM EDT MON JUL 30 2012 MIZ008-015-302345- CHIPPEWA MI-MACKINAC MI- 616 PM EDT MON JUL 30 2012 ...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS... AT 615 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 14 MILES NORTHWEST OF WHITEFISH POINT TO SENEY TO 21 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GARDEN...AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE... WHITEFISH POINT... PARADISE... LOWER TAHQUAMENON FALLS S... LOWER TAHQUAMENON FALLS STATE PARK... CURTIS... GOULD CITY... CORINNE... ENGADINE... HULBERT... NAUBINWAY... GILCHRIST... ECKERMAN... GARNET... REXTON... STRONGS... THREE LAKES... BAYVIEW CAMPGROUND... TROUT LAKE... EPOUFETTE... RACO... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING.
The NCL Michigan radar (KAPX), 103 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:52 UTC.
1 marine thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Lake Huron in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather history
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: 400065.