Isolated severe thunderstorms resulted in several reports of damaging wind gusts and large hail. Several trees were blown down.
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.
Isolated severe thunderstorms resulted in several reports of damaging wind gusts and large hail. Several trees were blown down.
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 Jul 3, 2:37 AM EST, 23 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 337 AM EDT TUE JUL 3 2012 .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 336 AM EDT TUE JUL 3 2012 THE HOT AND HUMID AIR MASS OVER THE REGION WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEK. UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES ROLLING ACROSS LOWER MICHIGAN WILL PLAY A KEY ROLE IN GENERATING SCATTERED STRONG TO PERHAPS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. HIGHS WILL BE IN THE MID 90S THROUGH FRIDAY BEFORE COOLING INTO THE 80S OVER THE WEEKEND. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY) ISSUED AT 336 AM EDT TUE JUL 3 2012 FORECAST CONCERNS DEAL WITH CONVECTIVE TRENDS TODAY/TONIGHT. * SLIGHT RISK TODAY SOUTH OF A WHITEHALL TO CLARE LINE AN ACTIVE RADAR THIS MORNING. MESOANALYSIS SHOWS INSTABILITY INCREASING ACROSS THE CWA AS A DECAYING MCS TRIES TO MOVE FROM WISCONSIN OVER TO CENTRAL LOWER. STORMS RECENTLY DEVELOPED FROM NEWAYGO COUNTY NEWD INTO OSCEOLA COUNTY CLOSE TO THE VERY SLOWLY MOVING FRONTAL BOUNDARY. THESE STORMS HAVE BEEN JUST BELOW SVR LIMITS WITH ONE QUARTER INCH HAIL BEING REPORTED. WEAK SHEAR IS LIMITING SVR POTENTIAL. WE/LL SEE A VERY JUICY AIR MASS TODAY AND A SHORT WAVE OVER MINNESOTA WILL TRAVEL ACROSS THE CWA THIS AFTERNOON. GIVEN THAT WAVE ALONG WITH RESIDUAL OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FROM ONGOING CONVECTION AND THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY CLOSE BY...SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED. IT/S POSSIBLE THAT A SVR STORM COULD DEVELOP TOO AS SHEAR INCREASES TO 25 TO 35 KTS THIS AFTERNOON. SPC PAINTED A SLIGHT RISK SOUTH OF A WHITEHALL TO CLARE LINE TODAY. ANOTHER SHORT WAVE IS PROGD TO COME OVER THE CENTRAL US RIDGE TONIGHT. AS SUCH WE MAINTAINED THE GOING CHC POPS TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS. HOT AND HUMID WX WILL CONTINUE WED/THU WITH HIGHS IN THE MID 90S. HOWEVER AS THE RIDGE NOSES TOWARD LAKE MICHIGAN...SHORT WAVES WILL BE DIVERTED NWD WITH THE RESULT BEING LOWER POPS OVER THE CWA. .LONG TERM...(THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 336 AM EDT TUE JUL 3 2012 UPPER HIGH WILL BUILD IN ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY THEN GET SHUNTED WEST AS TROUGHING DEEPENS OVER EASTERN CANADA. LOOKS LIKE FRIDAY WILL BE THE WARMEST DAY WITH MAXES IN THE MID TO UPPER 90S. COLD FRONT PUSHES SOUTH FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY WITH POSSIBLE HEAVY RAIN AND SEVERE WEATHER THREAT LATE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY AFTERNOON. SUNDAY AND MONDAY COULD SEE SOME SHOWERS AS CLUSTERS OF CONVECTION RIDE ALONG THE STALLED FRONT...BUT LOW CONFIDENCE ON TIMING AND LOCATION SO WENT WITH LOW CHANCE POPS FOR MONDAY. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z TUESDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1130 PM EDT MON JUL 2 2012 THE MAIN CHALLENGE WITH THE AVIATION FORECAST DEALS WITH THE RISK FOR THUNDERSTORMS AND POTENTIAL FOR MVFR HAZE/FOG. THE SOUTHERN END OF THE LINE OF STORMS CURRENTLY IN NORTHERN LOWER WI...MAY TRY TO DIVE SOUTHEAST INTO THE TAF SITES LATER TONIGHT. I WILL MAINTAIN THE VCTS WORDING. THE MAIN TIMEFRAME WILL BE AFTER 08Z. WILL KEEP THE MENTION OF HAZE/FOG OUT FOR NOW. WHILE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL BE ON THE INCREASE...NOT ENOUGH IS EXPECTED TO BE PRESENT TO LEAD TO RESTRICTIONS IN THE VISIBILITIES. && .MARINE... ISSUED AT 336 AM EDT TUE JUL 3 2012 OUTSIDE OF THUNDERSTORMS...WINDS AND WAVES WILL BE RELATIVELY TAME DUE TO THE WEAK PRESSURE GRADIENT. && .HYDROLOGY... ISSUED AT 336 AM EDT TUE JUL 3 2012 PWATS CLOSING IN ON 2 INCHES SUGGESTS THAT THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL TODAY. LOCALIZED FLOODING IS A POSSIBILITY. && .GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...NONE. LM...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...93 SHORT TERM...93 LONG TERM...OSTUNO AVIATION...MJS HYDROLOGY...93 MARINE...93
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 255 PM EDT MON JUL 2 2012 MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-030900- MASON-LAKE-OSCEOLA-CLARE-OCEANA-NEWAYGO-MECOSTA-ISABELLA-MUSKEGON- MONTCALM-GRATIOT-OTTAWA-KENT-IONIA-CLINTON-ALLEGAN-BARRY-EATON- INGHAM-VAN BUREN-KALAMAZOO-CALHOUN-JACKSON- 255 PM EDT MON JUL 2 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE BY MID TO LATE AFTERNOON MAINLY NEAR AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 96 AND EAST OF ROUTE 131. A SLIGHTLY BETTER CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL COME LATE THIS EVENING THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THESE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE. GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL AND LOCAL HEAVY RAINFALL ARE THE EXPECTED HAZARDS. STORMS WOULD MOVE SOUTHEAST AROUND 30 MPH. FIRE DANGER WILL REMAIN HIGH DUE TO THE HOT AND DRY CONDITIONS TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BE STRONG WITH GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL. THE STORMS WILL CONTAIN LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AGAIN SATURDAY. SOME OF THEM MAY BE SEVERE IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH DAMAGING WINDS. NON-SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN MONDAY. FIRE DANGER WILL REMAIN HIGH DUE TO THE HOT AND DRY CONDITIONS WHICH WILL CONTINUE ALL WEEK. THIS BEING THE FOURTH OF JULY WEEK... SETTING OFF FIRE WORKS COULD RESULT IN GRASS FIRES. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY BE IN THE MID 90S TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN HEAT STRESS ISSUES FOR THOSE OUTSIDE...ESPECIALLY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. LMZ844>849-030900- 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- 255 PM EDT MON JUL 2 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE MID TO LATE THIS AFTERNOON. A SLIGHTLY BETTER CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL COME LATE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. ANY THUNDERSTORM MAY HAVE GUSTY WINDS THAT WOULD LOCALLY INCREASE WAVE HEIGHTS. VISIBILITY WOULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IN RAIN SQUALLS IN ANY OF THE STORMS. CLOUD TO WATER LIGHTING WOULD ALSO BE A HAZARD WITH THESE STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY PERIODS OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH WEDNESDAY...ON SATURDAY...AND ARE POSSIBLE AGAIN MONDAY. GUSTY WINDS...HAIL AND CLOUD TO WATER LIGHTING ARE THE EXPECTED HAZARDS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. WDM/LAURENS/TJT
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI 210 AM EDT TUE JUL 3 2012 MIZ039-040-045-046-051-052-030715- CLARE-GRATIOT-ISABELLA-MECOSTA-MONTCALM-OSCEOLA- 210 AM EDT TUE JUL 3 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY... AT 206 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF RAPIDLY DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM CENTRAL OSCEOLA COUNTY TO CENTRAL MUSKEGON COUNTY...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... HERSEY... HARTWICK TWP... MIDDLE BRANCH TWP... EVART... GRANT TWP... SYLVAN TWP... ORIENT TWP... SEARS... COLFAX TWP... CHIPPEWA LAKE... STANWOOD... RODNEY... BARRYTON... MORLEY... FREEMAN TWP... PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED. && LAT...LON 4407 8482 4339 8482 4339 8545 4407 8546 TIME...MOT...LOC 0610Z 259DEG 11KT 4398 8533 4329 8610 93
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
345 AM EDT TUE JUL 3 2012
MIZ040-045-046-051-052-030845-
CLARE-GRATIOT-ISABELLA-MECOSTA-MONTCALM-
345 AM EDT TUE JUL 3 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
AT 341 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 10 MILES WEST OF
MOUNT PLEASANT TO 25 MILES WEST OF ALMA...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.
NICKEL SIZE HAIL...CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND BRIEF
HEAVY DOWNPOURS...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. SEEK SHELTER IN A
STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED.
&&
LAT...LON 4347 8460 4347 8436 4330 8437 4324 8527
4364 8509 4417 8495 4416 8461
TIME...MOT...LOC 0745Z 265DEG 28KT 4396 8487 4365 8495
4334 8510
OSTUNOThe Grand Rapids radar (KGRR), 116 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:58 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained spotter reported that a tree was blown down onto a car.
A trained spotter reported seven eighths inch diameter hail.
Three quarters inch hail was reported in Clare.
A construction barn was destroyed by a lightning strike near Rosebush.
Numerous signs and trees were blown down along M-115 near Farwell and Clare.
A four foot diameter tree was blown down near Stockbridge.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, July 2012
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: 389178, 389179, 389180, 389181, 389182, 389183.