An upper level disturbance moving through a warm and unstable air mass produced strong thunderstorms over Lake Superior on the evening of the 26th.
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 MQT wrote it up.
An upper level disturbance moving through a warm and unstable air mass produced strong thunderstorms over Lake Superior on the evening of the 26th.
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 Jun 26, 2:46 PM EST, 1 hour 29 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 346 PM EDT WED JUN 26 2013 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY) ISSUED AT 345 PM EDT WED JUN 26 2013 WV LOOP INDICATES GENERAL WESTERLY FLOW ACROSS THE CONUS. 12Z RAOBS SHOW ELONGATED CLOSED OFF UPPER LOW SASKATCHEWAN TO MANITOBA. AT THE SFC...STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS FROM SFC LOW OVER SOUTHERN MANITOBA TO SOUTHERN QUEBEC. COLD FRONT...MAINLY SIGNALING ARRIVAL OF DRIER AIR AT H85...IS PRESSING INTO EASTERN MINNESOTA. SO FAR TODAY...SHRA AND TSRA HAVE BEEN CONFINED TO EASTERN MN DUE TO PVA FM SHORTWAVE AND H85 TEMP ADVECTION. OTHER SHRA/TSRA ARE AFFECTING NORTHERN IOWA INTO NORTHERN ILL IN AREA WHERE MCV DECAYED OVERNIGHT. HAS BEEN ANOTHER WARM AND HUMID AFTN OVER UPR MICHIGAN WITH TEMPS IN MANY AREAS WELL INTO THE 80S AND DWPNTS IN THE 60S. SHRA/TSRA TRENDS MAIN ISSUE INTO THIS EVENING. COUPLE OF WEAKER SHORTWAVES COMING TOGETHER OVER CWA CURRENTLY. AS THESE SHORTWAVES AND LINE OF SHRA/TSRA RUN INTO THE ROBUST INSTABILITY IN THE AREA RIGHT NOW /MLCAPES NEAR 2000J/KG AND SFC BASED CAPES OVER 3000 J/KG/ WOULD THINK INTENSITY WILL BE MAINTAINED IF NOT INCREASE SOME OVER CURRENT INTENSITY. MAY SEE COVERAGE INCREASE SOME TOO THROUGH AROUND 00Z BEFORE WEAKENING CONVERGENCE AND INSTABILITY LESSEN THE POTENTIAL. EVEN WITH THESE SHORTWAVES AND ASSOCIATED LIFT...LARGER SCALE UPPER LEVEL WINDS ARE NOT THAT STRONG /H7 WINDS 15-20KT AND H5 WINDS 20-25 KTS/ SO DEEP LAYER SHEAR IS WEAK. THUS FAR STORM TRENDS UPSTREAM INDICATE THIS WITH PULSE TYPE BEHAVIOR. EXPECT SIMILAR SETUP OVER AT LEAST WEST HALF OF CWA INTO THE EVENING. PULSE SVR TSRA CERTAINLY POSSIBLE WITH DEGREE OF INSTABILITY PRESENT. DRY AIR ALOFT REFLECTED IN DCAPE VALUES WELL OVER 1000J/KG INDICATE THAT ANY STRONGER/ORGANIZED STORM COULD PRODUCE SEVERE WIND GUSTS. THE GUSTY WINDS ALONG WITH HEAVY DOWNPOURS APPEAR TO BE MAIN HAZARD WITH TSRA LATE THIS AFTN INTO THE EVENING. STRONG STORM EARLIER UPSTREAM ALSO PRODUCED NICKEL SIZED HAIL...SO PROBABLY CANNOT RULE THAT OUT EITHER. JUST SHOULD NOT BE THE MAIN HAZARD. LATER THIS EVENING AND EVEN OVERNIGHT...SHRA/TSRA STILL POSSIBLE AS UPPER TROUGH/PV ANAMOLY CURRENTLY SLIDING ACROSS ND DIGS INTO UPR GREAT LAKES REGION AND COMBINES WITH STEEPER MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES AND H85 CONVERGENCE/WARM AIR ADVECTION. ENHANCED LIFT COULD ALSO OCCUR AS UPR MICHIGAN WILL BE IN LEFT EXIT OF STRONG JET STREAK FROM WESTERN CANADA INTO UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY. MAJORITY OF SHRA/TSRA SHOULD SPREAD TO THE EASTERN CWA ALONG AND DOWNSTREAM OF HIGHER H85 DWPNT. EVEN AS SFC TROUGH SHIFTS WINDS TO MORE WRLY...HIGHER SFC DWPNT LINGERS...LEADING TO ANOTHER WARM NIGHT WITH MOST LOCATIONS STAYING AOA 60 DEGREES. NOT THROUGH WITH THE WARMER/HUMID WEATHER AND POP-UP SHRA/TSRA ON THURSDAY. LEADING SHORTWAVE MOVES TO THE NORTH IN THE MORNING WHILE ANOTHER WAVE DIGS IN MAINLY ACROSS NORTHERN WI MID-LATE AFTN. DAYTIME HEATING SHOULD BOOST TEMPS BACK INTO THE 80S AGAIN...EXCEPT NEAR THE LK SUPERIOR SHORELINE OVER WESTERN UPR MICHIGAN. WEAKER WEST BLYR FLOW ALONG WITH DEVELOPING LK BREEZES COMBINE WITH MLCAPES NEARING 1000J/KG TO KICK OF SHRA/TSRA...ESPECIALLY IN FAVORED LK BREEZE CONVERGENCE ZONE OF CNTRL UPR MICHIGAN. SHRA/TSRA WILL MOVE FM WNW TO ESE. THUS WOULD EXPECT HIGHER POPS EARLY IN THE AFTN NCNTRL AND SETTLING INTO THE SCNTRL CWA BY MID-LATE AFTN. DEEP SHEAR LIMITED TO LESS THAN 20 KTS SO CHANCE OF ORGANIZED/STRONGER STORMS LOOKS MARGINAL. .LONG TERM...(THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 345 PM EDT WED JUN 26 2013 THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING...LOW PRESSURE PROGGED TO BE CENTERED JUST NORTH OF LAKE SUPERIOR THURSDAY NIGHT IS EXPECTED TO SHIFT SLOWLY SOUTHEASTWARD...REACHING THE LOWER GREAT LAKES BY SATURDAY MORNING. AS THIS HAPPENS...THE ASSOCIATED UPPER LEVEL 500 MB TROUGH WILL ALSO SHIFT TO THE LOWER GREAT LAKES. SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH THIS TIME PERIOD...AS SHOWN BY ANALYZING 1000-500MB RH VALUES...TO KEEP INTERMITTENT CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. INSTABILITY LOOKS TO REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH MUCH OF THIS TIME PERIOD WITH THE NAM AND GFS SHOWING VALUES AROUND 800-1000 J/KG THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY...DROPPING OFF FRIDAY NIGHT AS UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AXIS BEGINS TO SHIFT TO THE SOUTH OF THE AREA. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT THROUGH THIS TIME FRAME SEEMS FAIRLY LOW AT THIS POINT GIVEN THE LACK OF DEEP LAYER SHEAR...ALONG WITH MARGINAL CAPE VALUES OF 100-150 J/KG IN THE -10-30C TEMPERATURE RANGE ALOFT. MAY SEE SOME PEA SIZE HAIL LATE THURSDAY EVENING INTO FRIDAY AFTERNOON...BUT DO NOT EXPECT MORE THAN THAT AT THIS POINT. STORM MOTIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE AROUND 10 TO 15 KNOTS WITH MINIMAL DCAPE...SO SEVERE WIND POTENTIAL WILL ALSO BE REDUCED DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. THE OTHER ISSUE WILL BE FOG POTENTIAL LINGERING OVER LAKE SUPERIOR AS STABLE LAYER NEAR THE LAKE SURFACE PINS THE MOISTURE CLOSE TO THE SURFACE. THIS SHOULD LAST THROUGH AT LEAST FRIDAY EVENING BEFORE COOLER AIR MOVES IN ALOFT...HELPING TO WEAKEN THE TEMPERATURE INVERSION AS SHOWN BY ANALYZING FORECAST SOUNDINGS. SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW AND SURFACE LOW OVER THE OHIO VALLEY SATURDAY AFTERNOON CONTINUES TO SHIFT SOUTH AND EAST OF THE AREA...EXPECT BROAD SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE PLAINS TO BUILD SLOWLY EASTWARD INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION. NORTHERLY FLOW ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE HIGH WILL ALLOW DRY AIR OVER CENTRAL CANADA TO SPILL SOUTHWARD INTO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES REGION EFFECTIVELY ENDING THE CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THE SURFACE HIGH WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD EASTWARD THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND REMAIN OVER HEAD THROUGH MONDAY MORNING KEEPING CONDITIONS DRY ACROSS THE AREA. THROUGH THIS TIME FRAME THE UPPER LEVEL 500MB TROUGH WILL REMAIN ENTRENCHED ACROSS MUCH OF THE EASTERN U.S. WHILE A LARGE RIDGE AND HEAT WAVE BEGINS BUILDING OVER MUCH OF THE WESTERN U.S. MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY...THE MODELS CONTINUE TO KEEP THE TROUGH PARKED OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE UNITED STATES WITH THE RIDGE BUILDING OUT WEST. THE GFS/EC TRY TO CLOSE AN UPPER LEVEL LOW OVER MUCH OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION THROUGH THIS TIME FRAME...HOWEVER...CONSIDERABLE TIMING AND INTENSITY DIFFERENCE ARE SHOWN BETWEEN THE MODELS AND FROM RUN TO RUN...THEREFORE WILL STICK MAINLY WITH A CONSENSUS OF THE MODELS FOR THE EXTENDED. TRENDED DRY FOR MONDAY NIGHT AS FORCING AND MOISTURE APPEARED TO STAY WELL TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THE AREA. IT DOES APPEAR IF COOLER WEATHER IS IN STORE THROUGH THE EXTENDED WITH CONTINUED TROUGHING EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 147 PM EDT WED JUN 26 2013 APPROACHING DISTURBANCE SHOULD BRING SHRA/SCT TSRA INTO UPPER MI LATER THIS AFTN. ALREADY SEEING ISOLD SHRA POPPING UP UPSTREAM OF CMX. MENTIONED MAINLY MVFR -SHRA WITH VCTS AT THE TAF SITES LATE AFTN THROUGH EARLY EVENING AS THE DISTURBANCE ROLLS ACROSS. SINCE THERE SHOULD BE SOME RAIN AT ALL THE TAF SITES...KEPT MENTION OF LGT FOG OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. BEST SHOT OF IFR VSBY WILL BE AT CMX WITH EAST WINDS OFF LK SUPERIOR. CHANCE OF ADDITIONAL SHRA/TSRA OVERNIGHT TONIGHT BUT TOO MUCH UNCERTAINTY TO PUT IN TAFS AT THIS POINT. DID PUT SHRA/TSRA MENTION IN FOR VERY LATE IN THE TAF PERIOD AT SAW ON THURSDAY DUE TO LAKE BREEZE CONVERGENCE AND BUILDUP OF INSTABILITY. && .MARINE...(FOR THE 4 PM LAKE SUPERIOR FORECAST ISSUANCE) ISSUED AT 345 PM EDT WED JUN 26 2013 OVERALL...WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO STAY BELOW 20 KTS THROUGH THE PERIOD AS THE PRESSURE PATTERN REMAINS FAIRLY WEAK ACROSS THE AREA. WARM MOIST AIR OVER THE UPPER GREAT LAKES WILL CONTINUE TO RESULT IN FOG THROUGH FRIDAY. && .MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UPPER MICHIGAN... NONE. LAKE SUPERIOR... NONE. LAKE MICHIGAN... NONE. && SHORT TERM...JLA LONG TERM...KEC AVIATION...JLA MARINE...JLA
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</html>The Marquette radar (KMQT), 117 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:16 UTC.
10 marine thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Measured wind gusts from the spotter at Freda.
Peak gust measured by the Grand Traverse Bay GLOS.
Peak gust measured by the Grand Traverse Bay GLOS.
Wind gust measured by the Copper Harbor ASOS.
Wind gust measured at Granite Island weather station.
Wind gust measured at Granite Island weather station.
Wind gust measured at the Marquette Coast Guard station.
Wind gust measured at Granite Island weather station.
Wind gust measured at the Munising ASOS.
Wind gust measured at the Munising ASOS.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Lake Superior in 2013Every state in 2013This 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 459019, 459008, 459009, 459010, 459011, 459012, 459014, 459013, 459015, 459017.