Michigan, 2013

Hail in Michigan, June 12, 2013

June 12, 2013 · NWS IWX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Influenced by a highly unstable, but strongly capped atmosphere ahead of a frontal boundary moving out of Illinois, the combination of 3000 to 4000 j/kg surface based CAPE, mid-level lapse rates between 8 and 9 C/km and 0-6 km deep layer shear of 35 to 55 knots set the stage for rapid supercellular development. The convection transitioned to clusters of bowing segments as storms congealed…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS IWX wrote it up.

Influenced by a highly unstable, but strongly capped atmosphere ahead of a frontal boundary moving out of Illinois, the combination of 3000 to 4000 j/kg surface based CAPE, mid-level lapse rates between 8 and 9 C/km and 0-6 km deep layer shear of 35 to 55 knots set the stage for rapid supercellular development. The convection transitioned to clusters of bowing segments as storms congealed producing an increased risk for high end damaging wind. Broad, but strong rotation established quickly in the initial storms, allowing for rapid production of hail, some exceeding gold ball size. Numerous funnel clouds were reported in the early stages of the event, indicating conditions were favorable for tornadic development. However, the development of tornadoes was severely limited due to just enough mixed layer inhibition in the lowest levels.

What forecasters said that day

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 Northern Indiana wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 12, 6:27 PM EST, 57 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 12, 6:27 PM EST, 57 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
727 PM EDT WED JUN 12 2013

.SYNOPSIS...
ISSUED AT 250 PM EDT WED JUN 12 2013

A WARM FRONT HAS SETTLED ACROSS SOUTHERN MICHIGAN. SEVERAL
DISTURBANCES ARE EXPECTED TO RIDE ALONG THIS BOUNDARY...BRINGING
ONE OR MORE ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE
EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. THESE STORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE
HEAVY RAINFALL AND SEVERE WEATHER. DRIER AND COOLER WEATHER WILL
SETTLE INTO THE REGION THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY.

&&

.SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY)
ISSUED AT 427 PM EDT WED JUN 12 2013

SEVERE STORMS ARE EXPECTED BY EARLY TONIGHT. SEVERAL FACTORS ARE
COMING TOGETHER FOR A SIGNIFICANT OUTBREAK OF SEVERE STORMS AND
POSSIBLE TORNADOES WHICH IS REFLECTED IN THE SPC LATE MORNING
UPGRADE TO A HIGH RISK OVER NEARLY ALL OF THE FCST AREA. A STRONG
CAP WAS JUST BECOMING WEAK ENOUGH UPSTREAM FOR CONVECTION TO FIRE
ACROSS EAST IOWA IN AN INCREASINGLY VERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS.
LINCOLN/ILX 18Z SOUNDING SHOWED THE CAP HAD STRENGTHENED BETWEEN 12Z
AND 18Z...HELPING TO KEEP MOST STORMS AT BAY INTO MID AFTERNOON. SPC
SFC BASED LIFTED INDICIES OF -10 TO -12 WERE ALREADY OVER NRN
INDIANA. BULK SHEAR NEARLY OFF THE CHARTS WITH VALUES OF 55 KTS TO
75 KNOTS. ANOTHER INDICATOR OF THE EXTREME ENVIRONMENT WAS THE SPC
CRAVEN SIG SEVERE PARAMETER ON THE SPC WEB MESO ANALYSIS PAGE WITH
VALUES OF 60K TO OVER 120K WHERE THE SIGNIFICANT SVR THRESHOLD IS
ONLY 20K. SO A POWDER KEG IN THE ATMOSPHERE WAS OVER THE AREA. A SFC
LOW AND UPPER LEVEL TROF WILL MOVE EAST EARLY TONIGHT. EXPECT
EXPLOSIVE STORM DEVELOPMENT AS THE CAP CONTINUES TO ERODE AND THE
STORMS BECOME MORE ORGANIZED. THE ADVECTION OF AN UPSTREAM ELEVATED
LAYER ESPECIALLY 700/500 MB WITH LAPSE RATES APCHG 9C/KM WILL
FURTHER HELP KEEP AN EXTREMELY UNSTABLE AIRMASS OVER THE AREA AHEAD
OF THE STORMS THIS EVENING. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE FLUX WILL INCREASE AS
THE SFC LOW APPROACHES WITH THE UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE. HAVE ADDED A
FLASH FLOOD WATCH GIVEN THIS ENVIRONMENT AND PRECIP WATER VALUES
APPROACHING 2.0 INCHES. SOME OF THE AREA WAS STILL TRYING TO DRY OUT
FROM VERY HEAVY RAINS EARLIER IN THE MONTH WITH SOME AREAS RECEIVING
5 TO 6 INCHES OF RAIN. EXPECT THE STORMS TO ORGANIZE IN A SQUALL
LINE WITH WINDS BECOMING DAMAGING ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. CURRENT
THINKING IS MOST OF THE SEVERE STORM WILL OCCUR BEFORE
MIDNIGHT...ALTHOUGH HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL SHOULD CONTINUE THROUGH THE
NIGHT. OTHERWISE...SUBSTANTIAL SUBSIDENCE BEHIND THE UPPER TROF
SHOULD ALLOW SKIES TO CLEAR BY LATE THURSDAY MORNING.

&&

.LONG TERM...(THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY)
ISSUED AT 427 PM EDT WED JUN 12 2013

FEW CHANGES TO LONG TERM PERIOD WITH FOCUS ON UPCOMING WEATHER EVENT
LATER TODAY.

UPPER LEVEL RIDGING WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA AT THE START OF THE
PERIOD...BUT WILL BE SLOWLY DAMPENED INTO THE START OF THE WEEKEND
AS AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVES ACROSS THE FAR NORTHERN PARTS OF THE
PLAINS.

THE AFOREMENTIONED TROUGH WILL ATTEMPT TO DIG INTO THE NORTHERN
GREAT LAKES WITH TIME THIS WEEKEND. A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL STALL
OUT OVER THE REGION FROM LATE SATURDAY INTO AS LATE AS MONDAY WITH
SEVERAL IMPULSES MOVING ALONG IT. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR SEVERAL
ROUNDS OF THUNDERSTORMS TO EITHER DEVELOP OVER AREA OR MOVE IN FROM
THE WEST WITH THE MAIN WINDOW BEING SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY.
POTENTIAL FOR BOTH SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAINFALL MAY
EXIST...ESPECIALLY AS MAIN WAVE ENTERS THE AREA SAT NGT INTO SUNDAY.
FURTHER DETAILS WILL BE ADDED IN LATER FORECASTS AS MODELS HOPEFULLY
COME INTO BETTER AGREEMENT. BY MONDAY NIGHT...DRY CONDITIONS SHOULD
PUSH BACK INTO THE REGION WITH SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES CONTINUING.

&&

.AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z THURSDAY EVENING) ISSUED
AT 710 PM EDT WED JUN 12 2013

A CLUSTER OF STORMS WERE DEVELOPING UPSTREAM ALONG A WEAK FRONT
WITH A FRONTOGENETIC SCENARIO GIVEN MARINE BOUNDARY/OLD FRONT TO
THE NORTH/NORTHEAST AND THETA E FLUX INCREASING TO THE SOUTHWEST.
THE APPROACH OF A SHORT WAVE WILL PROVIDE A VOLATILE SITUATION
WITH AN EVENTUAL DERECHO FORMING THIS EVENING. EXPECT WIND GUSTS
AT THE TERMINALS OF 45 TO 55 KNOTS...ALTHOUGH DEPENDING ON QLCS
SYSTEM ORGANIZATION...VELOCITIES COULD EXCEED 70 KNOTS. MORE
STORMS SHOULD CONTINUE TO FORM AS THE SFC LOW APPROACHES. THE
SEVERE WIND THREAT SHOULD DIMINISH BY 06Z...WITH RAIN/STORMS
ENDING BY 14Z AS SUBSIDENCE INCREASES BEHIND THE UPPER LEVEL TROF.

&&

.IWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IN...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING FOR INZ003>009-
     012>018-020-022>027-032>034.

     BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT FROM 4 AM CDT THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
     MORNING FOR INZ003.

MI...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING FOR MIZ077>081.

     BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT FROM 5 AM EDT THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
     MORNING FOR MIZ077.

OH...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING FOR OHZ001-002-004-
     005-015-016-024-025.

LM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 5 AM THURSDAY TO 8 AM EDT FRIDAY FOR
     LMZ043-046.

&&

SYNOPSIS...BENTLEY
SHORT TERM...SKIPPER
LONG TERM...FISHER
AVIATION...SKIPPER

VISIT US AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/IWX (ALL LOWER CASE)

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK...TWITTER...AND YOUTUBE AT:
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/US.NATIONALWEATHERSERVICE.NORTHERNIN.GOV
WWW.TWITTER.COM/NWSIWX
WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/NWSNORTHERNINDIANA
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 12, 12:25 PM EST, 6 hours 59 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
125 PM EDT WED JUN 12 2013

INZ004>009-012>018-020-022>027-032>034-MIZ078>081-OHZ001-002-004-005-
015-016-024-025-131730-
ST. JOSEPH IN-ELKHART-LAGRANGE-STEUBEN-NOBLE-DE KALB-STARKE-PULASKI-
MARSHALL-FULTON IN-KOSCIUSKO-WHITLEY-ALLEN IN-WHITE-CASS IN-MIAMI-
WABASH-HUNTINGTON-WELLS-ADAMS-GRANT-BLACKFORD-JAY-CASS MI-
ST. JOSEPH MI-BRANCH-HILLSDALE-WILLIAMS-FULTON OH-DEFIANCE-HENRY-
PAULDING-PUTNAM-VAN WERT-ALLEN OH-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SOUTH BEND...MISHAWAKA...ELKHART...
GOSHEN...LAGRANGE...TOPEKA...ANGOLA...KENDALLVILLE...LIGONIER...
AUBURN...GARRETT...KNOX...NORTH JUDSON...WINAMAC...FRANCESVILLE...
PLYMOUTH...BREMEN...ROCHESTER...WARSAW...WINONA LAKE...
COLUMBIA CITY...SOUTH WHITLEY...FORT WAYNE...MONTICELLO...
BROOKSTON...LOGANSPORT...PERU...WABASH...NORTH MANCHESTER...
HUNTINGTON...BLUFFTON...OSSIAN...DECATUR...BERNE...MARION...
HARTFORD CITY...MONTPELIER...PORTLAND...DOWAGIAC...CASSOPOLIS...
STURGIS...THREE RIVERS...COLDWATER...HILLSDALE...BRYAN...WAUSEON...
ARCHBOLD...DEFIANCE...NAPOLEON...PAULDING...ANTWERP...OTTAWA...
PANDORA...VAN WERT...DELPHOS...LIMA
125 PM EDT WED JUN 12 2013 /1225 PM CDT WED JUN 12 2013/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST OHIO...
SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN AND NORTHERN INDIANA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF
ROUTE 30 FROM MID AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING. ADDITIONAL
THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS
LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TRACK RAPIDLY EAST INTO MUCH OF NORTHERN
INDIANA...SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN AND NORTHWEST OHIO THIS EVENING.
DAMAGING WINDS WILL POSE THE GREATEST THREAT...ESPECIALLY THIS
EVENING. HOWEVER...LARGE HAIL...TORRENTIAL RAINFALL AND ISOLATED
TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE A CONCERN. THE RAIN MAY CAUSE AREAS OF
FLASH FLOODING TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
MONDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

&&

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR
CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX

INZ003-MIZ077-131730-
LA PORTE-BERRIEN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MICHIGAN CITY...LA PORTE...NILES...
BENTON HARBOR...ST. JOSEPH...BUCHANAN
125 PM EDT WED JUN 12 2013 /1225 PM CDT WED JUN 12 2013/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN INDIANA
AND SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF
ROUTE 30 FROM MID AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING. ADDITIONAL
THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS
LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TRACK RAPIDLY EAST INTO MUCH OF NORTHERN
INDIANA...SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN AND NORTHWEST OHIO THIS EVENING.
DAMAGING WINDS WILL POSE THE GREATEST THREAT...ESPECIALLY THIS
EVENING. HOWEVER...LARGE HAIL...TORRENTIAL RAINFALL AND ISOLATED
TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE A CONCERN. THE RAIN MAY CAUSE AREAS OF
FLASH FLOODING TONIGHT.

DANGEROUS SWIMMING CONDITIONS DUE TO HIGH WAVES AND RIP CURRENTS
ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE SOUTHEAST SHORE OF LAKE MICHIGAN LATER
TONIGHT. SEE THE LATEST BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT FOR MORE DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

DANGEROUS SWIMMING CONDITIONS DUE TO HIGH WAVES AND RIP CURRENTS ARE
EXPECTED ALONG THE SOUTHEAST SHORE OF LAKE MICHIGAN THURSDAY INTO
THURSDAY EVENING. SEE THE LATEST BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT FOR MORE
DETAILS.

THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN SATURDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH MONDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

&&

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR
CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX

LMZ043-046-131730-
NEW BUFFALO MI TO ST JOSEPH MI-MICHIGAN CITY IN TO NEW BUFFALO MI-
125 PM EDT WED JUN 12 2013

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE NEARSHORE WATERS OF
SOUTHEASTERN LAKE MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING...WITH
THUNDERSTORMS BECOMING MORE LIKELY DURING THE MID AND LATE
AFTERNOON HOURS. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE THEN
EXPECTED THIS EVENING. THERE IS GOOD CHANCE OF SEVERE STORMS LATE
THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT WITH THE MAIN THREATS BEING LARGE HAIL
AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 KNOTS.

A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR LATE TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THURSDAY AND THURSDAY
EVENING. IN ADDITION...DANGEROUS POUNDING WAVES AND LIFE-
THREATENING RIP CURRENTS ARE EXPECTED THURSDAY AND THURSDAY
EVENING...POSSIBLY PERSISTING INTO FRIDAY.

THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN SATURDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH MONDAY.

&&

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR
CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX/?N=MARINE

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 12, 6:10 PM EST, 1 hour 14 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
710 PM EDT WED JUN 12 2013

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0702 PM     HAIL             10 W WINAMAC            41.05N  86.80W
06/12/2013  E0.88 INCH       PULASKI            IN   EMERGENCY MNGR

            ESTIMATED NICKEL SIZE HAIL NEAR SR 39 AND CR 14

&&

KG
Local storm report, Jun 12, 6:21 PM EST, 1 hour 3 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
721 PM EDT WED JUN 12 2013

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0715 PM     HAIL             9 W WINAMAC             41.05N  86.78W
06/12/2013  E1.75 INCH       PULASKI            IN   PUBLIC

            GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AT RT 39 AND RT 14 IN PULASKI COUNTY

&&

KG
Local storm report, Jun 12, 6:40 PM EST, 44 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
740 PM EDT WED JUN 12 2013

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0737 PM     HAIL             WINAMAC                 41.05N  86.60W
06/12/2013  E1.75 INCH       PULASKI            IN   EMERGENCY MNGR

            GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL NEAR WINAMAC

&&

KG
Local storm report, Jun 12, 6:44 PM EST, 40 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
744 PM EDT WED JUN 12 2013

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0738 PM     HAIL             WINAMAC                 41.05N  86.60W
06/12/2013  M1.75 INCH       PULASKI            IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL LASTED FOR 2 MIN. MINOR DAMAGE TO
            VEHICLES

&&

CEO
Local storm report, Jun 12, 7:00 PM EST, 24 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
800 PM EDT WED JUN 12 2013

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0730 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     CULVER                  41.22N  86.42W
06/12/2013                   MARSHALL           IN   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

CEO
Local storm report, Jun 12, 7:04 PM EST, 20 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
804 PM EDT WED JUN 12 2013

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0800 PM     WALL CLOUD       6 W ROCHESTER           41.06N  86.33W
06/12/2013                   FULTON             IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

KG

The radar

The Northern Indiana radar (KIWX), 87 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:22 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Branch

When
June 12, 7:24 PM EST to 7:25 PM EST
Where
Branch County, 0.69 mi S of Coldwater
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.940, -85.000

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Michigan in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, June 2013

Sources

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: 458052.