Upper disturbances moving through a warm and unstable air mass produced several severe thunderstorms over western Upper Michigan during the late afternoon and evening hours of the 31th.
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.
Upper disturbances moving through a warm and unstable air mass produced several severe thunderstorms over western Upper Michigan during the late afternoon and evening hours of the 31th.
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 May 31, 2:58 PM CST, 2 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 458 PM EDT FRI MAY 31 2013 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 456 PM EDT FRI MAY 31 2013 UPPER LOW CONTINUES TO SPIN OVER NORTHERN PLAINS. RICHEST MOISTURE IS FEEDING MAINLY EAST OF LK SUPERIOR AND LK HURON WHILE DWPNTS OVER UPR MICHIGAN ARE IN THE 50S TO LOWER 60S. STRONG LINE OF STORMS HAVE FORMED VCNTY OF LK HURON AND JUST IN THE LAST HOUR TSRA HAVE BLOSSOMED OVER ECNTRL MN INTO WCNTRL WI ON NOSE OF DRY SLOT WRAPPING AROUND UPPER LOW. H7 WINDS INDICATE SSW WINDS 40 KTS SO TSRA CLUSTER MAY CLIP IWD THROUGH 23Z. THUS FAR...DRIER AIR H85-H7 IS LIMITING TSRA FARTHER EAST...THOUGH A FEW CU TOWERS ARE TRYING TO GO UP OVR NCNTRL WI. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH WAS ISSUED IN THE LAST 30 MIN AND THIS WILL INCLUDE WESTERN CWA BASED ON EXPECTED STORM MOTION. SIMILAR TO YDY...0-1KM SHEAR IS 20-25 KTS OVR WESTERN WI. IF STORMS CAN ACHIEVE A COLD POOL MAY BE ENOUGH BALANCE IN LOW-LEVELS TO SUPPORT POSSIBLE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. BASED ON ADDITIONAL TSRA FORMING OVER WCNTRL WI INTO NORTHEAST IOWA AND LESSER CHANCE OF INSTABILITY BEING WORKED OVER DOWNSTREAM INTO CNTRL WISCONSIN...SEEMS LIKELY THAT CLUSTERS OF SHRA/TSRA WILL BE ADVECTING INTO AT LEAST WEST HALF OF CWA THROUGH THE EVENING. UNLIKE YDY...MUCH STRONGER DEEP LAYER SHEAR UP OVER 50 KTS IS PRESENT IN THIS ENVIRONMENT WITH MLCAPE 1000-1500J/KG SO SUPERCELLS ARE POSSIBLE. OVER 500 J/KG OF CAPE ABOVE -10C WILL ADD THE RISK OF LARGE HAIL WITH THE STORMS. BY LATER TONIGHT...NOSE OF MID-LEVEL DRY SLOT IS NORTH OF CWA AND H85-H7 MOISTURE TRANSPORT SLIDES TO EAST. EXPECT SHRA/TSRA TO ROLL ACROSS EASTERN HALF OF CWA BEFORE ENDING IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF SATURDAY. A MINIMUM IN COVERAGE IN PRECIP IS EXPECTED AFTER 09Z TONIGHT THROUGH 15Z ON SATURDAY IN THE SUBSIDENCE REGION IN WAKE OF CONVECTION TONIGHT. SHORTWAVE OVER DAKOTAS ON NORTH FLANK OF UPPER LOW SLIDES ACROSS UPPER LAKES ON SATURDAY. EXPECT EXPANSION OF SHRA BY EARLY AFTN OVER WESTERN CWA AND EVENTUALLY MOVING INTO CNTRL CWA. MLCAPES FORECAST TO STAY BLO 500J/KG BUT THERE IS DECENT COVERAGE OF TSRA THIS AFTN EVEN WHERE CAPES WERE NOT AS HIGH...SO WILL INCLUDE AT LEAST A CHANCE OF TSRA. COLD FRONT REACHES NORTHWEST CWA IN THE AFTN WITH TEMPERATURES HEADING DOWNWARD AFTER THE WARM SPELL OF THE LAST FEW DAYS. BASED ON UPSTREAM TEMPS NORTH OF THE LOW...WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE TEMPS FALL INTO THE 40S ALONG LK SUPERIOR SHORE ACROSS KEWEENAW WITH PERHAPS SOME FOG OR STRATUS ADVECTING ONSHORE AS WELL. ELSEWHERE...TEMPS WILL PROBABLY MAKE IT INTO THE 70S BEFORE TEMPS SLIDE LATER IN THE DAY AS COOLER AIR ARRIVES. SO LONG TO THE 70S AND 80S...FOR NOW. .LONG TERM...(SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 456 PM EDT FRI MAY 31 2013 SATURDAY NIGHT... THE MODELS GENERALLY IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE SLOW PROGRESSION OF THE MID LEVEL TROUGH FROM THE UPPER MS VALLEY THROUGH THE WRN GREAT LAKES. FORCING FROM MODERATE 700-300 QVECTOR CONVERGENCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROUGH ALONG WITH DEEP MOISTURE WILL SUPPORT NUMEROUS SHRA ACROSS MOST OF THE CWA. MDL CONSENSUS SUGGESTS GREATER PCPN CHANCES/QPF SHOULD DEVELOP OVER THE WEST HALF OF THE CWA LATE SATURDAY BEFORE SHIFTING INTO THE EAST SATURDAY EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. MODEL AVG QPF SUGGEST AT LEAST 0.50 TO 0.75 INCH OF RAINFALL POSSIBLE BY SUNDAY MORNING ACROSS MUCH OF THE CWA. SUNDAY...AS THE TROUGH SHIFTS TO THE EAST...COLD SEASON TYPE PCPN IS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT SAT NIGHT INTO EARLY SUNDAY WITH 850 MB TEMPS DROPPING TO NEAR -2C AND GREATER PCPN OVER THE NORTH WHERE STRONGER NRLY UPSLOPE FLOW DEVELOPS. ANY REMAINING WRAP-AROUND PCPN SUNDAY...RAIN AND DRIZZLE...SHOULD DIMINISH BY AFTERNOON AS RDGG AND DRIER AIR SHARPLY BUILD IN FM THE WEST. UNSEASONABLY COLD CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL WITH BLUSTERY N-NW WINDS KEEPING TEMPERATURES IN THE MID TO UPPER 40S NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR AND IN THE LOW TO MID 50S INLAND. SUN NIGHT INTO MON...WITH HIGH PRES BUILDING INTO THE REGION SUNDAY NIGHT EXPECT IDEAL RADIATIONAL COOLING CONDITIONS. IN CLOSEST PROXIMITY TO SFC RDG AXIS...MIN TEMPS SHOULD PLUMMET INTO THE LOWER 30S OVER THE INTERIOR WEST WHERE AREAS OF FROST ARE EXPECTED. ALL MODELS NOW LATCHING ONTO IDEA OF ANOTHER VORTEX FM NRN ONTARIO MOVING DOWN ACROSS NRN AND ERN LAKE SUPERIOR SUN EVENING. PCPN AND CLOUDS WITH THIS FEATURE ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN JUST TO THE NE OF THE CWA. HOWEVER...IF THE MODELS TREND FARTHER SOUTH...GREATER CLOUD COVER AND SOME LIGHT PCPN MAY BE POSSIBLE INTO NE UPPER MICHIGAN. MON NIGHT...ANOTHER NIGHT WITH GOOD RADIATIONAL COOLING CONDITIONS WILL BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR MORE FROST FOR INLAND PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL AND WEST. TUE-FRI...WITH THE DRY SE FLOW AROUND THE DEPARTING RIDGE...THE GFS AND ECMWF HAVE TRENDED TOWARD SLOWER ARRIVAL OF PCPN AS THE NEXT MID LEVEL LOW MOVES THROUGH THE NRN PLAINS AND A SFC TROUGH MOVES INTO MN...SO TUE LOOKS DRY. HOWEVER...BY TUE NIGHT INTO THU PCPN CHANCES WILL AGAIN INCREASE AS MOISTURE RETURNS TO THE AREA AND MID-LVL TROF AXIS DRAWS CLOSER TO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES. LOOKING AT MUCAPE VALUES LOOKS LIKE THERE MAY BE ENOUGH INSTABILITY TO SUPPORT A MENTION OF POSSIBLE THUNDER WED NIGHT INTO THU EVENING. MODELS HINT AT A TREND TOWARD DRIER WX BY NEXT FRIDAY AS CONSENSUS OF MODELS...ESPECIALLY THE 12Z ECMWF...INDICATE MID-LVL TROF AXIS PUSHING EAST WITH WEAK RDGG BUILDING IN FM THE WEST. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 200 PM EDT FRI MAY 31 2013 QUIET NOW. EXPECTING AT LEAST SOME SHRA AND TSRA TO AFFECT THE TAF SITES LATE AFTN AND THIS EVENING. DRYING TREND SHOULD THEN DEVELOP OVERNIGHT. SPECIFICS IN DETAILS OF SHRA/TSRA PRETTY UNCERTAIN. ONLY TAF SITE KEPT TSRA MENTION EXPLICITLY WAS KSAW...BUT ALSO INCLUDED VCTS AT IWD AND CMX. VFR CONDITIONS WILL TREND MORE MVFR TONIGHT AS LOWER CLOUDS COULD FORM BENEATH INCREASING SUBSIDENCE. MAY SEE FOG TRY TO FORM AT CMX IF WINDS BECOME EASTERLY AND IF SHRA BECOME MORE NUMEROUS FOR A TIME. VERY CONDITIONAL FOR SURE. INTO SATURDAY...COLD FRONT WILL PRESS INTO NORTHWEST UPR MICHIGAN BY MIDDAY. EXPECT NORTHERLY WINDS AND INCREASING POTENTIAL OF LOWER MVFR AND EVEN IFR CIGS ONCE THE FRONT WORKS IN BY EARLY SATURDAY AFTN. && .MARINE...(FOR THE 4 PM LAKE SUPERIOR FORECAST ISSUANCE) ISSUED AT 456 PM EDT FRI MAY 31 2013 WITH GENERALLY WEAK PRES GRADIENT AND STABLE CONDITIONS OVER LAKE SUPERIOR...EXPECT WINDS TO BE UNDER 25KT THRU THE NEXT WEEK. WIDESPREAD FOG WILL LIKELY CONTINUE OVER EASTERN SECTIONS. MAY SEE FOG DEVELOP INTO DENSE FOG WESTERN LK SUPERIOR IN WAKE OF STRONGER STORMS MOVING THROUGH THIS EVENING. PATCHY DENSE FOG IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE THROUGH SAT BEFORE COLD FRONT AND DRIER AIR ARRIVES. HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT AND REMAIN OVERHEAD THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...KEEPING WINDS LESS THAN 25 KNOTS. && .MQT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UPPER MICHIGAN... NONE. LAKE SUPERIOR... DENSE FOG ADVISORY UNTIL 2 PM EDT SATURDAY FOR LSZ264-266-267. LAKE MICHIGAN... DENSE FOG ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM EDT SATURDAY FOR LMZ248-250. && SHORT TERM...JLA LONG TERM...VOSS AVIATION...JLA MARINE...JLA
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI 529 AM EDT FRI MAY 31 2013 MIZ001>007-009>014-084-085-011200- KEWEENAW-ONTONAGON-NORTHERN HOUGHTON-BARAGA-MARQUETTE-ALGER-LUCE- GOGEBIC-IRON-DICKINSON-MENOMINEE-DELTA-SOUTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- SOUTHERN HOUGHTON-NORTHERN SCHOOLCRAFT- 529 AM EDT FRI MAY 31 2013 /429 AM CDT FRI MAY 31 2013/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN UPPER MICHIGAN AND CENTRAL UPPER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY AND TONIGHT. SOME STORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING COULD PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS TO 35 MPH AND SMALL HAIL. FOG ALONG LAKE MICHIGAN TONIGHT MAY BE DENSE AT TIMES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY. SOME FROST IS POSSIBLE INLAND FROM THE GREAT LAKES SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. LSZ162-240>251-263>267-011200- LAKE SUPERIOR WEST OF A LINE FROM SAXON HARBOR WI TO GRAND PORTAGE MN BEYOND 5NM-SAXON HARBOR WI TO BLACK RIVER MI- BLACK RIVER TO ONTONAGON MI- ONTONAGON TO UPPER ENTRANCE OF PORTAGE CANAL MI- UPPER ENTRANCE OF PORTAGE CANAL TO EAGLE RIVER MI- EAGLE RIVER TO MANITOU ISLAND MI- MANITOU ISLAND TO POINT ISABELLE MI- POINT ISABELLE TO LOWER ENTRANCE OF PORTAGE CANAL MI- LOWER ENTRANCE OF PORTAGE CANAL TO HURON ISLANDS MI INCLUDING KEWEENAW AND HURON BAYS-HURON ISLANDS TO MARQUETTE MI- MARQUETTE TO MUNISING MI-MUNISING TO GRAND MARAIS MI- GRAND MARAIS TO WHITEFISH POINT MI- LAKE SUPERIOR FROM SAXON HARBOR WI TO UPPER ENTRANCE TO PORTAGE CANAL MI 5NM OFF SHORE TO THE US/CANADIAN BORDER INCLUDING ISLE ROYALE NATIONAL PARK- LAKE SUPERIOR FROM UPPER ENTRANCE TO PORTAGE CANAL TO MANITOU ISLAND MI 5NM OFF SHORE TO THE US/CANADIAN BORDER- LAKE SUPERIOR WEST OF LINE FROM MANITOU ISLAND TO MARQUETTE MI BEYOND 5NM FROM SHORE- LAKE SUPERIOR EAST OF A LINE FROM MANITOU ISLAND TO MARQUETTE MI AND WEST OF A LINE FROM GRAND MARAIS MI TO THE US/CANADIAN BORDER BEYOND 5NM FROM SHORE- LAKE SUPERIOR FROM GRAND MARAIS MI TO WHITEFISH POINT MI 5NM OFF SHORE TO THE US/CANADIAN BORDER- 529 AM EDT FRI MAY 31 2013 /429 AM CDT FRI MAY 31 2013/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN LAKE SUPERIOR...CENTRAL LAKE SUPERIOR AND WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE. AREAS OF FOG ARE EXPECTED. FOG MAY BE LOCALLY DENSE AT TIMES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT. FOG WILL LINGER FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING...AND THE FOG MAY BE DENSE AT TIMES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. LMZ221-248-250-011200- GREEN BAY NORTH OF LINE FROM CEDAR RIVER MI TO ROCK ISLAND PASSAGE-SEUL CHOIX POINT TO POINT DETOUR MI- 5NM EAST OF A LINE FROM FAIRPORT MI TO ROCK ISLAND PASSAGE- 529 AM EDT FRI MAY 31 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. AREAS OF FOG ARE EXPECTED. THE FOG MAY BE LOCALLY DENSE AT TIMES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY. FOG WILL LINGER THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON...AND THE FOG MAY BE DENSE AT TIMES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE NEED FOR WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. JLB
The Duluth radar (KDLH), 170 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:01 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A few trees and a power line were knocked down in Bessemer.
The spotter in Freda measured a 59 mph thunderstorm wind gust.
One inch diameter hail was reported near Michigamme.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, May 2013
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: 452136, 452138, 452139.