Hail and Damaging Winds in Michigan, June 17 to 18, 2014

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Michigan, June 17 to 18, 2014
Start: 2014-06-17T03:30
End: 2014-06-18T13:15
Location: Michigan

June 17 to 18, 2014 · NWS GRR · 10 events in 8 counties and zones

Multiple rounds of thunderstorms affected Southwest Lower Michigan beginning late|at night on the 17th and and continuing through the day on the 18th. There were several reports of large hail, damaging wind gusts and heavy rainfall with brief street flooding.

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: $195,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 10

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 GRR wrote it up.

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 Grand Rapids, MI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 17, 2:00 AM EST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 17, 2:00 AM EST, 1 hour 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
300 AM EDT TUE JUN 17 2014

LATEST UPDATE...
SYNOPSIS/SHORT TERM/LONG TERM/MARINE

.SYNOPSIS...
ISSUED AT 300 AM EDT TUE JUN 17 2014

THUNDERSTORMS MOVING EAST ACROSS LAKE MICHIGAN EARLY THIS MORNING
WILL BRING POTENTIAL FOR FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND
PERHAPS SOME BRIEFLY GUSTY WINDS THIS MORNING. AN ACTIVE WEATHER
PATTERN WILL CONTINUE WITH POTENTIAL FOR SEVERAL ROUNDS OF
THUNDERSTORMS IN THE VICINITY OF A NEARLY STATIONARY FRONTAL
BOUNDARY THAT WILL REMAIN DRAPED ACROSS OUR REGION THROUGH
WEDNESDAY EVENING.

&&

.SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY)
ISSUED AT 300 AM EDT TUE JUN 17 2014

PRIMARY SHORT TERM FCST CONCERNS INVOLVE DETERMINING
CONVECTIVE/SEVERE WX POTENTIAL THROUGH THE SHORT TERM FCST PERIOD.

AN MCS TRACKING EAST ACROSS EASTERN WI/LAKE MI EARLY THIS MORNING
WILL CONTINUE TO ADVANCE EASTWARD INTO OUR FORECAST AREA THIS
MORNING. FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL IS EXPECTED
ALONG WITH POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED STRONG WIND GUSTS. HOWEVER IT IS
NOTED THAT CONVECTION OVER EASTERN WI IS NO LONGER SEVERE AND NOT
NEARLY AS ROBUST OR ORGANIZED AS IT WAS EARLIER TONIGHT. RADAR AND
IR SAT TRENDS SUGGEST THAT AN OVERALL DOWNWARD TREND IN CONVECTION
SHOULD CONTINUE EARLY THIS MORNING.

AFTER THIS ACTIVITY MOVES THROUGH THIS MORNING IT IS LIKELY THAT
MOST OF THE AFTERNOON WILL END UP BEING DRY. MORNING CLOUDS WILL
GIVE WAY TO PARTIAL SUNSHINE IN THE AFTERNOON AND IT WILL BECOME
VERY WARM AND HUMID WITH MAX TEMPS REACHING THE MID TO UPPER 80S.
WE CANNOT RULE OUT REDEVELOPMENT OF A FEW THUNDERSTORMS IN THE
AFTERNOON AS INSTABILITY RAMPS UP SIGNIFICANTLY WITH POTENTIAL FOR
ML CAPES TO REACH 2000 - 3000 J/KG.

THE NEXT GOOD CHANCE FOR ORGANIZED CONVECTION WILL COME THIS
EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AS THE LLJ AND STRONG LOW LEVEL MOISTURE
TRANSPORT FUEL DEVELOPMENT OF ONE OR MORE MCS/S OFF TO OUR WEST.
THAT ACTIVITY WILL TRACK EASTWARD ALONG THE QUASI STATIONARY
FRONTAL BOUNDARY THAT WILL BE DRAPED RIGHT ACROSS OUR FCST AREA.

THIS BOUNDARY WILL SAG ONLY SLOWLY SOUTH ACROSS OUR AREA AND WILL
CONTINUE TO FOCUS DEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. BY WEDNESDAY EVENING THE FRONT SHOULD BE
LOCATED NEAR THE I-94 CORRIDOR SUCH THAT HIGHEST POPS BY THEN WILL
BE OVER OUR SOUTHERN COUNTIES WITH ONLY LOW CHC POPS FURTHER
NORTH.

BY THURSDAY THE FRONT WILL SAG FURTHER SOUTH INTO INDIANA. THERE
IS A SMALL CHANCE THAT A FEW SHOWERS AND STORMS MAY STILL LINGER
OVER OUR SOUTHERN FCST AREA MAINLY SOUTH OF I-96. HOWEVER WITH
SHORTWAVE RIDGING BUILDING IN FROM THE WEST WE BELIEVE FAIR WX IS
LIKELY FOR MOST OF OUR FCST AREA THURSDAY.

.LONG TERM...(THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY)
ISSUED AT 300 AM EDT TUE JUN 17 2014

AFTER A PERIOD OF SHORTWAVE RIDGING THURSDAY NIGHT... THE UPPER FLOW
GOES ZONAL AGAIN FOR NEXT WEEKEND WITH THE ACTIVE QUASI STATIONARY
SFC FRONTAL BOUNDARY RETURNING AND IMPACTING OUR WEATHER WITH DAILY
SHOWER/TSTM CHANCES. THERE SHOULD BE PERIODIC WAVES/CONVECTIVE
EPISODES MOVING EAST ALONG THE BOUNDARY ALONG WITH WARM AND HUMID
CONDITIONS.

EVENTUALLY THE SFC BOUNDARY SINKS SOUTH OF THE STATE SUNDAY NIGHT
AND MONDAY AS A NRN STREAM WAVE/UPPER LOW DROPS SOUTHEAST FROM THE
LAKE WINNIPEG AREA. THIS FEATURE IS PROGGED OVER THE GRTLKS REGION
FOR MONDAY...WITH COOLER/LESS HUMID CONDITIONS AND SHOWERY WEATHER A
GOOD BET.

&&

.AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z TUESDAY NIGHT)
ISSUED AT 1159 PM EDT MON JUN 16 2014

MORE CONFIDENCE IN STORMS MAKING IT ACROSS THE LAKE THAN WITH THE
00Z ISSUANCE. BASED ON A COMPARISON OF NUMEROUS SHORT RANGE MODELS
HAVE DECIDED TO BRING IN TSRA TO MKG BY 08Z WITH SOME CONFIDENCE
THAT STORMS WILL HOLD TOGETHER OVERNIGHT. A WANE IN THE STRENGTH
OF THE STORMS IS ANTICIPATED BY EARLY TO MID MORNING SO THE WORST
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT MKG WITH SOME GUSTY WINDS POSSIBLE
ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT LOCALLY VERY
STRONG WIND GUSTS OVER 50KT MAY OCCUR BETWEEN 08Z AND 10Z MAINLY FOR
MKG BUT A RISK AT GRR AND AZO AS WELL GIVEN WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH
THESE STORMS IN WISCONSIN AND IOWA. NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO
MENTION THOSE GUSTS AT THIS TIME BUT WILL MONITOR OVERNIGHT.
ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS LIKELY AROUND 00Z AND BEYOND
WITH MORE HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS POSSIBLE.

&&

.MARINE...
ISSUED AT 300 AM EDT TUE JUN 17 2014

WINDS AND WAVES SHOULD STAY BELOW SCA CRITERIA TODAY AND TONIGHT
BUT WINDS AND WAVES WILL BE HIGHER IN AND NEAR THUNDERSTORMS.
THUNDERSTORMS WILL POSE A HAZARD TO MARINERS THROUGH WEDNESDAY
EVENING. IN ADDITION AREAS OF FOG ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AS A
MUCH MORE HUMID AIRMASS MOVES IN AND ADVECTS OVER RELATIVELY COLD
LAKE WATERS.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...
ISSUED AT 330 PM EDT MON JUN 16 2014

NO SIGNIFICANT RAIN FELL SUNDAY NIGHT...BUT WE STILL EXPECT AN
INCH OR TWO OVER THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR
HIGHER AMOUNTS IN SOME BASINS. RISES ON RIVERS COULD BEGIN AS
EARLY AS TUESDAY AFTERNOON. AS IS TYPICAL WITH SUMMER HEAVY RAIN
EVENTS...LOCATIONS AND AMOUNTS ARE STILL UNCERTAIN.

&&

.GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MI...NONE.
LM...NONE.
&&

SYNOPSIS...LAURENS
SHORT TERM...LAURENS
LONG TERM...MEADE
AVIATION...HOVING
HYDROLOGY...OSTUNO
MARINE...LAURENS

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 17, 3:25 AM EST, 5 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
425 AM EDT TUE JUN 17 2014

MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-180800-
MASON-LAKE-OSCEOLA-CLARE-OCEANA-NEWAYGO-MECOSTA-ISABELLA-MUSKEGON-
MONTCALM-GRATIOT-OTTAWA-KENT-IONIA-CLINTON-ALLEGAN-BARRY-EATON-
INGHAM-VAN BUREN-KALAMAZOO-CALHOUN-JACKSON-
425 AM EDT TUE JUN 17 2014

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE
LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT. FLOODING MAY DEVELOP AS WELL. THUNDERSTORMS
ARE LIKELY THIS MORNING BUT ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY. MORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE
POSSIBLE OVER THE WEEKEND.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... AND
AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY.

LMZ844>849-180800-
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-
425 AM EDT TUE JUN 17 2014

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

OCCASIONAL THUNDERSTORMS AND AREAS OF FOG WILL POSE A THREAT TO
MARINERS TODAY AND TONIGHT. SOME OF THE STORMS WILL CONTAIN GUSTY
WINDS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY. MORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE
POSSIBLE OVER THE WEEKEND. AREAS OF FOG WILL ALSO IMPACT LAKE
MICHIGAN THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... AND
AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY.

MEADE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 17, 3:21 AM EST, 9 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
421 AM EDT TUE JUN 17 2014

MIZ037-038-043-044-170945-
LAKE-MASON-NEWAYGO-OCEANA-
421 AM EDT TUE JUN 17 2014

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...

AT 417 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM FREESOIL TO
FREMONT...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH.

WIND GUSTS GREATER THAN 40 MPH...OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  BALDWIN...            BITELY...             WHITE CLOUD...
  IRONS...              LUTHER...             WOODLAND PARK...
  BROHMAN...            IDLEWILD...           ENSLEY TWP...
  HOME TWP...           WOODVILLE...          CROTON...
  NEWKIRK TWP...        NIRVANA...            NEWYAGO STATE PARK...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL OBJECTS SUCH AS TRASH BINS TO BLOW
AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. SEEK
SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED.

&&

LAT...LON 4417 8556 4329 8557 4329 8604 4347 8604
      4347 8647 4360 8654 4366 8654 4377 8645
      4383 8643 4397 8647 4406 8652 4412 8643
      4418 8639
TIME...MOT...LOC 0821Z 257DEG 38KT 4412 8607 4348 8591

LAURENS

The radar

The Green Bay radar (KGRB), 136 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 08:28 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Mason

When: June 17, 3:30 AM EST
Where: Mason County, 2.1 mi WSW of Hamlin Lake Lake
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 44.060, -86.510

A 58 mph wind gust was measured.

Thunderstorm Wind, Muskegon

When: June 17, 7:20 AM EST
Where: Muskegon County, 0.69 mi N of Whitehall
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 43.410, -86.350

The media reported that a large tree fell on a house and that multiple trees were blown down in Whitehall.

Thunderstorm Wind, Lake

When: June 17, 8:05 AM EST
Where: Lake County, 2.57 mi WNW of Irons
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 44.140, -85.970

The public reported that numerous trees were blown down on North Bass Lake Rd. south of 10 1/2 Mile Rd.

Hail, Oceana

When: June 18, 1:40 AM EST
Where: Oceana County, 1.38 mi N of New Era
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 43.570, -86.350

One inch diameter hail was reported by the public near New Era.

Hail, Ottawa

When: June 18, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Ottawa County, 2.63 mi ENE of Forest Grove
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.810, -85.800

A trained spotter reported one inch diameter hail near Forest Grove.

Hail, Kent

When: June 18, 8:07 AM EST to 8:20 AM EST
Where: Kent County, 2.05 mi SW of Grandville Arpt to 1.01 mi E of Home Acres
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 42.860, -85.780

There were numerous reports of hail over an inch in diameter across southern Kent county, and hail up to one and three quarters inch in diameter was reported.

Thunderstorm Wind, Ottawa

When: June 18, 11:45 AM EST
Where: Ottawa County, 1.67 mi ESE of Buchanan
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.820, -86.190

Four trees were blown down in Park Township northwest of the city of Holland near lake Michigan. One of the trees was 3 feet in diameter.

Thunderstorm Wind, Kent

When: June 18, 12:17 PM EST to 12:39 PM EST
Where: Kent County, 1.01 mi E of Grand Rapids to Fallasburg
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.970, -85.660

Several trees were blown down across southern Kent county.

Thunderstorm Wind, Kalamazoo

When: June 18, 12:45 PM EST
Where: Kalamazoo County, 0.51 mi W of Texas Corners
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 42.200, -85.690

Kalamazoo county officials reported that several trees were blown across Kalamazoo county, but that the tree damage was rather isolated.

Thunderstorm Wind, Ionia

When: June 18, 1:15 PM EST
Where: Ionia County, 1.67 mi ENE of Ionia Co Arpt
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 42.940, -85.040

The pubic reported half of an old barn was demolished and that a large tree was blown down near Ionia.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
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

Every storm in Michigan in 2014 Every state in 2014 This day in weather history Warnings in Michigan, June 2014

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: 520504, 520506, 520507, 520509, 520511, 520512, 520514, 520515, 520516, 520517.