A squall line crossed northern lower Michigan during the late morning hours of the 17th. This line produced numerous wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph, but winds reached severe levels in only a few spots.
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 APX wrote it up.
A squall line crossed northern lower Michigan during the late morning hours of the 17th. This line produced numerous wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph, but winds reached severe levels in only a few spots. Additional storms developed behind this line. One grew into a supercell that produced a brief tornado in the community of Hale, and additional wind damage further east.
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 Gaylord, MI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 17, 6:00 AM EST, 1 hour 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI 700 AM EDT TUE JUN 17 2014 .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 338 AM EDT TUE JUN 17 2014 AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL BRING A ROUND OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING. ADDITIONAL STORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES LINGER WEDNESDAY BUT A BETTER CHANCE RETURNS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WITH THE NEXT AREA OF LOW PRESSURE. TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE WEEKEND SHOULD REMAIN IN THE 70S...AROUND OR JUST A BIT BELOW NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 338 AM EDT TUE JUN 17 2014 ...RUMBLES OF THUNDER THIS MORNING WITH MORE CHANCES FOR STORMS... IMPACTS: SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE STORMS. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL THE PRIMARY THREATS. CURRENT WEATHER AND SYNOPTIC PATTERN: ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN UPSTREAM WITH A FULL BLOWN MCV WORKING ACROSS WISCONSIN AND A NICE SQUALL LINE SOUTH OF THIS MCV INTO NRN IL...AND THEN BACK ACROSS IOWA. THE SRN PORTION OF THIS LINE IS GOBBLING UP DEEPER MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY AND WAS DROPPING SSE THROUGH IOWA AND NW IL...FED BY STRONG LL FORCING/LIFT AND THETA-E CONVERGENCE ALONG AN EDGE OF STEEP LAPSE RATE PLUME ALOFT AND SOUTH OF A SFC WARM FRONT. MOST ALL OF THE SEVERE WEATHER WAS LOCATED HERE. THE MCV ITSELF IS BEING SUPPORTED AND LIFTED NE BY RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION/UPPER DIVERGENCE OF 80KT UPPER JET. SWIRLING AREA OF RAIN AND EMBEDDED THUNDER SURROUND THE MCV. THE PREVIOUSLY STABLE AIR MASS ACROSS NRN MICHIGAN HAS CONTINUED TO DESTABILIZE WITH TIME...AS THE LLJ WAS VEERING AND DIRECTING DEEPER H8 MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY OUR WAY. SOME OF THE LEADING EDGE PRECIPITATION...RAIN AND EMBEDDED NON-SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO NW LOWER AND PARTS OF EASTERN UPPER. SYNOPTIC PATTERN/WEATHER EVOLUTION: MCV WILL ROLL THROUGH NRN MICHIGAN THIS MORNING BRINGING A ROUND OF RAIN AND EMBEDDED NON-SEVERE STORMS. THE ASSOCIATED LOW LEVEL CLOUDS AND RAIN AND SUBSIDENCE BEHIND THE DEPARTING MCV WILL LIKELY LEAD TO MORE STABLE CONDITIONS THROUGH AT LEAST EARLY AFTERNOON. WE WILL STILL BE IN THE PRESENCE OF RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION UPPER DIVERGENCE WHICH MAY HELP TAPER THE MID LEVEL CAPPING...ALSO HELPED BY HIGH SUN ANGLE...BUT LATEST FCST DATA SUGGESTING THIS MAY BE A DAUNTING TASK. OF COURSE EVERYTHING WILL RELY ON THE EXTENT/COVERAGE OF RAINFALL INTO DAYBREAK. ALL THAT SAID...THERE SHOULD AT LEAST BE A LATE DAY SURGE OF MUGGIER AIR INTO NRN MICHIGAN...WHILE A SHALLOW COLD FRONT GETS DRAWN DOWN INTO/NEAR NRN MICHIGAN. THIS KEEPS THE POTENTIAL FOR RENEWED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CAPABILITY...BUT ANYTHING STRONG WILL BE HIGHLY DEPENDENT UPON THE AMOUNT OF DESTABILIZATION WE CAN ACHIEVE. CONFIDENCE IN THIS IS MORE SO ON THE LOW END OF THE SCALE...BUT CONFIDENCE IN THE ENTIRE ABOVE SCENARIO PLAYING OUT EXACTLY THAT WAY IS EVEN LOWER. THE POTENTIAL MLCAPE FOR THE AFTERNOON WOULD BE AROUND 1500J/KG...BUT CORE OF BEST MID LEVEL WINDS WILL BE TRACKING ACROSS SRN LOWER MICHIGAN. MAYBE SOME STRONG STORMS/A FEW SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL THE PRIMARY THREAT...BUT MORE EYES ARE LIKELY TO BE FOCUSED LATE TODAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF MN/WI/IA/IL AGAIN...IN THE VICINITY OF RENEWED THETA-E CONVERGENCE AND LLJ FORCING...AHEAD OF NEXT SHORTWAVE/VORT MAX EJECTING FROM PARENT CLOSED LOW IN THE NRN ROCKIES. THIS ACTIVITY WILL HAVE THE CHANCE AT TAKING ANOTHER RUN AT MAINLY NRN LOWER...AND MORE THAN LIKELY THE FAR SRN AREAS AGAIN...CLOSER TO GTV BAY/MANISTEE/CADILLAC AS STORM PROPAGATION TO THE SOUTH INTO THE MORE MOIST/UNSTABLE AIR IS AGAIN A LIKELY SCENARIO. .LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 338 AM EDT TUE JUN 17 2014 ...RAIN CHANCE BY WEEK'S END BUT IT MAY NOT BE THAT BAD... OVERVIEW...WITH A HIGH OVER LOW BLOCK ALONG THE PACIFIC COAST, IT LOOKS LIKE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS THAT THE UPPER GREAT LAKES IS IN A FLATTENED RIDGE/ZONAL PATTERN THAT GETS UP ENDED OVER THE WEEKEND BY THE 500 MB LOW IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. WHAT THAT MEANS FOR US IS INTERVALS OF CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS IN THE WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW THAT WILL SET UP OVER THE GREAT LAKES. (6/18)WEDNESDAY...COMPROMISED ON THE MODELS AS THE ECMWF AND THE GFS/NAM ARE SOMEWHAT DIVIDED ON THE SPECIFIC, BUT THE GENERAL TREND LOOKS SIMILAR. THE IDEA IS THAT DURING THE MORNING WITH THE WNW 500 MB FLOW AND THE SFC TROUGH/WARM FRONT CONTINUE THE CONVECTION OVERNIGHT AS THE SHOWALTER INDEX -2C TO -4C IN N LOWER. THE GFS SEEMS A BIT AGGRESSIVE WITH ITS PRECIPITATION, BUT IT'S NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. THEN AFTER 18Z, THE FRONT GOES SOUTH AND THE 500 MB HEIGHTS BEGIN TO BUILD. THINK THAT THE DRYING WILL BE PRETTY DECENT AS A HUDSON BAY HIGH SETS UP. WEDNESDAY NIGHT...THE GFS HAS US TEETERING ON THE EDGE OF RAIN, BUT THINK THAT THE ECMWF TREND WITH THE STRONG HUDSON BAY HIGH AND THE AMPLIFIED 500 MB RIDGE UPSTREAM WILL SHUT OFF OR FOCUS THE RAIN FARTHER SOUTH. (6/19)THURSDAY...THINK THAT THE RAIN CONTINUES TO THE SOUTH OF THE REGION AS THE 500 MB RIDGE REALLY SHUTS THINGS OFF, NOT TO MENTION THAT THE HIGH REALLY FORCES THE FRONT TO BE PUSHED OFF TO THE SOUTHWEST. OVERNIGHT, HOWEVER, WE BEGIN TO SEE THE 500 MB RIDGE AXIS AND THE SFC HIGH MOVE TO THE EAST. THIS ALLOWS THE FRONT TO MOVE INTO THE FORECAST AREA, BUT LATE THURSDAY NIGHT OR EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. SO WILL HAVE A CHANCE IN THE SW CORNER OF THE FORECAST AREA, AS I THINK THAT THE ECMWF WITH THE STRENGTH OF THE SFC HIGH IS THE BETTER CHOICE OF THE MODEL SOLUTIONS. EXTENDED (FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY)...(6/20)FRIDAY...DOESN'T MATTER WHICH MODEL YOU CHOSE HERE, THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE STATE AND BRINGS RAIN BACK THROUGH. (6/21)SATURDAY...DEPENDING ON WHERE THE 500 MB LOW GOES, IT WILL EITHER BE REALLY RAINY(GFS) OR SCATTERED SHOWERS(ECMWF) WILL HAVE CHANCES OF RAIN SHOWERS AND SEE HOW THIS EVOLVES. (6/22)SUNDAY...BOTH MODELS HAVE THE 500 MB LOW MOVING INTO N LOWER BY 00Z, AND WITH US STUCK IN THE COOL AIR, WITH THE SFC LOW, IT WILL BE HARD PRESSED TO THUNDER. PROBABLY RAIN SHOWERS. OVERNIGHT, IT WILL PROBABLY CLEAR OUT AS THE FRONT AND 500 MB LOW MOVE SOUTH AND HIGH PRESSURE MOVES INTO THE REGION. (6/23)MONDAY...THEN HIGH PRESSURE MOVES INTO THE FORECAST AREA AND DRIES THINGS OUT FOR THE START OF THE WORK WEEK. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z WEDNESDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 655 AM EDT TUE JUN 17 2014 LOW PRESSURE MOVING THROUGH NRN MICHIGAN IS RESULTING IN A BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...WHICH WAS MOVING THROUGH APN. 1-2 HR PERIOD OF THUNDER WITH MORE ISOLATED STORMS AND SCATTERED SHOWERS NEAR TVC/MBL THROUGH 15-16Z. LOW CLOUD/MVFR NOT VERY PREVALENT UPSTREAM...BUT COULD SEE THE POTENTIAL FOR A PERIOD OF MVFR WITH RAINFALL/MOISTURE BEING TRAPPED UNDER A SUBSIDENCE INVERSION. JUST NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO CARRY PREVAILING MVFR FOR AWHILE THIS MORNING. MIXING THROUGH THE DAY WILL BRING ANY TRAPPED MOISTURE TO VFR...AND REDEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS AND STORMS DOES NOT LOOK ALL TOO PROMISING...BUT THERE WILL BE A SHALLOW COLD FRONT ARRIVING FROM THE WEST. WILL NOT CARRY A VCTS/VCSH WITHOUT TOO MUCH CONFIDENCE. A VARIABLE FLOW WILL GRADUALLY BECOME MORE WESTERLY 09-13 KNOTS THIS AFTERNOON. RAINFALL A GOOD BET TO LEAD TO SOME FOG EARLY IN THE EVENING...POSSIBLY LONGER AT APN/PLN...BUT REDEVELOPING NOCTURNAL SHOWERS AND STORMS NEARER TO TVC/MBL COULD THWART ANY SIGNIFICANT FOG THERE. && .MARINE... ISSUED AT 338 AM EDT TUE JUN 17 2014 LOW PRESSURE AND A SHALLOW COLD FRONT WILL DROP INTO THE NEARSHORE WATERS TODAY AND TONIGHT AND THEN INTO THE SRN LAKES MORE SO FOR WEDNESDAY. THIS FRONT AND NEW LOW PRESSURE WILL LIFT BACK NORTH BY FRIDAY. SEVERAL CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL BE ASSOCIATED ALONG/NEAR THIS FRONTAL ZONE. OF COURSE ANY STORMS WILL BRING THE CHANCE FOR STRONG/GUSTY/ERRATIC WINDS. WINDS AND WAVES WILL REMAIN BELOW ANY ADVISORY CRITERIA...OUTSIDE OF THOSE POTENTIAL STORMS. && .APX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...NONE. LH...NONE. LM...NONE. LS...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...JL SHORT TERM...SMD LONG TERM...JL AVIATION...SMD MARINE...SMD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI 347 AM EDT TUE JUN 17 2014 LHZ345>349-LMZ323-341-342-344>346-LSZ321-322-MIZ008-015>036-041-042- 181100- STRAITS OF MACKINAC-ST IGNACE TO FALSE DETOUR CHANNEL- MACKINAC BRDG TO PRESQUE ISLE LT-PRESQUE ISLE LT TO STURGEON PT- STURGEON PT TO ALABASTER-GRAND TRAVERSE BAY- SEUL CHOIX PT TO MACKINAC BRDG-NORWOOD TO MACKINAC BRDG- SLEEPING BEAR PT TO GRAND TRAVERSE LT-PT BETSIE TO SLEEPING BEAR PT- MANISTEE TO PT BETSIE-WHITEFISH BAY-ST. MARYS RIVER-CHIPPEWA- MACKINAC-EMMET-CHEBOYGAN-PRESQUE ISLE-CHARLEVOIX-LEELANAU-ANTRIM- OTSEGO-MONTMORENCY-ALPENA-BENZIE-GRAND TRAVERSE-KALKASKA-CRAWFORD- OSCODA-ALCONA-MANISTEE-WEXFORD-MISSAUKEE-ROSCOMMON-OGEMAW-IOSCO- GLADWIN-ARENAC- 347 AM EDT TUE JUN 17 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN... EASTERN UPPER MICHIGAN...AND ADJACENT NEARSHORE WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN...LAKE HURON AND LAKE SUPERIOR. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A PERIOD OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL ROLL THROUGH MAINLY NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN THIS MORNING AND INTO EARLY AFTERNOON. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING IN NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN. A FEW OF THESE STORMS WILL HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF BECOMING SEVERE ALONG AND SOUTH OF M-32. DAMAGING WINDS TO 60 MPH AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL ARE THE MAIN THREATS. LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL LINGER FOR AREAS IN NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN WEDNESDAY. THERE IS A LOW END THREAT FOR A SEVERE STORM OR TWO IN THE FRANKFORT...MANISTEE AND CADILLAC AREAS. AGAIN...THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. && WE WELCOME YOUR SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS ANYTIME ONLINE VIA FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WEATHER.GOV/GAYLORD. SMD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI 816 AM EDT TUE JUN 17 2014 MIZ031>033-171245- MANISTEE MI-MISSAUKEE MI-WEXFORD MI- 816 AM EDT TUE JUN 17 2014 ...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS... AT 812 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 13 MILES WEST OF MANISTEE TO 5 MILES EAST OF FREESOIL...TO 24 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PENTWATER. THIS LINE IS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. SOME LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE... MANISTEE... CADILLAC... EASTLAKE... ORCHARD BEACH STATE PARK... WELLSTON... BRETHREN... ONEKAMA... PIERPORT... HOXEYVILLE... HARRIETTA... YUMA... MESICK... MEAUWATAKA... THESE STORMS MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GAYLORD MI 833 AM EDT TUE JUN 17 2014 MIZ020-025>027-031>033-171300- BENZIE MI-GRAND TRAVERSE MI-KALKASKA MI-LEELANAU MI-MANISTEE MI-MISSAUKEE MI-WEXFORD MI- 833 AM EDT TUE JUN 17 2014 ...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS... AT 828 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM PIERPORT TO KALEVA TO 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DUBLIN. THESE STORMS ARE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. SOME LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE... THOMPSONVILLE... BEULAH... CADILLAC... TRAVERSE CITY... LAKE CITY... HOXEYVILLE... MESICK... HARRIETTA... SHERMAN... INTERLOCHEN STATE PARK... MITCHELL STATE PARK... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. IN ADDITION...THESE STORMS MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS... FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
The NCL Michigan radar (KAPX), 74 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:52 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Approximately eight trees were downed by thunderstorm winds.
Multiple trees and power lines were downed across Old 27 north of Frederic. The highway was briefly closed.
The tornado caused sporadic but considerable tree damage along its path. When it crossed the town of Hale, several high-profile vehicles were blown over, numerous utility poles were blown over, and several homes and businesses sustained roof damage. Estimated peak winds were 100 mph.
Two blue spruce trees were downed, and shingles were torn off of a roof.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Michigan, 2014Warnings in Michigan, June 2014
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: 531668, 531667, 531670, 531669.