Lake Superior, 2016

Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Lake Superior, June 26, 2016

June 26, 2016 · NWS MQT · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A cold front moving through the Upper Great Lakes produced strong thunderstorms over Lake Superior late evening on the 26th.

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
4

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 MQT wrote it up.

A cold front moving through the Upper Great Lakes produced strong thunderstorms over Lake Superior late evening on the 26th.

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 Marquette, MI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 26, 6:23 PM EST, 2 hours 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 26, 6:23 PM EST, 2 hours 9 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 26, 3:13 PM EST, 5 hours 19 minutes before
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The radar

The Marquette radar (KMQT), 108 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:34 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 marine thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Marine Thunderstorm Wind, Eagle River to Manitou Island Mi

When
June 26, 8:32 PM EST to 8:37 PM EST
Where
Eagle River to Manitou Island Mi forecast zone, Copper Harbor
Measured
42 kt (48 mph) measured gust
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
47.470, -87.900

The Copper Harbor ASOS measured a peak thunderstorm wind gust of 48 mph.

Marine Thunderstorm Wind, Manitou Island to Marquette Mi Beyond 5nm From Shore

When
June 26, 10:10 PM EST to 10:15 PM EST
Where
Manitou Island to Marquette Mi Beyond 5nm From Shore forecast zone, 11.76 mi N of Marquette
Measured
39 kt (45 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
46.720, -87.410

The GLOS site at Granite Island Light measured a peak thunderstorm wind gust of 45 mph.

Marine Thunderstorm Wind, Huron Islands to Marquette Mi

When
June 26, 10:10 PM EST to 10:15 PM EST
Where
Huron Islands to Marquette Mi forecast zone, Granite Island Light
Measured
39 kt (45 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
46.720, -87.410

The GLOS site at Granite Island Light measured a peak thunderstorm wind gust of 45 mph.

Marine Thunderstorm Wind, Grand Marais Mi to Whitefish Point Mi 5nm Offshore to the Us/Canadian Border

When
June 26, 10:36 PM EST to 10:41 PM EST
Where
Grand Marais Mi to Whitefish Point Mi 5nm Offshore to the Us/Canadian Border forecast zone, Caribou Island
Measured
37 kt (43 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
47.340, -85.830

The observing site at the Caribou Island Light measured a peak thunderstorm wind gust of 43 mph.

What these are

Marine Thunderstorm Wind
Thunderstorm winds of 34 knots or more over coastal or lake waters.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Lake Superior in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather history

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 645509, 645510, 645511, 645512.