An isolated severe thunderstorm produced damaging wind gusts near Horse Head Lake.
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 GRR wrote it up.
An isolated severe thunderstorm produced damaging wind gusts near Horse Head Lake.
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 Aug 11, 2:00 PM EST, 2 hours 42 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Rapids MI 300 PM EDT Sat Aug 11 2018 LATEST UPDATE... Synopsis/Short Term/Long Term/Marine/Hydro .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 300 PM EDT Sat Aug 11 2018 A few showers and isolated storms will develop this weekend near to mainly east of US-131. However many locations will not receive any measurable rainfall with fair weather and seasonably mild temperatures through the weekend. High pressure will bring fair and seasonably mild weather Monday and Tuesday. A low pressure system will bring potential for rain and thunderstorms Wednesday into Thursday. && .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Monday night) Issued at 300 PM EDT Sat Aug 11 2018 Primary short term fcst concerns involve determining potential for any convection this aftn/early eve and again Sunday. A consensus of latest CAMS and HREF guidance suggests scattered showers and isolated convection will develop mid to late aftn into early eve near to mainly east of US-131. This will occur due to increasing instability from daytime heating and cooler air aloft with the upper trof axis overhead and a couple of upper level disturbances and a boundary moving in from the nw. SB cape values are up to 1000-2000 j/kg and dcape values are approaching 1000 j/kg with steep dry adiabatic low level lapse rates. Therefore isolated storms that do develop may produce briefly gusty winds to around 30 kts. This diurnally driven pcpn will dissipate quickly around sunset. The cutoff upper low will be centered over eastern OH Sunday. Our fcst area will be in close enough proximity to this feature and several upper disturbances pinwheeling around the upper low center to bring scattered diurnally driven aftn/early eve showers again Sunday. However the better chc for convection Sunday will be southeast of our area directly under the upper low/cold pool over Ohio. Having said all this... predominantly dry/fair wx with seasonably mild temps is anticipated through the rest of the weekend and any showers/isolated convection will be rather few and far between. High pressure will bring fair and very warm wx Monday with partly cloudy skies and high temps into the lower to middle 80's. .LONG TERM...(Tuesday through Saturday) Issued at 300 PM EDT Sat Aug 11 2018 Weak ridging and the sfc and aloft will continue to bring fair and very warm wx Tuesday. High temps Tuesday will reach the middle 80s to near 90 degrees. A mid level disturbance and strengthening sfc low pressure system will move ne from the southern Plains states Wednesday and bring rain and thunderstorms Wednesday through Wednesday night into Thursday. This system has potential to bring some heavy rain given ample gulf moisture and strong 1000-850 mb moisture transport aimed at our region late Wednesday through Wednesday night. Fair wx will return very late in the week and temperatures will return to near normal for this time of year by then. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Sunday afternoon) Issued at 1232 PM EDT Sat Aug 11 2018 Primarily VFR conditions will continue through early Sunday afternoon. Scattered showers will develop from mid afternoon through early evening in the vicinity of most of the terminals (except for KMKG) but conditions should remain VFR. Isolated thunderstorms may also develop late this afternoon but there is not enough potential for storm development to warrant inclusion in any of the terminal forecasts at this time. Some patchy fog will develop during the early morning hours Sunday mainly at out southern terminals along the I-94 corridor where conditions will likely deteriorate to MVFR. The patchy fog will dissipate by mid morning with VFR conditions at all the terminals from late Sunday morning through 18Z Sun. && .MARINE... Issued at 300 PM EDT Sat Aug 11 2018 Wind speeds through the weekend into early next week will be rather light at only 5 to 15 kts. This will result in minimal wave heights of two feet or less through then. A low pressure system will bring potential for rain and thunderstorms and potentially an uptick in wave heights Wednesday and Thursday. && .HYDROLOGY... Issued at 300 PM EDT Sat Aug 11 2018 Rivers continue holding well within their banks across the region in spite of some elevated flows across portions of the Grand and Kalamazoo River basins. Isolated/widely scattered showers or storms over the weekend will do little or nothing to change this. The potential remains for a more widespread rainfall by the middle of this upcoming week though details are far from certain with regard to amounts and impacts to the rivers, if any. The EPS mean precip for the midweek system has consistently shown 0.4"-0.6" across most of the region with only a handfull of the 50 ensemble members indicating over an inch. Operational ECMWF runs have recently indicated swaths of higher end amounts are possible across portions of Lower Michigan. There is still plenty of time to watch. && .GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...None. LM...None. && SYNOPSIS...Laurens SHORT TERM...Laurens LONG TERM...Laurens AVIATION...Laurens HYDROLOGY...Hoving MARINE...Laurens
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Grand Rapids MI 358 AM EDT Sat Aug 11 2018 MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-120800- Mason-Lake-Osceola-Clare-Oceana-Newaygo-Mecosta-Isabella-Muskegon- Montcalm-Gratiot-Ottawa-Kent-Ionia-Clinton-Allegan-Barry-Eaton- Ingham-Van Buren-Kalamazoo-Calhoun-Jackson- 358 AM EDT Sat Aug 11 2018 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of southwest Lower Michigan. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Scattered thunderstorms will affect areas mainly east of U.S.-131 this afternoon through the early evening hours. Severe weather is not expected. The main threats will be lightning, locally heavy downpours, small hail, and winds up to around 40 mph. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday A few storms will be possible, mainly along and southeast of I-69 Sunday afternoon and evening. Severe weather is not expected. The main threats will be lightning, locally heavy downpours, small hail, and winds up to around 40 mph. Thunderstorms will become possible beginning on Wednesday and likely lasting into Thursday. Heavy rainfall will be possible. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected. LMZ844>849-120800- 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- 358 AM EDT Sat Aug 11 2018 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of southwest Lower Michigan. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday Thunderstorms will become possible beginning on Wednesday and likely lasting into Thursday. Heavy rainfall will be possible. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected. NJJ
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Grand Rapids MI
352 PM EDT SAT AUG 11 2018
MIZ057-065-112045-
Barry MI-Kent MI-
352 PM EDT SAT AUG 11 2018
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
At 352 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Freeport, or 8 miles northwest of Hastings, moving southeast at 10
mph.
Dime size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph with downed tree limbs
will be possible with this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Hastings... Middleville... Freeport...
Irving... Woodland...
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 4272 8555 4273 8554 4286 8540 4282 8531
4277 8531 4277 8520 4273 8511 4256 8530
TIME...MOT...LOC 1952Z 301DEG 9KT 4275 8539
BORCHARDTPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
437 PM EDT SAT AUG 11 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0413 PM HAIL 2 E IRVING 42.69N 85.37W
08/11/2018 E0.25 INCH BARRY MI TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
TJTSpecial Weather Statement National Weather Service Grand Rapids MI 448 PM EDT SAT AUG 11 2018 MIZ038-044-112145- Lake MI-Newaygo MI- 448 PM EDT SAT AUG 11 2018 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY... At 448 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over Idlewild, or near Baldwin, moving south at 25 mph. Winds in excess of 40 mph with downed tree limbs and pea size hail are possible with these storms. Locations impacted include... Newaygo... White Cloud... Baldwin... Fremont... Hesperia... Grant... Luther... Croton... Bridgeton... Chase... Brohman... Woodland Park... Hawkins... Reeman... Nirvana... Wolf Lake... Idlewild... Woodville... Irons... Bristol... PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Torrential rainfall and frequent cloud to ground lightning are also occurring with this storm. Localized flooding is possible. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service. && LAT...LON 4416 8556 4329 8556 4330 8604 4417 8604 TIME...MOT...LOC 2048Z 000DEG 21KT 4386 8578 BORCHARDT
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
528 PM EDT SAT AUG 11 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0424 PM HAIL 4 SW IRVING 42.64N 85.47W
08/11/2018 E0.50 INCH BARRY MI PUBLIC
TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. RELAYED VIA SOCIAL
MEDIA.
&&
BBThe Grand Rapids radar (KGRR), 91 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:41 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
An isolated afternoon severe thunderstorm brought down numerous trees and power lines across portions of Mecosta county. The most significant damage occurred near Horse Head Lake.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, August 2018
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: 785817.