A few downbursts occurred during the late afternon and early evening hours which brought pockets of isolated wind damage including downed trees and power lines.
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.
A few downbursts occurred during the late afternon and early evening hours which brought pockets of isolated wind damage including downed trees and power lines.
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 May 26, 2:14 PM EST, 1 hour 16 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Grand Rapids MI 314 PM EDT Tue May 26 2020 LATEST UPDATE... Synopsis/Discussion .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 300 PM EDT Tue May 26 2020 - Isolated showers/storms today/Wednesday - Numerous showers/thunderstorms with the front Thursday - Summer-like temperatures today/Wednesday, cooler by the weekend && .DISCUSSION...(This evening through next Tuesday) Issued at 204 PM EDT Tue May 26 2020 - Isolated showers/storms today/Wednesday Diurnally driven scattered convection will continue through the early evening hours. These storms and showers will end shortly after sunset. The biggest concerns with these storms Tomorrow the region will be in the same air mass. The main concern will be convection forming tomorrow afternoon along the lake breeze. Daytime tempeatures tomorrow will again be in the 80s. - Numerous showers/thunderstorms with the front Thursday The Great lakes region will be trapped between two systems Wednesday into thursday. A large upper level low will be moving through the south as High pressure is pushed into the northern Atlantic. A fairly tight gradient should form between those systems and a deepening upper level trough that will be moving Southern Canada and into the region. Moisture will stream into the region between these systems, that coupled with the gradient should allow for more widespread convection Thursday. The latest ensembles have +2 anomalous PWATS associated with this system. Couple that with the warm air ahead of it and there are all the ingredients for decent storms. There is still some question how fast the system moves through, where it could stall Thursday night into Friday. It will then make its way eastward with dry cold air filtering into the region Saturday into Sunday. - Summer-like temperatures today/Wednesday, cold Temps this weekend The temperature trend this week is warmer then normal temperatures today and tomorrow. Muskegon has already broken the record high temperature for the day and it is possible to break records elsewhere. Wednesday will be warm as well, though current model trends show it slightly cooler. Frontal passage on Thursday will put a kibosh on the warmer temperatures for this week. A drier, colder air mass will drop into the area by Saturday. This will drop max temperatures to below normal. The biggest concern for this weekend will be Minimum temperatures Saturday night into Sunday. There is a good signal for Temps in the mid 30s north of Evart and Reed City. So will need to keep an eye on possible frost potential Sunday morning. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Wednesday afternoon) Issued at 200 PM EDT Tue May 26 2020 Conditions remaining predominately VFR the next 24 hours, although if an isolated shower or tstm impacts a terminal this afternoon and early evening there could be a brief period of MVFR or IFR. Most of the convection this afternoon should be north of I-96, and GRR and LAN stand the best chance of being impacted with VCTS from that activity. Still wasn't confident enough to carry thunder in any of the TAFs at this time though - but will continue to monitor. Another possibility is some patchy shallow ground fog developing late tonight/very early Wednesday, but did not include any fog in the TAFS due to expected limited coverage/depth. && .MARINE... Issued at 310 AM EDT Tue May 26 2020 Wind and waves will not pose a threat to boaters today or Wednesday. && .HYDROLOGY... Issued at 1115 AM EDT Tue May 26 2020 The Grand River at Comstock Park and Robinson Township are continuing to fall but will remain above flood stage at least through Wednesday. The lack of basin-wide rainfall the last few days is contributing to a steady fall on area streams and rivers. More substantial rainfall is possible Thursday as a cold front move through the area. Runoff from that rainfall may slow the rate of fall of some rivers. && .CLIMATE... Issued at 1128 AM EDT Tue May 26 2020 Record highs for May 26: GRR 90 (2010) LAN 90 (1911) MKG 87 (2010) AZO 91 (1911) Record low/maxes (warmest lows) for May 27: GRR 69 (1987) LAN 70 (1908) MKG 67 (1987) AZO 70 (1941) Record highs May 27 GRR 93 (2018) LAN 93 (1911) MKG 87 (2018) AZO 94 (2012) && .GRR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MI...None. LM...None. && SYNOPSIS...Ceru DISCUSSION...Ceru AVIATION...Meade MARINE...04
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Grand Rapids MI 321 AM EDT Tue May 26 2020 MIZ037>040-043>046-050>052-056>059-064>067-071>074-270730- Mason-Lake-Osceola-Clare-Oceana-Newaygo-Mecosta-Isabella-Muskegon- Montcalm-Gratiot-Ottawa-Kent-Ionia-Clinton-Allegan-Barry-Eaton- Ingham-Van Buren-Kalamazoo-Calhoun-Jackson- 321 AM EDT Tue May 26 2020 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of southwest Lower Michigan. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Scattered thunderstorms are possible this afternoon. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday Scattered to numerous thunderstorms are possible Wednesday afternoon, Thursday, and Thursday night. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed. LMZ844>849-270730- 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- 321 AM EDT Tue May 26 2020 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...Wednesday through Monday No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Grand Rapids MI
147 PM EDT Tue May 26 2020
MIZ037>039-043>045-050-262045-
Oceana-Osceola-Muskegon-Lake-Mecosta-Newaygo-Mason-
147 PM EDT Tue May 26 2020
...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN KENT...
NEWAYGO...WESTERN OSCEOLA...LAKE...MASON...MUSKEGON...OCEANA...
WESTERN MECOSTA AND WESTERN MONTCALM COUNTIES...
At 143 PM EDT, radar indicated thunderstorms were located along a
line extending from Scottville to Hesperia. Movement was north at 20
mph.
Winds in excess of 40 mph are possible with these storms.
Locations impacted include...
Muskegon... Big Rapids... Newaygo...
Evart... White Cloud... Baldwin...
Fremont... North Muskegon... Whitehall...
Reed City... Lakewood Club... Scottville...
Hesperia... Grant... Morley...
Luther... Fountain... Free Soil...
Freesoil... Canadian Lakes...
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with these storms, and may
cause 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 4417 8531 4347 8529 4347 8556 4330 8556
4329 8579 4322 8579 4322 8634 4418 8631
TIME...MOT...LOC 1743Z 198DEG 16KT 4392 8619 4373 8610
CeruSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Grand Rapids MI
412 PM EDT Tue May 26 2020
MIZ050-056>058-064>066-071>074-262315-
Kalamazoo-Muskegon-Ionia-Calhoun-Eaton-Allegan-Ottawa-Barry-Van
Buren-Jackson-Kent-
412 PM EDT Tue May 26 2020
...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT CALHOUN...ALLEGAN...
NORTHEASTERN VAN BUREN...WEST CENTRAL JACKSON...KENT...OTTAWA...
SOUTHWESTERN IONIA...BARRY...SOUTHEASTERN MUSKEGON...KALAMAZOO AND
SOUTHWESTERN EATON COUNTIES...
At 409 PM EDT, radar indicated scattered thunderstorms were located
along a line extending from 5 miles southwest of Coopersville to 5
miles south of Galesburg. Movement was north at 15 mph.
Winds in excess of 40 mph are possible with these storms.
Locations impacted include...
Grand Rapids... Kalamazoo... Portage...
Holland... Albion... Hastings...
Marshall... Allegan... South Haven...
Plainwell... Lowell... Westwood...
Wyoming... Kentwood... Walker...
East Grand Rapids... Hudsonville... Rockford...
Zeeland... Battle Creek...
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with these storms, and may
cause 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 4242 8577 4241 8628 4267 8614 4296 8610
4322 8616 4322 8579 4329 8579 4329 8532
4277 8531 4277 8507 4243 8507 4242 8472
4207 8471 4207 8576
TIME...MOT...LOC 2009Z 192DEG 15KT 4299 8599 4222 8544
HONORPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
421 PM EDT TUE MAY 26 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0419 PM FLOOD 2 W WALKERVILLE 43.71N 86.16W
05/26/2020 OCEANA MI 911 CALL CENTER
COUNTY 911 DISPATCH REPORTS A FLOODED ROAD
AND POSSIBLE WASHOUT NEAR THE INTERSECTION
OF HARRISON RD AND 160TH AVENUE. FIRE/POLICE
ARE ON SCENE AND THE ROAD IS CLOSED.
&&
AMDThe Northern Indiana radar (KIWX), 83 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:27 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several trees and power lines were blown down from Schoolcraft to Vicksburg by a series of small downbursts.
Several tree limbs were knocked down near Zeeland.
A downburst in Dansville brought down several trees and power lines.
Several tree limbs were blown down in Yates township.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, May 2020
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: 890596, 890594, 890597, 890595.