1998 Derecho & May wrap

Derecho

 

Here is some good information on Derecho’s

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/misc/AbtDerechos/derechofacts.htm#types

 

1998 Derecho

 

The early morning hours of Sunday, May 31, 1998, brought one of the most memorable storm events to Michigan. A derecho — a long-lived line of intense, fast-moving thunderstorms producing widespread destructive winds — tore through much of the Great Lakes region. The storm complex started in South Dakota around 7 PM CDT May 30, and by 11 AM EDT May 31 it reached upstate New York. The storm crossed the Lower Peninsula of Michigan between 4:45 AM and 8 AM, killing 4 people and injuring 146.
On Saturday, May 30, 1998 a low-pressure system moving toward the northern Plains and Great Lakes posed a threat for severe storms. By late Saturday afternoon, supercell thunderstorms developed over eastern South Dakota, and some began to produce tornadoes. One violent tornado hit Spencer, South Dakota, causing widespread damage and six deaths. However, this localized tornado outbreak in South Dakota would not be the only significant severe weather episode associated with the low-pressure system. The storm system also would produce a major derecho event in the Upper Mississippi Valley and southern Great Lakes during the evening and overnight hours of May 30th and May 31st. The bow echo system began to produce significant wind damage over south-central Minnesota about 10 p.m. CDT Saturday evening. As the system moved rapidly eastward it grew south into northern Iowa and caused damaging winds over most of southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa. Many trees and power lines were blown down and several farm buildings were damaged or destroyed.
The derecho was in full force as it entered west central Wisconsin just before midnight CDT. It raced east across the southern two-thirds of the state at a speed of near 60 mph, reaching Lake Michigan in about 3 hours and exiting the southeastern corner of the state by 4 a.m. CDT Sunday, May 31st. As the derecho crossed central and southern Wisconsin, almost every point experienced winds above severe limits (58 mph or greater). Measured and estimated wind gusts from 70 to 100 mph were common in the southern half of the state. Extremely strong measured winds gusts from 100 to 128 mph were recorded in a band from northeast of Madison to the northern part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. The strong winds knocked down hundreds of power poles and thousands of trees. About 250,000 customers lost electrical power. Some residences and businesses remained without power for five or six days. Affected utilities companies and some emergency managers stated that this was the most damaging and widespread straight-line thunderstorm wind event to affect southern Wisconsin in 100 years. Over 5000 homes, businesses, and farm buildings were damaged and about two dozen homes and businesses were destroyed. Total damage estimates for Wisconsin exceeded $60 million in 1998 U.S. dollars. In Washington County a person was killed when a tree fell through the roof of her home and onto the bed where she was sleeping. Thirty-seven other people were injured as the derecho roared through Wisconsin.
The leading edge of the derecho reached the eastern shores of Lake Michigan around 4:45 a.m. EDT Sunday and blasted across Lower Michigan at a speed of about 70 mph. It reached the “Thumb” area in a little over 2 hours. Winds of 60 to 90 mph were common; in some areas, winds were estimated to have reached 130 mph. Of all the regions affected by the derecho, the greatest damage and the greatest number of casualties occurred in Lower Michigan. In this region four people were killed and 146 were injured. Total damage was estimated to be $172 million (1998 U.S. dollars). Approximately 250 homes and 34 businesses were destroyed, and over 12,000 homes and 800 businesses were damaged. About 860,000 customers lost electrical power. This was a new historical record, slightly exceeding the number of customers that lost power during the 1991 derecho. In some locations power was not restored for up to 10 days. For Consumers Energy, the utility company that serves much of western and middle Lower Michigan, this derecho was the most destructive weather event in the company’s history. Besides the loss of hundreds of power poles and lines, five of the company’s 345-kilovolt transmission towers were blown down between Ludington and Grand Rapids. These massive towers were designed to withstand continuous winds up to 90 mph and gusts to 110 mph.
(all information from National Weather Service)
Feel free to make a comment if you experienced this Derecho. I am sure many of you did.

May 2018 wrap.

May wrap

With a mean temperature of 64.8° (+6.1°) May 2018 will be the 4^th warmest May in Grand Rapids history 1977 is the warmest at 65.7° 1896 is the 2^nd at 65.3° in 3^rd place is 1982 at 65.0° and now 2018 with 64.8°. New record highs were of 93° were set on the 27^th and 29^th and 94° on the 28^th that 94° is the 2^nd warmest reading ever in the month of May at Grand Rapids. A new record warmest minimum was recorded on May 3^rd with a low of only 62­  The High for the month was that 94° the coldest for the month was only 40° this is the first time it has not gotten below 40 at GR in May since 1998. There was 5.64” of pricip 6 clear days 17 partly cloudy days and 8 cloudy days.

At Muskegon the mean for May was 62.8 (+5.9°) Record highs were set on May 28, 29 and 30^th A record all time May high of 95 was set on May 28^th only to be broken the next day with a high of 96°

At Lansing the mean for the month was 64.7° (+7.0°) There were no record highs for May at Lansing, But a new record warmest minimum was recorded on May 3^rd  All in All May 2018 was a very warm month and it came after a very cold April.

Slim