With an active storm season upon us this spring thinking ahead, knowing how the hazards can affect us, and planning ahead can significantly serve to protect ourselves and our families. With the promise of warmer temperatures, we are hankering to get outdoors it is a good idea to know the forecast for the day especially if we go far from home.
The Great Outdoors, especially during the warmer months, can be susceptible to quickly forming thunderstorms. The weather can change dramatically in mountainous areas and near large bodies of water. Extreme weather can be a bit more extreme in the Great Outdoors. Make sure you plan ahead and “know before you go” about the chances of lightning in the forecast.
Some quick tips include:
- Schedule day hikes or other activities to avoid times when thunderstorms are possible (which typically form in the late afternoon).
- Identify locations with adequate shelter and reduced exposure to lightning.
- Keep a close watch of the sky and look for those towering clouds bubbling upward. These can be thunderstorms forming.
Dundee Tornado
Michigan records its first tornado of the season
.NWS Damage Survey for 04/01/23 Dundee Tornado Event... An EF0 tornado tracked through Dundee, Michigan during the late morning hours of April 1, 2023. Damage was most concentrated within greater downtown Dundee, where immediate areas around Memorial Park experienced concentrated building damage. Additional sporadic damage occurred with the tornado during the duration of its path. .Dundee, Michigan Tornado... Rating: EF-0 Estimated Peak Wind: 80 mph Path Length /statute/: 7.3 miles Path Width /maximum/: 75 yards Fatalities: 0 Injuries: 0 Start Date: 04/01/2023 Start Time: 1103 AM EDT Start Location: Intersection of Brewer Rd and Petersburg Rd Start Lat/Lon: 41.946/-83.711 End Date: 04/01/2023 End Time: 1108 AM EDT End Location: Intersection of Dixon Rd and Sullivan Rd End Lat/Lon: 41.966/-83.575 The tornado touched down at the intersection of Brewer Rd and Petersburg Rd west southwest of Dundee. Damage in this area included a stand of pine trees down, damage to an outbuilding, and some significant shingle damage to a house with winds estimated at 75 mph in strength. The tornado then tracked along Brewer Rd with damage consisting of sporadic downed large limbs as Brewer Rd turned into Riley St. upon entering into the village of Dundee. Estimated wind speeds increased to a peak of 80 mph in downtown Dundee...specifically in the immediate vicinity of Memorial Park...with increased wind speeds aided by funneling effects between downtown buildings. Damage in this area consisted of a roof being partially blown off, windows blown out, downed limbs, and nearby car damage. The tornado then tracked further east northeastward until ending near the intersection of Dixon Rd and Sullivan Rd with continued sporadic downed large limbs.
March Weather Summary
Here is the monthly climate summary for March. It was a very wet and snowy March. Temperatures were near normal. Kalamazoo set a record for March precipitation. Grand Rapids was the 2nd highest precipitation and 4th highest snowfall.
U.S.A and Global Events for April 2nd:
1936: An estimated F4 tornado cut a 15-mile path through Crisp County, GA. The hardest hit area was the town of Cordele, where 276 homes were destroyed in a five-block swath through the town. The storm was on a course that would have missed the center of town, but it made a left turn toward the end of its path. 23 people were killed and 500 were injured. The total damage was $3 million.
1957: An F3 tornado tore through Dallas, TX. 10 people were killed, and 216 were injured. The total damage was $1.5 million. This tornado was among the most photographed and studied in history. Click HERE for more information.
1982: Severe thunderstorms spawned fifty-six tornadoes in the central U.S., including seventeen in the Red River Region of Texas and Oklahoma. The tornadoes claimed thirty lives and injured 383 other persons. A violent tornado near Messer, Oklahoma left only the carpet tack strips on the slab of a house it destroyed and carried a motel sign thirty miles.
Grand Rapids Forecast
4 2 grrLansing Forecast
4 2 lanKalamazoo Forecast
4 2 kzoForecast Discussion
- Fair weather through Monday - Skies will be partly sunny today and it will become milder as winds veer to the south late this morning and aftn. The combination of some sun and southerly flow waa will help to boost high temps into the upper 40s to lower 50s. A weakening low pressure system moving east across the Lake Superior region may bring an isolated light rain shower or two to our far northern fcst area tonight. However dry wx should prevail across the vast majority of our area. Milder wx is fcst Monday when high temps will reach the mid 50s to low 60s as south to sw flow waa continues. - Scattered showers Monday night and Tuesday - Isentropic lift and increasing mid level moisture transport to the north of a west to east oriented warm front draped across northern IL/IN/OH will bring potential for some showers Monday night. - Rain and a chance of storms Tue night/early Wednesday - The warm front will move northward across our area Tuesday night and focus development of rain and some convection across our area. Potential for any svr wx Tuesday night into early Wednesday will be modulated largely by how much instability is present. Kinematics should become increasingly favorable but instability of any significance may be lacking given unfavorable nocturnal timing. Even so some wind/hail concerns may present themselves given favorable kinematics and sufficient mid level lapse rates. In addition additional rainfall could bring some more (mostly minor) hydrological issues.
Funny how some people wait for warmer weather before they go outside for some exercise and fun! I have been spending the last 5 months outside, hiking, skiing snowshoeing, etc, etc ,etc! It has been a great snowy, long winter with tons of fun! I love it!
I heard some of the snowmobile trails in the UP were still open as of yesterday. A friend said it was 50 by her place there today.
Incredible!
51 degrees here now. The sun came out & really warmed us up. Clouds are trying to move in again.
I just watched Ryan Halls video about upcoming storms Tues/Wed… Boy seems a little concerning!!! https://youtu.be/5w6ByzfGHhE
Looks like we’re gonna need some INDY trackin!!
DDDDDD YES!! Racking stacking and Tracking….INDY
Get ready! Temps close to 70 on Wednesday! June like warmth! Let’s get Rockin baby!
Get ready! Wind chill in the 20’s most of Thursday! Winter like cold! Rock n roll baby!
Storms?…too cold in the Southern Arctic for storms. Just spotted a flock of nearly 50 Sandhill Cranes over Ada. Heard then first, then finally spotted them with binoculars. They were circling and cruising at serious altitude.
Why are we still talking about the worst season of the year?? It’s been dead for weeks!!! We are stepping into warmth and life for the next 6 months!!! Everyone can finally get outside and enjoy the outdoors again! I know I’m looking forward to it!!
https://weather.com/weather/tenday/l/b523690bfd952b86fef3627c919dd9855281a8da16b83c10bdd381c64ae12cbc
Yep, it will not be too long and there will be some crying on how “hot” and “humid” it is. Happens every summer. Summer is my favorite season. I just love it when it is 80 to 85 with some humility in the air. As you said plant live grows much better in the warm summer months. Not so much in the winter months. Sunny and 44 here at this time.
Slim
Agreed Slim! The warm weather months are by far the best! Just being able to walk outside with shorts and a t-shirt is so nice!
WOOD is now showing 5 of the next 8 days between 58-66 degrees!
I thought I was a pretty typical March with regard to temperature. Lots of 30s-50s, which is very normal (responding to your below comment)
March 2023 was a typical late winter/early spring month temperature wise. With more snow and rain fall than average.
Slim
I believe March was the 11th warm month in a row (excluding GR’s faulty averages)! With only two days the past 7+ weeks with more than 2” of snow on the ground, winter has been dead for a while now!
Breaking News>>>>it might actually hit 60 degrees next week Wednesday and then BAM, the next day the high will struggle to get out of the 30’s! Wow the cool pattern continues! Incredible!
False. WOOD has 44 degrees Thursday. The only real cool day all week!
Is winter dead yet? Maybe but I would not count on it!
The temperature departures for March certainly are not impressive. What is impressive is the amount of precip and especially the whopping nearly 16 inches above average for snow.
Not only March, but how about the seasonal snowfall total for GR! An Incredible snowy, long winter!
Rock n roll will never die!
https://www.woodtv.com/weather/bills-blog/up-to-20-of-new-snow-in-upper-michigan/
After all the warm weather hype this past month, GR ended up with below normal temps and well above normal snowfall! What a winter and what a snowy month! Wow just wow, WOW!
No Way!! INDY
Who would have thought?
Yesterday was one of those days when the high for the day was just after midnight. And the low was just before noon. So in the record books it will read 57/36 even thought most of the day was in the 30’s.There was 0.02” of rain fall. The overnight low in MBY so far is 22. For today the average H/L is 52/32 the record high of 83 was set in 2010 and the record low of 11 was set in 1965. The record snow all amount of 7.8” fell in 1975. Last year it was a cold 41/23.
Slim