Yesterday I wrote about tornado safety – here is a video by by Matthew Altruda at a birthday party capturing the fun of the party when the EF3 tornado formed in Dexter Michigan at Hudson Mills Metro Park (northwest of Ann Arbor) on March 15 2012. (language alert)…
It was on the ground for about a half hour and plowed a path about 10 miles long. More than 100 homes were severely damaged and 13 homes were destroyed, no injuries were reported.
[kad_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/fEJT6jEEqAg” maxwidth=600 ]
I am not going to assume drinking was involved but the people seemed pretty excited without a whole lot of concern for their safety. Luckily no one was hurt by flying debris.
Weather History
March 17
1943: Heavy rains and melting snow result in flooding across southwest Lower Michigan. Childsdale Dam on the Rogue River gave way. Several families were evacuated from Comstock Park near Grand Rapids.
1973: A record snowstorm dumps over a foot of snow across southern Lower Michigan. Jackson is buried under 19 inches of snow and Lansing has a record 16.5 inches.
March 18
1925: The Tri-State Tornado kills 695 people and injures over 2,000 along its 219 mile-long damage path through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. It is by far the worst tornado in United States history. The weather in Lower Michigan is relatively tranquil with highs in the 50s and rain changing to snow during the night.
March 19
1885: Lansing falls to 11 below zero during a string of eight straight days with low temperatures below zero. It is the coldest March on record there.
March 20
1976: A tornado outbreak strikes from Michigan to Mississippi. In Michigan, two people are killed, one each in Oakland and Macomb Counties.
March 21
1983: Spring starts on a snowy note with record daily snowfall of 6 to 8 inches from Muskegon to Lansing.
2008: A record 6.6 inches of snow fell at Grand Rapids on the first day of Spring. Muskegon had a record 7 inches, while 8 to 14 inches of snow fell south of a line from Holland to Jackson.
March 22
1938: Temperatures soar into the 80s during one of the warmest March days in Lower Michigan. Grand Rapids ties their record high for the month at 82 degrees and Lansing sets a record for the date of 81 degrees.
March 23
1956: A snowstorm drops from 6 to 10 inches across southwest Lower Michigan. Jackson picks up 10 inches of snow and Grand Rapids a record 8.4 inches.
Today is the anniversary of March 20th, 1976, F4 tornado which devastated West Bloomfield (feature image). According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the tornado was the strongest tornado to hit Oakland County since 1950. The tornado resulted in 55 injuries and was categorized as an EF4 on the Fujita scale, which rates a tornado’s intensity based on the damage it produces. The West Bloomfield tornado had winds estimated around 260 mph. Ninety-one houses, a mobile home, 23 businesses and about 25 vehicles were destroyed or damaged from the tornado. The NOAA reports that the total damage was over $5 million, which ranks the tornado as the “costliest” in county history.
Spring (equinox) officially begins today around 6pm. You will also be able to see the last super moon of the year tonight, weather permitting. A super moon is a full moon that has reached the closest point to Earth in its monthly elliptical orbit around the planet. As such, supermoons appear larger and brighter in the night sky, though these changes are typically far too subtle to detect.
We are still entrenched in a cool pattern with mainly 30’s and 40’s for days on end!
It sure was nice to see some more measurable snow yesterday! Keep it rocking!
FRYday NIGHT TREAT!!!
Charged Particles from Sun heading towards Earth.
24 hours: 6 Kp possible.
When does the Aurora storm watch begin?
The storm watch begins Friday at 8:00:00 PM EDT — in 44 hours and 25 minutes (this info is automatically in your local time)
The storm watch starts at the above time and continues for 24 hours.
Kinda Foggy Right Now @ Thee YARDofCUES in Allendale.
Welcome to Spring in MI!! It is a great Spring night outside. Keep it coming!
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! The snow is accumulating at a rapid pace as we speak! The yard is totally covered and moderate snow is Falling!!!!! I absolutely love it!
No snow here. Just a cold drizzle.
Wow most of the yard is turning white snow is coming down heavy out at thee YARDofBRICKS now INDY!
And now it’s snowing out at thee YARDofBRICKS NE GR Happy Spring..INDY!
Getting snow here as well. the temp here is 37
Slim
Who would have thought?
Accumulating snow! Who knew? I am glad mookie pointed out this morning that we had not had any accumulating snow lately! Well here you go! Bam!!!!
*36 degrees and rain out at thee YARDofBRICKS cold for March 20th sure don’t feel like Spring ..INDY!
I was thinking about washing winter clothes…. see just thinking about it jinxed it. LOL!!!
Yes lots of Sprites during that video lol on the flipp side of weather it’s snowing in Kalamazoo and sticking to the ground ..INDY!
Happy Spring, everyone!
That tornado video is entertaining, for sure. Plenty of Sprites consumed in Dexter on that day.
It is only March in MI. Cold, with snow and rain throughout April/May. If your needing to “hope” for something, try “hoping” for a high temp better than 65 for GR this year. Below normal may very well be our new normal, regardless of hope.
And now the GFS model is showing some good snow over central Michigan on Monday with a pretty good cold front that stahl’s all over the state I would not put the snow shovel away just yet ….INDY!!
Bring it!!!!!
Hey slim, thanks for all the FACTS about the temperature pattern and the above normal snowfall this winter! Keep up the great work!!!!
It might be hard to believe but Grand Rapids is in record territory. The last time it reached 60 or better at Grand Rapids was back on October 14, 2018. That puts GR in 3rd place for the longest time between days that did not reach 60 or better. The longest was 183 days from October 13, 1925 to April 13, 1926 in 2nd place is 178 days from October 13 1969 to April 8, 1970 and this year so far we are now at 158 day. Note the earliest last 60 or better dates are October 13 1925 and… Read more »
And no 60’s in sight after all of the warm weather hype!
GR is the exception in most of Lower Michigan. Detroit, for instance, hit 65 last week and 60 in December. Granted, even GR hit 59, so 60 is just cherry picking stats.
As a matter of FACT hardly any 50’s in sight! We are entrenched in a cool pattern! Who knew?
Average high is mid 40’s
From 1991 to 2015 on average there were more tornadoes in March then in April. 0.9 in March and just 0.5 in April;
https://www.ustornadoes.com/2016/04/06/annual-and-monthly-tornado-averages-across-the-united-states/
and here is a list of the top 10 counties for tornadoes from 1950 to 2012
From 1950 to 2012, the counties in Michigan that experienced the most tornado activity were:
Genesee 41
Monroe 33
Lenawee 32
Berrien 31
Kent 31
Oakland 31
Allegan 29
Wayne 29
Ingham 28
Washtenaw 27
Slim
4 confirmed Michigan tornadoes already in 2019! Well above average.
Going on almost two weeks without any measurable snow now! I love it. CPC continues to say above average temps are coming and sticking around for a while.
It’s now been 158 days since Grand Rapids has been 60° or better.
Slim
GR is the exception in most of Lower Michigan. Detroit, for instance, hit 65 last week and 60 in December. Granted, even GR hit 59, so 60 is just cherry picking stats.
Give me a break! You are the propaganda king of cherry picking! You are very hypocritical!
Like when you say we got “above average” snow when only GR is above average in West Michigan and it’s by less than an inch? Hmmm LOL
Looking over the weekend forecast and the ski conditions up at Nubs, I may need keep the skiing going till April again this year! What an incredible winter season it has been! Rock n roll will never die!!
Other then the mis half from last week when the NWS saying mid 60’s we hit 59*degrees in GR have we had another day 50* degrees or better this month?? March is looking like another below normal month as we get closer to the end …I never really get ready for real warmth till May in Michigan..I will take it now though lol…Have a great Wednesday INDY!!
The last time it reached 60 or better (officially) at GR was way back on October 14, 2018
Slim