Weather History – 4/11

NOTE:

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1965: The second worst tornado outbreak in United States history struck from Iowa to Ohio, killing 256 people. In Michigan, the worst damage is near the Indiana state line as two violent tornadoes moved on parallel tracks about a half hour apart, killing 44 people and injuring hundreds. A tornado struck northwest of Grand Rapids, killing five people in Comstock Park. One person was killed by a tornado that moved from near Dewitt in Clinton County to Bennington in Shiawassee County.

2001: Severe thunderstorms produced large hail, flash flooding, and two weak tornadoes. The tornadoes briefly moved through rural areas near Coopersville in Ottawa County and Cloverville in Muskegon County.

On April 11, 1965, the Palm Sunday Tornado Outbreak occurred. This outbreak mostly affected Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio and produced 47 tornadoes that killed 271 people and injured 3,400 people in just a 12 hour span. Two F4 tornadoes that were a part of this Outbreak affected southeastern Michigan quite severely. These two tornadoes were responsible for 44 deaths, 612 injuries, and over $32 million in damage in Hillsdale, Branch, Lenawee, and Monroe counties.

Forecast Discussion

Today will feature ample sunshine and temperatures warming into the lower 50s – about 10 degrees warmer than yesterday. Light north winds will develop by late morning and diminish again after sunset.

- Mostly sunny today/Saturday

Water vapor imagery shows several short waves moving south over
the Great Lakes early this morning. Once such wave was pushing
some stratocu southwestward across the western cwa. These clouds
should move over the lake prior to sunrise.

Ridging will slowly move over the state today/Saturday leading to
considerable sunshine and warmer temperatures as h8 temperatures
rise from -6c to +4c by Saturday afternoon. Warm advection will
continue through the weekend and highs will rise to around 60
Sunday and Monday.

- Chance of rain Sunday/Monday, then colder

Next chance of rain will come Sunday as a warm front moves across
the cwa. This push of warmer air will come in conjunction with a
surface low over the upper MS Valley induced by a potent short
wave moving across the Dakotas. Given the surface low will be in
northern MN along with the upper support, if we see any rainfall
out of it, the northern cwa will have the highest PoPs.
Realistically, though, the highest chance of rain will be Monday
when the trailing cold front moves through with support of the
upper trough. Convective potential is low with this system.

Once the cold front moves through, h8 temps fall from +10c to -6c
again and highs will fall back into the 40s by Tuesday. Short
wave ridging pushes into the Great Lakes mid week and highs will
return to the 50s which will be close to normal for this time of
year.