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Wet Weather Ahead – Weather History

After a long period of below-normal precip, we are now in a time when the monsoons are picking up 😀 and turning the corner to a wetter period of above-normal rain, the first time this year.  We have chances of rain for the next several days with the best chances of heavier rain Thursday night through Friday on into the weekend.  Forecasts are calling for heavier rains in the one-inch or better range during that period. (see the forecast discussion below).  The SPC (at this time) has us in a marginal risk for storms Friday into Saturday.


Weather History for SW Michigan

June 20

1953: An early summer heatwave peaked with temperatures around 100 degrees. It was the hottest June day on record at Grand Rapids with a high of 102 and a sultry low of 79 degrees.

June 21

1988: The hot summer of 1988 got off to a sizzling start with record highs of 98 degrees at Grand Rapids and Lansing.

1996: A tornado struck from near Weidman to the west of Rosebush in Isabella County. Three homes were damaged and four barns destroyed, along with several other outbuildings. Several silos and farm machinery were damaged. Other tornadoes hit near Frankenmuth and Imlay City.

June 22

1957: At least four weak tornadoes hit southern Lower Michigan. At Hudsonville in Ottawa County, the damage is down to a warehouse. A barn is destroyed near Pinconning in Bay County. Several barns are damaged or destroyed in Berrien and Cass Counties. Trees are taken down at Dumont Lake in Allegan County.

1992: One of the coldest summers on record in west Michigan got off to a freezing start with frost and freezing temperatures across the region. At Muskegon, the temperature plummeted to 32 degrees. It was the latest freezing temperature on record there.

2015: Severe thunderstorms with brief tornadoes and downbursts strike across Lower Michigan. Portland, Michigan is hit by a small tornado with winds estimated over 100 mph.

June 23

1960: A tornado struck north of Carson City in Montcalm County, damaging or destroying several farm buildings and four mobile homes.

1870: An extreme heatwave began and lasted through the end of June. Temperatures in the mid and upper 90s prevailed most of that time. Lansing set their all-time high for June of 99 degrees on the 25th.

June 24

1998: A severe thunderstorm produced hail up to 3 inches in diameter and two tornadoes as it tracked across Eaton and Jackson Counties. The first tornado touched down just east of Eaton Rapids and downed trees and power lines. The second tornado hit Layton Corners in north-central Jackson County. This tornado did about half a million dollars in damage as it did minor damage to about a dozen homes.

June 25

1870: The monthly record high for June of 99 degrees for Lansing was set on this day. This record would be tied on June 25 in 1895 and again in 1988.

1969: A tornado begins near Cedar Springs in Kent County and moves east for seven miles, damaging a store and destroying a barn, chicken coop and 14 camper trailers.

June 26

1956: A tornado struck Gratiot County near Perrinton. Two homes and five barns were destroyed and fifty other buildings were damaged. Two people were injured.


Weather History for SE Michigan

June 20

On June 20, 1992, the high temperature for Flint reached a chilly 51 degrees after a cold front had passed the day before. This temperature reading turned out to be the record low maximum for this date. This record low maximum was one of several that occurred over Southeast Lower Michigan during the “Cold Summer of 1992”

June 21

On June 21, 2006, severe thunderstorms moved across mainly Lenawee and Monroe Counties. Rainfall in excess of 5 inches created widespread flooding, resulting in three high water rescues in Lenawee County. The severe thunderstorms produced up to golf ball size hail, estimated wind gusts to 75 mph and one F1 tornado south of Addison.

On June 21, 1996, severe thunderstorms developed along a warm front across central lower Michigan during the evening on the 21st. The storms moved southeast across the Saginaw Valley and the thumb region during the period from late evening on the 21st through the early morning hours of the 22d. The result was an extremely damaging weather event, as flash flooding caused millions of dollars of damage to property, and 3 documented tornadoes touched down. The worst damage was done to the resort town of Frankenmuth, where an F3 tornado caused about 5 million dollars of damage. The tornado completely destroyed 4 houses and damaged 130 others. No one was injured or killed.

Elsewhere, tornadoes damaged homes in Lapeer and Saint Clair counties, and strong straight-line winds uprooted trees in northern Genesee county and did severe damage to a mobile home dealership in southern Bay county. Flash flooding was widespread throughout the Saginaw Vally and the thumb region as well. In Bay County, an elderly man was killed when his car was swept from a bridge while he was attempting to cross the Kawkawlin River. Elsewhere, flooding did widespread damage to roads and houses. Dollar damage amounts were difficult to estimate until the growing season actually came to an end, but initial rough estimates placed total damage to crops in the area at several million dollars.

Also on June 21, 1987, an F2 tornado touched down in Novi at the Chateau Estates on 13 Mile Road. The tornado was only on the ground for .3 miles but one death and 6 injuries were reported. 57 mobile homes were destroyed while another 170 mobile homes were damaged.

June 22

On June 22, 2017, severe thunderstorms lifting northward out of Ohio caused wind damage to power lines and trees across far southeast Michigan, including the Detroit Metro area. A line of heavy rainfall then set up over the Saginaw Valley and persisted through the night. A swath of 4 to 7 inches of rain was observed in Midland and Bay Counties, including 7.31 inches in Oil City, a 200-year occurrence for that location.

Also on June 22, 2015, four tornadoes hit Southeast Michigan. An EF0 hit Saint Clair County, separate EF1 tornadoes hit Washtenaw and Sanilac Counties, and an EF2 formed in Saginaw County before crossing into Tuscola. The latter was a low-end EF2 with observed major structural damage to one house and two minor injuries at a campground.

Also on June 22, 2011, storms developed out to the west along a cold front and moved through the area as an organized line of storms during the afternoon hours. There were 31 reports of large hail or damaging winds, including numerous downed trees with winds up to 75 mph in Fort Gratiot, a measured wind gust to 75 mph in Swartz Creek and Flint, and golf ball size hail in St. Clair County. Heavy rain produced flooding in St. Clair County which continued during the overnight hours.

Also on June 22, 1957, an F2 tornado hit Bay County at 7:00 PM.

June 23

On June 23, 2010, two tornadoes hit far Southeast Michigan during the evening hours. The first was a 3.7 mile long EF0 tornado just southeast of Saline. The other tornado was an EF1 that was on the ground for 11.5 miles across Northern Monroe County, hitting the community of Scofield. The EF1 damage with winds estimated at 90 MPH was found near Tuttle Hill Rd in London Township where a roof was torn off of a pole barn and substantial tree damage was noted.

Also on June 23, 1997, 1.75-inch hail was reported in Laingsburg (Shiawassee County). This was the largest reported hail in our County Warning Area during the year of 1997.

June 24

On June 24, 1998, a series of supercell thunderstorms swept through southeastern Michigan, producing hail up to 1.75 inches in diameter and substantial wind gusts. A spotter in Ypsilanti estimated wind gusts of 75mph! One injury was sustained this afternoon due to a fallen tree limb. Damage across southeastern Michigan totaled $82,000.

June 25

On June 25, 2009, A weak low-pressure system coupled with high instability triggered several severe thunderstorms along and south of I 69 during the afternoon hours and early evening hours. Southern Macomb County was the hardest hit, as the majority of the 80,000 DTE customers who lost power resided in Macomb county.

Also on June 25, 1988, the second-highest temperature ever recorded in Detroit was reached: 104 degrees! This tied with the previous second-highest temperature, set on June 28, 1934.

June 26

On June 26, 1973, A severe thunderstorm wind gust of 94 mph occurred at Detroit Metro Airport at 458 PM EDT.


Forecast Discussion

Warm advection and return flow moisture will combine to bring
scattered showers across Lower Michigan today. Instability is
forecast to be too limited to include mention of thunder.

The big story continues to be heavy rain potential late Thursday
into Saturday as convection forms ahead and along slow moving
front with strong northward moisture transport from the Gulf.
Precipitable water values over 2 inches with expected rain rates
of 1 to 2 inches per hour being maintained for several hours in
some locations will result in storm totals of 3 to 5 inches across
much of central and southern Lower Michigan.

We will assess the hydro situation in more detail and plan to
issue a Hydrologic Outlook on the day shift. Significant rises on
rivers are possible, especially the Kalamazoo and Saint Joseph
basins where several inches of rain has fallen recently. Drier
conditions along the Grand and Muskegon basins may mitigate rises
somewhat.

 

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Sandy (Hudsonville)
Sandy (Hudsonville)

Only a few sprinkles here all day. 🙂

Rocky (Rockford)
Rocky (Rockford)

I see the NWs is still hyping copious amounts of rain beginning Friday! I will believe it when I see it! Their last rain forecast was horrendous!

INDY
INDY

I’m thinking the drought area will be in Zland
Michigan onlyy after this weekend let it rain let it rain it rain lol…INDY

INDY
INDY

64* degrees in my area little off from the 70’s they once called for today but then again it’s the end of June you would think 70’s would be a good bet right?? No matter what mid 60’s are unusually felt of this time of year but then again who’s complaining not me!! Lol …Great fishing weather …INDY

Barry in Zeeland
Barry in Zeeland

Love working in this weather over the heat wave weather we were having. Sucks for anyone vacationing by the lake, but don’t matter to me cuz owning your own business means no vacation.

Mark (East Lansing)
Mark (East Lansing)

Excessive Heat Watch from Friday until at least Tuesday for all of Washington and Oregon.

The folks out west just can’t seem to catch a break.

Mark (East Lansing)
Mark (East Lansing)

Hydrologic Outlook National Weather Service Grand Rapids MI 1206 PM EDT Wed Jun 23 2021 …Several Days of Widespread Heavy Rainfall and River Rises on the Way… Several days of heavy rainfall will move into Lower Michigan beginning Thursday night and continue through early next week. All rivers will see significantly rising water levels, and flooding on some of our rivers is possible as early as this weekend. The good news is that the Grand and Muskegon river basins are starting out at extremely low levels due to the ongoing drought. The Kalamazoo River basin has had more rain in… Read more »

Slim

The departure from average yesterday was -15.7° that is the biggest negative departure on any day in June since a departure of -15.8° on June 6th 1998. The trend for this year has been for some very big temperature swings as (June-15.7, +12.7°) May(-18.4, +19.9) April (-15.8°, +23.9°) have had huge departures of both above and below average. While March had a huge +24.5 day but February had a huge -21.9° departure.
Slim

INDY
INDY

This will be by far the biggest talk of Summer especially with no big heat in sight I love it ..INDY

Rocky (Rockford)
Rocky (Rockford)

This is an amazing late June cold stretch!

Slim

Yesterday was the coldest June days below the daily mean in many years.
Slim

Mark (East Lansing)
Mark (East Lansing)

The past 48 hours has been a nice reprieve from the heat. It’s been nice to be able to open the windows again. I will mow the lawn again tonight – the 3rd time in the past week. The corn in the nearby fields appears to have doubled in height in the past week too. Have a great day, friends.

Slim

With a high/low of 69/41 yesterday was one of the coldest June 22nd at Grand Rapids history. And it looks like for a while there has been a major pattern change from warm and dry to wet and cool at least for the next two weeks. The over night low here at my house was 49 it looks like the official low at GRR will be 50. At this time it is cloudy and 61 here at my house.
Slim

INDY
INDY

HISTORY GREAT SCOTTY!! and bye the looks of this weekends rain coming and more cooler temperatures the drought will be long gone Yes slim pattern change at best hopefully through July …INDY

Nathan (forest Hills)
Nathan (forest Hills)

It is a great time of year to have a cool down. “Cool” weather in June-September is typically very comfortable.

INDY
INDY

Wow to the wow made it down to 45* overnight in my area isn’t this Fall weather fabulous with no big heat heat in sight let’s keep the Fall like weather going alright …INDY