Where are the summertime severe storms?

[detlump]

It seems to me, when I was growing up back in the last century, that there were frequent severe storms this time of year. By severe, I mean tornado warnings, hail, green skies, frequent news interruptions on TV, and then the resulting scurry of news crews to cover the damage.

The past few summers it's seemed pretty calm around here, even with the heat and humidity [[which seemed to bring storms) and then the nice cold fronts afterwards.

What say you?

[UrbanViews]

Isn't it obvious? The government is seeding our atmosphere to bend at their will!!!!!
Just kidding, I do know what you mean though. Here are a couple articles from 5 years difference [[both from MLive.)
https://www.mlive.com/weather/index....s_down_ac.html [[2018)
https://www.mlive.com/weather/index....en_amazin.html [[2013)
These are more observatory than anything, still decent info. I would look more into NOAA if I were you.

[1953]

I was just sharing with a friend who now lives in North Carolina that we haven't had a thunderstorm of note in recent memory. She said they were being wailed on all summer. While I'm no masochist, I, too, miss the infrequent affair of the gods bowling.

[EGrant]

We're still in the calm after The Great Flood of 2014.

[Meddle]

On 8/20/2018, Severe Weather Watch 343 was issued:

https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/wa...18/ww0343.html

On 8/18/2017 Severe Weather Watch 456 was issued:

https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/wa...17/ww0456.html

In 2017, WW 343 was issued on 6/16:

https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/wa...17/ww0343.html


So, as of now watches are behind 2017 by 120 nationwide.

[313WX]

On 8/20/2018, Severe Weather Watch 343 was issued:

https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/wa...18/ww0343.html

On 8/18/2017 Severe Weather Watch 456 was issued:

https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/wa...17/ww0456.html

In 2017, WW 343 was issued on 6/16:

https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/wa...17/ww0343.html


So, as of now watches are behind 2017 by 120 nationwide.

They were talking specifically about Michigan and the Detroit area.

And yes, the OP is correct. I will post the stats later.

[Johnnny5]

There does seem to be fewer the last couple Summers, but there have been some. Just a week or two ago there was extensive storm damage on Belle Isle.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...igan/37384495/

[313WX]

I was just sharing with a friend who now lives in North Carolina that we haven't had a thunderstorm of note in recent memory. She said they were being wailed on all summer. While I'm no masochist, I, too, miss the infrequent affair of the gods bowling.

For a time [[as of late July), we had more severe weather reports here in Georgia than in Oklahoma.

[313WX]

They were talking specifically about Michigan and the Detroit area.

And yes, the OP is correct. I will post the stats later.

Ok, here we go:

Severe Weather Drought Continues in Southwest Lower Michigan

https://www.weather.gov/grr/SevereWeatherDrought

"By this point of the year, we typically would have issued a combined total of ~60 Tornado and Severe Thunderstorm warnings. However, this year, we've only issued a total of 18 Severe Thunderstorm and 0 Tornado warnings! This is the "quietest" severe weather season so far since 1993 when 16 combined warnings were issued by this point in the year. The past three years have been relatively quiet as well with fewer than 40 combined warnings issued by July 20th. Note that the average annual combined number of warnings our office issues is ~92.

Yet, this is the time of year when we are typically most active. Climatologically [[e.g. historically) speaking, we usually experience severe weather in a period stretching from late April to early September with May, June, July, and August as the most active months. Incredibly, this was the first year since 1995 in which we did did not issue a single Severe Thunderstorm or Tornado warning during the entire month of June!

So, how does our quiet severe weather season compare to the rest of Michigan? How about the rest of the country? As you can see, much of Lower Michigan has had a quiet severe weather season this year with the NWS Offices in Gaylord and Detroit/Pontiac having similar paltry warning counts. Surprisingly, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan has had more severe weather than Lower Michigan so far this year! However, notice the lower numbers across much of the Great Lakes. Typically, the southern Great Lakes [[e.g. NWS Milwaukee, Chicago, Northern Indiana, and Cleveland) would have much higher warning counts by this time of year. So, we are not alone in our relative lack of severe weather.

However it is worth noting that southwestern Lower Michigan has been especially quiet compared to our neighbors. Perhaps most telling is the fact we haven't issued a tornado warning in over a year! Compared to the rest of the United States were severe weather is common [[e.g. east of the Rocky Mountains), we hold one of the longest stretches of time without issuing a tornado warning."

[313WX]

And NWS Detroit has gone nearly a whopping 1200 days since its last Tornado Watch, with only 2 reported tornadoes since 2015 being EF1 or stronger.

[Richard]

^ you guys should be so lucky,other parts of the country are getting pounded.

Mother nature and her cycles,I do not think anybody will ever be able to figure her out.

I can deal with hurricanes but I would not wish a tornado on anybody,I hope you guys go another 20 years without one.

[Meddle]

They were talking specifically about Michigan and the Detroit area.

Yes, but the point is, they're down nationwide this year.

[Meddle]

I can deal with hurricanes but I would not wish a tornado on anybody,I hope you guys go another 20 years without one.

Perspective. Some would rather have a 1/2 mile wide [[or in most cases far less) tornado that passes in a few minutes than a 50 mile wide [[or more) cyclone that grinds for hours. Rescue efforts can be underway within a half hour of a Tornado, but it might be the next day for a significant cyclone.

[313WX]

Yes, but the point is, they're down nationwide this year.

That's true, but the numbers are especially low for Michigan relative to other parts of the country. The anecdotal observations from other posters in this thread would back that up.

[Honky Tonk]

I mean tornado warnings, hail, green skies, frequent news interruptions on TV, and then the resulting scurry of news crews to cover the damage.
What say you?

I say it was fake news...

[Cincinnati_Kid]

I say it was fake news...

Like Dump says, there is no such thing as global warming.....LMAO

[Richard]

They invented global air conditioning long before the current president.

[mtburb]

Right during the first morning of this month...an EF0 touched down in Taylor near Southland, causing building damage.

http://www.thenewsherald.com/news/na...80e71fb45.html

[Pam]

Fine with me. I haven't missed hiding in the basement and picking up tree branches.

[Colombian Dan]

My stomach is killing me.... pull my finger if you want a storm......

[archfan]

It's good to see data to support the feeling that we're missing the severe weather lately. Everything seems to go around us lately. The UP certainly got pounded earlier this summer, though.

[Dan Wesson]

WE got hit pretty good yesterday morning here in Middleland. The soils soaked it all up fast too.

[RaumVogel]

It's all over here in the east.You can have it back.

[Meddle]

Possibly later tomorrow [[Tuesday into Wednesday) from the looks of things.

[canuck]

Same in Greater Montreal area. No thunderstorms of note this past summer. We usually had thunderstorms following really hot and humid days in the past. Nowadays, we can go weeks without a storm, and sometimes it doesn't last that long.