Severe Thunderstorms Bring Half-Dollar Size Hail to Southeastern Michigan
Half-dollar size hail threatens vehicle damage as severe storms track northeast across four southeastern Michigan counties Sunday night.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN — The National Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac office issued severe thunderstorm warnings Sunday night as storms with half-dollar size hail moved across southeastern Michigan counties, threatening vehicle damage and dangerous driving conditions.
Two separate severe thunderstorm warnings were issued within minutes of each other, covering Northern Tuscola County, Northwestern Sanilac County, Eastern Bay County, and Huron County through 12:15 a.m. Monday morning.
Storm Path and Timing
The first warning, issued at 10:44 p.m. Sunday, tracked a severe thunderstorm located over Fairgrove, near Akron, moving northeast at 35 mph. The storm was expected to reach Caro and Akron around 10:50 p.m., followed by Unionville at 10:55 p.m. and Gagetown at 11:00 p.m.
A second storm system was identified at 10:57 p.m., located near Unionville, approximately seven miles northeast of Akron, also moving northeast at 40 mph. This system was forecast to impact Cass City, Sebewaing, Gagetown, and Owendale around 11:05 p.m.
Communities in the Storm’s Path
The weather service warned that multiple communities would experience severe conditions throughout the night. Pigeon and Elkton were expected to see impacts around 11:10 p.m., while Bad Axe faced severe weather around 11:20 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Later in the storm’s path, Kinde was forecast to experience severe conditions around 11:30 p.m., with Port Hope and Harbor Beach expecting impacts around 11:45 p.m. and 11:55 p.m., respectively.
Widespread Impact Areas
Beyond the primary communities, numerous smaller locations were also in the storm’s path. The National Weather Service specifically identified Redman, Parisville, Colling, Huron City, White Rock, Ivanhoe, Rapson, Grindstone City, Wisner, Bay Port, Ellington, and Gilford as areas that would experience severe thunderstorm impacts.
The weather service indicated the presence of half-dollar size hail, warning residents that damage to vehicles was expected. The hail size, approximately 1.25 inches in diameter, poses risks to automobiles, windows, and other exposed property.
Both storm systems maintained consistent northeast movement throughout the evening, with speeds ranging from 35 to 40 mph, allowing meteorologists to provide precise timing predictions for affected communities across the four-county region.
