Hail — Kalamazoo, Michigan

2011-04-26 · near Miller Corner, Kalamazoo, Michigan

Event narrative

Trained spotters reported that large hail fell from a thunderstorm that tracked from just southwest of Oshtemo east northeast across northern Kalamazoo to Richland. The hail size reached 1.25 inches in diameter two miles west of Richland. The hail swath was up to one mile wide based on the correlation of spotter reports with WSR-88D radar products.

Wider weather episode

Severe thunderstorms developed during the late afternoon and evening hours of April 26 as an upper level trough and cold front approached our region. Several low topped supercells developed and produced numerous reports of large hail up to around two inches in diameter. In addition a damage survey team from the NWS Grand Rapids office determined that damage caused near Burnips in Allegan County was due to an EF-0 tornado with top winds near 85 mph that damaged buildings at the Deboer Turkey Farm and trailers around the area. In Portage, nine people were injured by a lightning strike.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (42.2300, -85.7310)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 287815. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.