New high wind warning issued for Ann Arbor area; this time it's for real, forecasters say
Two Red Cross workers walk away from a barn that was lifted off its foundation by a tornado Tuesday in Mount Pleasant, Wis.
AP photo
Update: About 27,000 DTE Energy customers in southeast Michigan are without power, spokeswoman Eileen Dixon said about 4 p.m. Of those, 18,000 are in Oakland County. Most customers should get power back tonight, she said. DTE has extra crews on duty working to restore service.
This time they really mean it. The high winds forecast for Tuesday didn't materialize in the Ann Arbor area, but National Weather Service forecasters say today will be different.
They've issued a high wind warning from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. today for southeast Michigan. The Ann Arbor area can expect sustained winds of 30 to 40 miles per hour, with frequent gusts of 45 mph and occasional gusts up to 60 mph, said Matt Mosteiko, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in White Lake.
That's strong enough to knock down trees and down power lines. The period of highest winds will come between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., Mosteiko said.
The culprit is a very deep low pressure center that has now moved into eastern Canada, and a very strong jet stream, Mosteiko said. A cold front that moved through the Midwest is now draped across the Eastern United States, he said. Now that we're on the back side of the system, we can expect colder temperatures. Highs today are expected to be in the 60s but Thursday temperatures will be in the mid 40s and will drop to around freezing Thursday night.
Mosteiko said the winds that had been expected in our area Tuesday didn't materialize because a layer of stable air in the atmosphere kept the strong winds from reaching the surface.
Today, that stable air is gone, he said.
Other parts of the Midwest weren't so lucky on Tuesday. The storm packed wind gusts of up to 81 mph as it howled across the Midwest and South, snapping trees and power lines, ripping off roofs and delaying flights. Some parts of Michigan were affected, with 16,000 homes and businesses still without power today, The Associated Press reported.
A blizzard warning was in effect today for North Dakota, where up to 10 inches of snow was expected in some areas. Lighter snow was expected in Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota.
The unusual system mesmerized meteorologists because of its size and because it had barometric pressure that was similar to a Category 3 hurricane, but with much less destructive power.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the system's pressure reading Tuesday was among the lowest ever in a non-tropical storm in the mainland U.S. Spokeswoman Susan Buchanan said the storm was within the top five in terms of low pressure, which brings greater winds.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Comments
Rod Johnson
Thu, Oct 28, 2010 : 10:29 a.m.
Ha, I forgot about the Great Derecho Panic of 2010. Good one, David.
DonBee
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 4:28 p.m.
I just want to thank the wind, it made my leaf raking way easier this weekend. The Leaves are almost all down and in the neighbor's yard... Much less work for both of us, we will go over and help.
Rebecca
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 3:26 p.m.
NOW what am I suppose to do with all this water and canned goods???
David Cahill
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 2:33 p.m.
I do think AnnArbor.com should more carefully screen these warnings before posting something here. Yesterday I even believed the warning about the sky falling and shut down my computer! Lucy and the football. Are we to expect a derecho this evening? 8-)
Subroutine
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 2:29 p.m.
Is there no "Wind Index" yet? You know, like the how the weatherman can overstate and exaggerate how hot it is with the unscientific and regionally non-uniform "Heat Index". I mean, I know it's kinda windy today but I really wish the media would tell me how windy it "feels".
Macabre Sunset
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 2:16 p.m.
It might actually be too windy to fly a kite right now. I think there was a 30-mph wind gust or two in the last hour. But no, I think this two-day Armageddon largely missed this part of Michigan. I know this storm was incredibly powerful in most of the Midwest. But here, far too much hype. Storm envy in the media, perhaps? I realize that since Katrina, the media has operated on the premise that people won't take any precautions unless they're truly scared. But what you're doing with these headlines is teaching us not to be scared by anything. The science isn't ready yet. Just publish the percentages and let people make their own decisions.
lugemachine
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 1:48 p.m.
Has this been downgraded to a stiff-breeze warning yet?
81wolverine
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 12:39 p.m.
Brad: Ha-Ha, you're right there. I use the same "leaf management" plan in my yard. When we get these high winds in later October, I never have rake any leaves! Bring it on!
kraiford12
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 12:32 p.m.
O RLY?
treetowncartel
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 12:16 p.m.
And most of the wind fatalities we hear about involve a man/woman made object as a contributory factor.
Cash
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 12:02 p.m.
bugjuice, Remember that there were a lot more fatalities before the warning systems we have today! There's no doubt that some media goes overboard. But the weather warning system we have today saves lives. No doubt.
bugjuice
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 11:59 a.m.
What did we do before all the early warnings and the internet? We kept an eye to the sky, listened to nature, knew what happens during certain times of the year and dealt with whatever happened. Much of that knowledge and common sense is lost when we begin to trust only what we hear or red on the internet.
Snehal
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 10:25 a.m.
Didn't know that they do UNREAL forecasts also!
Brad
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 9:55 a.m.
I'm all for the high winds. It's my new "leaf management" plan, since the city doesn't have a workable one any more.
Cash
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 9:24 a.m.
....and yet of course, if not forewarned and damage occurs, those who complain about the current warnings would be the first ones to complain about NOT being warned.
snapshot
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 9 a.m.
Information Overload!!! A weather report should be a weather report, not a theatrical production with cherry picked clips emphasizing the dramatic and worst case scenarios.The vocal infections of the meteoroligist,the opinion comments, the extreme terminology, all geared to making the weather report NEWS. The same thing happens with crime.....if you listen to the news you would think you're going to get car jacked, robbed, mugged, or raped every time you step out your door or talk to a stranger. Statistically, we have more of chance to get injured in an auto crash of some sort by a distracted driver texting, talking, or surfing the web on their cell phone. No one seems overly concerned about getting killed because a driver had to read an "OMG the waiter is cute" text message from a friend. The wind blowing at 60 miles an hour vs. a 4800 lb vehicle traveling 60 MPH with the driver electronically blindfolded, I'd rather deal with the wind.
M.
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 8:57 a.m.
So then what are the Red Cross workers laughing about? Gotta love that!
Soothslayer
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 8:55 a.m.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Dry that one out and you can fertilize the lawn with it. Just to be on the safe side though...
Cash
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 8:36 a.m.
Forecasters said that it was a monster of a Great Lakes cyclone, among the strongest recorded in the Midwest as measured by strength. Unlike spinning tornadoes, Great Lakes cyclones form between areas of warm and cold air and lead to increasing winds. Freighters on Lake Superior -- running busy in the fall with iron ore and grain -- headed to port to ride out the storm. The U.S. Coast Guard station in Detroit reported freighter traffic moving regularly on lakes Huron, St. Clair and Erie. Just because WE lucked out...remember the men of the Edmund Fitzgerald and the dangers of the Lakes.
Elaine F. Owsley
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 8:30 a.m.
It is the "chicken little syndrome" that causes this kind of reaction to "might happen" events. At least two of the local major networks devoted the entire morning to what might happen. I'm surprised the weather map isn't permanently etched on home screens.
Forever27
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 8:19 a.m.
We're going to fall victim to the "Boy who cried wolf syndrome" if the sensationalist headlines for every weather pattern don't stop.
breadman
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 8:18 a.m.
No is not! Let it Snow!! Cover all the blowing trash............
jcj
Wed, Oct 27, 2010 : 8:02 a.m.
The sky is falling!