01-04-2025
After deadly storms and tornadoes ravage Michigan, more severe weather on the way
No joke, Michigan's March weather didn't follow the usual pattern, according to folklore.
With deadly ice storms, strong winds and even a few tornados closing out the month, Mother Nature decided to reverse the old saying about March coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb.
She left a mess to clean up for April Fool's Day — with more bad weather to come.
Forecasts early Tuesday called for more snow and ice on the west side of the state, and more severe weather, including the possibility of more thunderstorms and tornadoes Wednesday evening throughout the night into Thursday morning.
"March is a month that can have a wide range of weather in Michigan, it just depends on the year," National Weather Service meteorologist Megan Varcie in White Lake Township said. "Some Marches are warm and quiet to start off and in others, you can have big winter storms."
Varcie said Tuesday should give utility crews a brief respite from the harsh weather to reconnect electricity to nearly 100,000 Michigan customers who are still in the dark.
Thunderstorms on Wednesday will be capable of producing heavy rain and parts of Southeast Michigan are highlighted...
Posted by US National Weather Service Detroit / Pontiac Michigan on Tuesday, April 1, 2025
At 9 a.m., Consumers Energy reported 94,000 outages, and DTE about 1,000.
Power outages: How to check your status
"We appreciate the patience of our friends and neighbors these last couple of days," said Chris Fultz, who is heading Consumers Energy's storm restoration efforts. "With more bad weather on the way Wednesday, we're following our game plan to restore power safely and quickly across communities."
The Jackson-based utility said it restored power to more than 60% of its 260,000 customers affected.
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In addition to the freezing rain this weekend that coated trees, causing them to snap and take out power lines, as many as four tornadoes appeared to have touched down: two in the central part of the state, and two on the west side of the state, in Newago and Kent Counties.
National Weather Service meteorologists were still surveying damage.
In Ingham County, a felled tree in Stockbridge Township landed Sunday on a house, killing a 56-year-old man; and two weak tornadoes struck, one near Williamston and the other near Leslie, leaving short paths of destruction.
In Kent County, a confirmed tornado touched down at 5:42 a.m. near Caledonia. Weather officials said the twister, 150-yards wide, tore up trees, sheds — and left a path of scattered debris.
And a fourth tornado appears to have struck near Newaygo.
March tornadoes in southeast Michigan are rare, but do occur, meteorologists said.
A particularly damaging one — with wind speeds of up to 140 mph — touched down March 15, 2012, in Washtenaw County near Dexter and cut a swath 400-800 yards wide for about 30 minutes.
It traveled about 8 miles and destroying a hundred or so homes, and for about 5 of the 31 minutes it was on the ground it spun in one place, wobbling, sucking everything it could into it.
The lesson? Heed folklore and ignore science at your peril.
"Be prepared for the severe weather," Varcie urged Tuesday. "Have multiple ways to get your warnings tomorrow and stay weather aware because things can change pretty rapidly."
Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: After deadly Michigan storms, tornadoes, severe weather to hit again
