Traverse City Record-Eagle

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May 31, 2011

Afternoon storms could be strong, severe

TRAVERSE CITY — The National Weather Service predicts strong-to-severe thunderstorms this afternoon with the potential for damaging winds and golf ball-size hail.

A fast-moving system is traveling ahead of a cold front and should arrive in the Traverse City area between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. today and likely will move on by 9 p.m.

A strong area of low pressure pulling up through the Great Lakes with an associated cold front will collide with the current hot, semi-humid conditions and trigger thunderstorms. Some of the storms could be severe, with winds up to 70 mph and large hail, weather officials warned.

"Basically, all the ingredients have come together and we should have some pretty good thunderstorms," said Keith Berger, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gaylord. "As is the place of any spring time convection, one town will get hammered and other areas will get missed altogether."

The system also carries a slight chance for an isolated tornado.

"We don't get many of them by the nature of where we are, the Great Lakes ... take a lot of energy out of the systems," Berger said. "But to say tornadoes don't happen is not true."

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