Free Soil/Meade Volunteer Fire Department

06/13/2026

MASON COUNTY, Mich., (WPBN/WGTU) -- A Northern Michigan lawmaker is pushing legislation that would allow schools to lower speed limits during additional times o

06/12/2026

Tornado Watch for Allegan, Barry, Bay, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Livingston, Mecosta, Midland, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Ottawa, Saginaw, St. Joseph, Shiawassee and Van Buren County in MI until 2:00am EDT.

Hazards
A couple strong tornadoes possible
Isolated hail up to ping pong ball sized
Widespread wind gusts up to 75 mph likely

06/12/2026

06/12/2026

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued through 11pm for much of west-central and southwest lower Michigan. Isolated severe storms remain possible outside of the Severe T-storm watch area later this evening. Strong winds are the primary threat across northern Michigan.

06/12/2026

Severe storms will be possible across northern Michigan this evening and early tonight. The primary risk with any strong storms will be damaging winds, though a few tornadoes and large hail will also be possible. Stay weather aware this evening and have multiple ways to receive warnings!

06/12/2026

Here is our official timing map for tonight's squall line, set to impact the Lower Peninsula, June 11th, 2026, capable of damaging winds, and isolated instances of hail and embedded tornadoes.

We continue to monitor the area off to our southwest as a squall line continues to develop in Iowa and Illinois, moving northeast. Our margin of error on the squall line timing is 90 minutes, but we are going with before 9:30 pm EDT for our western-most counties, then 9-10 pm into the Grand Rapids, Cadillac, and Kalamazoo corridor. 10-11 pm EDT for Coldwater, to Lansing, to Grayling, and Cheboygan, 11 pm to 12 am EDT over to Jackson, Saginaw, and Alpena, then after midnight (if it can stay together) for the thumb and southeastern Michigan.

A friendly reminder to memorize where you are on a map prior to tonight's severe weather coverage. We cannot answer hundreds of questions about specific locations while tracking storms live.

Additional pop-up storms are possible ahead of the main line, and a wake low may be possible for southwestern Michigan prior to 9 pm EDT. We are monitoring closely, but our main concern remains the stuff back further to the west. As always, tune into our live severe weather coverage as soon as the first warning is issued tonight. You can find our coverage on YouTube, Facebook, Twitch TV, X, and TikTok at "mistormchasers".

- Chief Meteorologist Joel Fritsma, 4:28 pm EDT, 6/11/26

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06/06/2026

A special weather statement has been issued for Mason and Oceana counties until 12:30 am EDT 6/6/26.

Hazard: 55 mph winds

06/06/2026

Hold up, before you go to bed, you should be aware of our incoming squall line.

Here shortly before 11 pm EDT on June 5th, we are monitoring a strong to severe line of storms on, or approaching northern Lake Michigan, currently producing pea size hail, 60 mph winds, and perhaps a few waterspouts. With time, guidance shows this line of storms maintaining its strength, fueling themselves on some excess instability into the Lower Peninsula. Our main hazard, and likely only hazard will be severe winds of 60 mph, however, a less than 3% chance for a tornado is also possible. The SPC in Norman, OK also reintroduced low-end severe weather probabilities for the overnight timeframe, so we will undoubtedly stay up all night monitoring radar for you. Additional pop-up storms are also possible along and south of I-96 between 1-4 am EDT ahead of the squall line.

Shown here is the approximate timing hour-by-hour overnight. If warnings do get issued for wind, make sure you have ways to wake yourself up, including alerts on your phone, and of course a weather radio. Also a good time to remind you all that sirens are not intended to be heard indoors, so if you rely on sirens, have other options as well. Severe is not a guarantee with this being a fringe severe atmosphere, but again, we will be monitoring just in case. Send us all the love (and energy drinks) you can give. Follow us on YouTube or Twitch TV to receive notifications for when we go live as well, if we do.

Time of post, 10:59 pm EDT 6/5/26.

- Chief Meteorologist Joel Fritsma

06/05/2026

🌦Clouds and some mostly light rain showers can be expected today...with some better rainfall amounts south of the M-72 corridor.

⛈More showers and a better chance for thunderstorms are expected tonight with a passing upper-level disturbance. Rain is expected to end by Saturday morning with dry weather expected for the remainder of the weekend.

⛺️Campers can expect hazy, hot and humid weather to return to the region next week.

🔥🔥🔥👨‍🚒Don’t be fooled by current conditions. Crews responded to a Wildfire shortly before midnight and contained it at a little more than 16 acres. The cause is still under investigation.

🪣🪏✋Drown, Stir, Feel, Repeat, until your fire is DEAD OUT and cold to the touch. If the coals are too hot to touch, they are too hot to leave!

DO YOUR PART! DON’T LET A WILDFIRE START!👍 See less