Severe Weather Awareness Week is underway across Michigan.

It got underway Sunday and runs through this Saturday.

Meteorologist in Charge with the National Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac Office Rich Pollman says this marks a good time to review severe weather plans heading into the severe weather season.

The season typically runs from April 1st into the early part of September in Michigan but Pollman said there has definitely been an increase in the number of severe weather events. He noted severe weather can strike at any time if the conditions are right, as evidenced by the tornado that hit Grand Blanc a few weeks ago on February 28th.

In Michigan, Pollman said we can go through long periods without a lot of severe weather but then all of a sudden there can be a very active 4 to 8 weeks before another lull.

Pollman said there were some pretty significant events last year. Southeast Michigan had 10 tornados that hit, with the most significant day being August 24th when the EF2 tornado hit Webberville and then dissipated in Livingston County. That same storm produced widespread 90-mph winds, resulting in damage with trees down and lots of power outages. As it moved into Metro Detroit, the storm spawned five additional tornados.

Additionally, a significant hail storm on June 15th went through Livingston County - mainly tracking between Howell and Pinckney.

As far as records go, Pollman said this has been a very unusual winter. He said the easiest way to put it is that it’s been a record-warm winter or the warmest winter that anyone alive has experienced or remembers. He said their Flint observation site had the warmest winter on record and Detroit was the fourth warmest on record - but those all records were all 1930 or in the 1800’s.

While snowfall has been much below average, Pollman said there is still some season to go and we can get snow through April but this will probably end up being in the top 20 least snowiest winters on record, as we’ve already surpassed the record lowest amount of snowfall.

For Severe Weather Awareness Week, Pollman encourages people and families to review their safety plans at home, school, and work and to know where their severe weather shelter is, as well as how to get NWS warnings.

Additionally, an annual Statewide Tornado Drill will be conducted on Wednesday at 1pm. Community participation in the drill is voluntary. During the drill, both the Livingston County Public Alerting System and the Livingston County tornado sirens will be tested.

More information is available in the attached release and provided link.