April 3, 1956, began as an unusually warm and humid day across Lower Michigan. Michiganders were happy for some sunshine, pulling out shorts and sandals after a long winter.
Strong south winds brought summer-like temperatures, with no hint to residents that the sky would later change colors, making way for four tornadoes that swept through the state.
Record highs reached the upper 70s in Muskegon and Grand Rapids, according to the National Weather Service. Holland and Kalamazoo reached 80 degrees…