StormTrack Blog

A tornado watch has been issued for parts of the area this evening.  A line of severe storms is tracking towards the area.  The storms have been producing widespread wind damage with gusts exceeding 60 mph.

Isolated tornadoes have occurred in a few of the storms.

Some storms will skim our northern counties in Michigan the next few hours.  The main line of storms will cross the viewing area between 10:30 pm and 1:30 am.

Another wave of storms will approach the area late this afternoon into this evening.  Storms will be quite widespread mid/late evening into the overnight (8 pm onward).   There will be a lot of lightning — make sure you have proper shelter as the storms approach.  [There are severe weather safety tips on the main weather page.]

We have a MODERATE risk of severe weather.  The primary threat will be damaging winds.  However, some large hail is also possible.  A few isolated tornadoes cannot be ruled out.

With the extremely muggy air in place, storms will unleash torrential downpours.  Areas that see repeated thunderstorms will accumulate a few inches of rain in short amount of time.

You can purchase a severe weather radio at Kroger for a discounted price.  More details can be found here:  http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=12681658

We will be in a very unsettled pattern the next few days.  Complexes of thunderstorms will continue to develop in the Plains and Midwest, and track into the area.  These occasional complexes will continue off & on through Wednesday night.

The clusters of storms will have the potential to create powerful wind gusts.  So, we continue with a slight risk for severe storms until about Thursday morning.

One other aspect that we will be watching will be heavy rainfall.  With the higher levels of humidity the next few days, the storms that do develop will be able to produce torrential downpours.  Locations that see repeated storms could see hefty rain totals until the pattern breaks.

The summer solstice occurred this morning at 7:28.  This marks the northern most reaches of the sun’s direct rays as it is positioned over the Tropic of Cancer.

The first day of summer this year is Monday, June 21st. Enjoy the warm and muggy weather!

Comments emerged on our Facebook page asking why we were not reporting tornadoes that other outlets were reporting.
One “tornado” report came from a location that was not experiencing a storm at the time of the call (storms were one county to the west).

Other reports were based on wind damage.  Straight line winds can reach over 80 mph, similar speeds to that of tornadoes, but they go in a line versus a twist pattern (tornado).  Sometimes, straight line winds can produce damage worse and much more widespread than weak tornadoes.

All indications on the radar showed wind damage being produced, but no tornadoes.  That is why there were many severe t-storm warnings–for the winds.

We will not report every call about tornadoes since many are false or misidentified.  We have received viewer photos of “tornadoes in their neighborhood” when in fact they are sending in pictures obtained on the web.  Last summer, a viewer sent in a (very famous) picture taken in Florida in the 1990s claiming it was a local tornado.

The tornadoes from the other weekend showed up very well on radar, and we had multiple eyewitness accounts from trained spotters.  That was a completely different situation than tonight.

11 pm update:  all severe storms have pushed east of the area.  Another line of storms will approach from the west overnight.  They are weakening, but still will produce some gusty winds.

A severe thunderstorm watch remains in effect the rest of the evening.

A line of severe storms tracked from Illinois into Indiana between 6 and 7 p.m., and moved into western Ohio just after 8 p.m.  The storms will continue tracking across the rest of the area through around 11:30 p.m.

These storms have a history of producing damaging winds as well as some large hail, prompting severe thunderstorm warnings.

Remember that a watch means the conditions are favorable for severe weather to occur.  A warning means that severe weather is occurring in your county, and you should take cover immediately.

The threat for thunderstorms will continue through Tuesday night until a storm system passes the area Wednesday morning.  It will stay humid, thereby allowing heavy downpours.

We will dry out Wednesday, and it will turn less humid Wednesday into Thursday.  Heat builds by the end of week with highs near 90° and the chance of storms.  Sunday looks dry.

5:33 PM     TORNADO          1 Mile WNW LIMA/ALLEN COUNTY :   A WEAK AND SHORTLIVED EF0 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ON THE  
 NW SIDE OF LIMA NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF KENILWORTH AVE  AND RICE AVE. THE ONLY DAMAGE REPORTED WAS TO A   
 TRAMPOLINE.   

5:45 PM     TSTM WIND DAMAGE :  LIGHT POLE DAMAGED AT INTERSECTION OF METCALF AND ELM   

5:45 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD :    COLUMBUS GROVE/PUTNAM  COUNTY, REPORTED BY TRAINED SPOTTER   

0535 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD:     LIMA, REPORTED BY TRAINED SPOTTER

While we continue to clean up from the tornado damage from last weekend, the oil spill continues in the Gulf Of Mexico.

Here is a Google map with the current oil spill centered over Toledo.  You can see that in terms of areal coverage, the spill would encompass southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio.  Darker colors indicate where the oil is heavier.