1. Louisville, Ky.
Days above normal: 73

2. Memphis, Tenn.
Days above normal: 72

3. Atlanta, Ga.
Days above normal: 69

4. Raleigh, N.C.
Days above normal: 68

5. New Orleans, La.
Days above normal: 68

Toledo would also make the cut for the top 20 hottest cities with 64 days of above average temperatures.

June: 26
July: 24
August: 14*

Toledo was in good company in experiencing the heat across the Great Lakes. Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh are all cities included in the top 20 hottest cities across the United States.

*Data for the month of August through the 17th of the month.

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

The strongest tornado to strike northwest Ohio in over three decades has now been determined to be and EF4 tornado with max winds in excess of 170-175 mph! Here is some of the official report released by the National Weather Service.

County: Wood & Ottawa
Location: East of Perrysburg
Begin Time: 11:20 PM EDT
End Time: 11:30 PM EDT

EF Scale EF4
Wind Speed 170-175 MPH
Max. Path Width: 300-400 yards
Path Length 8-10 Miles
Fatalities: 5
Injuries: Numerous

A team of National Weather Service Meteorologists performed an extensive survey of the tornado path in northeast Wood and western Ottawa counties. It was determined that a tornado with an intensity of EF4 with winds of approximately 170-175 MPH moved through the area.

The tornado first touched down near I-80 and Oregon Rd. (east of Perrysburg) at 11:20 PM EDT, moved across the south side of Moline, near Metcalf Airport, across the northwest side of Millbury, into Ottawa county following Trowbridge Rd., and finally lifting at 11:35 PM EDT just west of Clay Center.

The most intense damage occurred in two locations. The first location was at State Route 795 near Lake High School and then again on the northwest side of Millbury. The damage near Lake High School was rated a strong EF3. The damage on the northwest side of Millbury was rated in the EF4 category due to the extreme damage to structures. Five fatalities and numerous injuries were attributed to the tornado.

MONROE COUNTY, MI

A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM SURVEY TEAM ALSO CONFIRMED THAT A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AT 233 AM AT THE SOUTHWEST PORTION OF DETROIT BEACH. THE TORNADO TRACKED 5 MILES TO THE NORTHEAST…REACHING ESTRAL BEACH AT 239 AM BEFORE MOVING INTO LAKE ERIE. BASED ON THE CURRENT FACTS AND KNOWN DAMAGE…THE PATH WIDTH WAS 500 YARDS WITH ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WINDS OF 90 MPH…WHICH IS CLASSIFIED AT AN EF1. THIS TORNADO IMPACTED THE FERMI NUCLEAR POWER FACILITY.

MONROE COUNTY, MI

A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM SURVEY TEAM HAS CONFIRMED THAT A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AT 211 AM AT COUNTY LINE ROAD AND RANKIN ROAD IN MONROE COUNTY. THIS TORNADO THEN TRACKED EAST SOUTHEAST…MOVING THROUGH DUNDEE AT 217 AM. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS OF 130 TO 135 MPH WHERE ESTIMATED JUST WEST OF DUNDEE…WHICH IS CLASSIFIED AT A HIGH END EF2. THE WIDTH OF THE TORNADO AT THAT TIME WAS 800 YARDS. AS IT PASSED THROUGH DUNDEE…THE TORNADO WAS STILL CLASSIFIED A LOW END EF2 WITH MAXIMUM WINDS OF 115 MPH. THE TORNADO THEN TRACKED ANOTHER 7 MILES ALONG HIGHWAY 50 BEFORE LIFTING AT 227 AM AT THE DIXON ROAD INTERSECTION…CAUSING GENERALLY EF0 DAMAGE TO THE EAST OF DUNDEE. THE TOTAL PATH OF THIS TORNADO REACHED 13.5 MILES.

LENAWEE COUNTY, MI

A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM SURVEY TEAM CONFIRMED THAT A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AT 148 AM AT SOUTHARD HIGHWAY AND WOERNER ROAD IN LENAWEE COUNTY. THE TORNADO THEN TRACKED 2.5 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST TO SPRINGVILLE HIGHWAY BEFORE LIFTING AT 152 AM. THE PATH WIDTH WAS 250 YARDS WITH MAXIMUM WINDS OF 90 MPH AS IT CROSSED US 223…WHICH IS CLASSIFIED AT AN EF1. SEVERAL BUILDINGS WERE DESTROYED AND NUMEROUS TREES WERE DOWNED BY THIS TORNADO.

FULTON COUNTY, OH

AN EF2 TORNADO BEGAN ALONG HIGHWAY 109 JUST NORTH OF COUNTY ROAD A AND CONTINUED NORTHEAST FOR 7.5 MILES WEAKENING AS IT PASSED INTO LUCAS COUNTY, OH. MAXIMUM WINDS WERE ESTIMATED AT 135 MPH.

The tornadoes this past weekend was the worst tornado outbreak across our area in years and one of the worst this year in the entire country. With nearly a half a dozen powerful tornadoes, one of which responsible for taking 7 lives makes this outbreak the 2nd deadliest tornado outbreak this year across the entire United States!

Here is the latest information from the preliminary tornado surveys conducted by the National Weather Service for some of the powerful tornadoes that tracked across our area:

Fulton County:

Monroe County:

Wood & Ottawa County:

Additional Tornado Confirmations:

A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM SURVEY TEAM CONFIRMED THAT A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AT 148 AM AT SOUTHARD HIGHWAY AND WOERNER ROAD IN LENAWEE COUNTY. THE TORNADO THEN TRACKED 2.5 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST TO SPRINGVILLE HIGHWAY BEFORE LIFTING AT 152 AM. THE PATH WIDTH WAS 250 YARDS WITH MAXIMUM WINDS OF 90 MPH AS IT CROSSED US 223…WHICH IS CLASSIFIED AT AN EF1. SEVERAL BUILDINGS WERE DESTROYED AND NUMEROUS TREES WERE DOWNED BY THIS TORNADO.

A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM SURVEY TEAM ALSO CONFIRMED THAT A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AT 233 AM AT THE SOUTHWEST PORTION OF DETROIT BEACH. THE TORNADO TRACKED 5 MILES TO THE NORTHEAST…REACHING ESTRAL BEACH AT 239 AM BEFORE MOVING INTO LAKE ERIE. BASED ON THE CURRENT FACTS AND KNOWN DAMAGE…THE PATH WIDTH WAS 500 YARDS WITH ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WINDS OF 90 MPH…WHICH IS CLASSIFIED AT AN EF1. THIS TORNADO IMPACTED THE FERMI NUCLEAR POWER FACILITY.

If you’re out any night this week an hour or so after sunset you can look to the western sky to catch a planetary triple play starring Venus, Saturn and Mars.

The first thing skywatchers will see — weather permitting — is the brilliant planet Venus, slightly north of west, in the constellation Gemini. Look for Gemini’s twin first magnitude stars, Pollux and Castor, just above Venus.

As the sky gets darker, the planet Mars can be spotted to Venus’ left as it appears in the constellation Leo very close to the bright, first magnitude star Regulus. Further still to the left will be Saturn shining in the western part of the constellation Virgo.

Click on the sky map above which shows how to spot all three planets as they appear across a 71-degree angle in the night sky. For comparison, your closed fist held at arm’s length covers about 5 degrees of arc in the sky. Venus, Mars and Saturn are all currently appearing slightly north of the ecliptic, the path the sun appears to follow over the year, shown in green in the sky map.

Note the positions of these three planets in relation to the bright background stars, because they are beginning an interesting journey which you will be able to follow over the next two months.
In early July, Venus will have moved rapidly to the left, crossing Cancer into Leo so that now it is next to the star Regulus. Mars, meanwhile, will have moved somewhat to the left. Saturn appears to have hardly moved at all.

By then, the three planets will now cover only 37 degrees in the sky, only half the spread they showed in early June. A month after this, in the first week of August, the planets will be crowded into a 7-degree angle, and Mars will now be to the left of Saturn in Virgo. Venus, too, will have moved into Virgo.
All three will fit comfortably in the viewing field of a small pair of binoculars.

By August, Venus will still be brilliant, but both Saturn and Mars will have faded so that they just barely reach first magnitude. That’s because Saturn and Mars are getting farther away from Earth, while Venus is getting closer.

This weekend has and will continue to feature a major outbreak of severe weather across the Southeast.  On Saturday over 50 tornadoes were reported resulting in at least one dozen deaths.  In addition, over 300 reports of severe weather blanketed the region.   Here is a map of the severe weather reports for Saturday:

This is the most potent spring type storm so far this season featuring many of the ingredients necessary for a severe weather outbreak.  Ample gulf moisture, instability, strong upper level winds and wind shear (a change in wind speed or direction) were all present for this outbreak of severe storms.

All of the weather team is now on Facebook!

Robert’s Page

Mike’s Page

Chris’s Page

Tara’s Page

Many people don’t realize the real danger associated with lightning and just how deadly it can be.  Spring severe weather awareness week is a good time to review what to do when a thunderstorm is approaching.  Remember, if you can hear thunder you are close enough to be struck by a deadly bolt of lightning.  Here are some safety tips: