Alert archive / New York / Tornado Warnings in 2025

Tornado Warning 5, NWS Buffalo, NY

August 24, 2025Cayuga County, New York

NWS Buffalo, NY issued this tornado warning at Aug 24, 2025, 2:08 PM EDT for Cayuga County, New York. It was in force for 17 min. 4 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Aug 24, 2025, 2:08 PM EDT (18:08 UTC)
Expired: Aug 24, 2025, 2:25 PM EDT
In force: 17 min
Issued by: NWS Buffalo, NY
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.75 in

County Cayuga County, NY

The radar

The Ft Drum radar (KTYX), 97 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:09 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Aug 24, 2:09 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 N Cato, NY	Report of 2 trees down in the town of Ira. Time estimated from radar.
Aug 24, 2:11 PM EDT	HAIL 1	Cato, NY	Image sent with hail and tape measure. Time estimated from radar.
Aug 24, 2:11 PM EDT	HAIL 1.25	Cato, NY	Estimated hail size from picture. Time estimated from radar.
Aug 24, 2:13 PM EDT	HAIL 1.5	Cato, NY	Delayed report. Time estimated from radar.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Buffalo Intl Airport, NY (KBUF), launched 12:00Z, 6.1 hours before the alert went out and 178 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.

Mixed-layer CAPE: 79 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -61 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 810 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 51 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 66 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: -0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

226 
WFUS51 KBUF 241808
TORBUF
NYC011-241845-
/O.NEW.KBUF.TO.W.0005.250824T1808Z-250824T1845Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
208 PM EDT Sun Aug 24 2025

The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Cayuga County in central New York...

* Until 245 PM EDT.

* At 208 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Cato, or 12 miles southeast of Fair Haven Beach
  State Park, moving east at 25 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. 
           Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree 
           damage is likely.

* Locations impacted include...
  Cato and Meridian.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 4310 7648 4311 7649 4310 7650 4309 7661
      4314 7666 4319 7667 4324 7648 4315 7647
      4314 7649 4313 7648 4311 7647
TIME...MOT...LOC 1808Z 252DEG 21KT 4318 7658 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN

$$

Brothers

1 follow-up statement

264 
WWUS51 KBUF 241825
SVSBUF

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
225 PM EDT Sun Aug 24 2025

NYC011-241835-
/O.CAN.KBUF.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-250824T1845Z/
Cayuga NY-
225 PM EDT Sun Aug 24 2025

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CAYUGA COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area.
Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.  However, small hail and
gusty winds are still possible with this thunderstorm.

&&

LAT...LON 4310 7648 4311 7649 4310 7650 4309 7661
      4314 7666 4319 7667 4324 7648 4315 7647
      4314 7649 4313 7648 4311 7647
TIME...MOT...LOC 1823Z 252DEG 21KT 4321 7647 

$$

Brothers

The office that day

Everything else NWS Buffalo, NY issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 24, 10:47 AM EDT	Special Marine Warning	BUF		88 min
Aug 24, 12:29 PM EDT	Small Craft Advisory	BUF		62 hr
Aug 24, 12:45 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BUF	Ontario, Wayne	45 min
Aug 24, 1:20 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	BUF	Wayne	40 min
Aug 24, 1:49 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BUF	Oswego	56 min
Aug 24, 1:55 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BUF	Cayuga, Oswego, Wayne	50 min
Aug 24, 1:59 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BUF	Monroe, Ontario, Wayne	61 min
Aug 24, 2:45 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BUF	Lewis, Oswego	32 min
Aug 24, 2:56 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BUF	Cayuga, Oswego, Wayne	64 min
Aug 24, 4:12 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BUF	Oswego	33 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in New York, 2025 Every tornado warning in 2025 Tornadoes in 2025

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.