Alert archive / New York / Tornado Warnings in 2026

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Buffalo, NY

June 18, 2026Cattaraugus County, New York

NWS Buffalo, NY issued this tornado warning at Jun 18, 2026, 8:43 AM EDT for Cattaraugus County, New York. It was in force for 32 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: Jun 18, 2026, 8:43 AM EDT (12:43 UTC)
Expired: Jun 18, 2026, 9:15 AM EDT
In force: 32 min
Issued by: NWS Buffalo, NY
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.75 in

County Cattaraugus County, NY

The radar

The Buffalo radar (KBUF), 87 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 12:46 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Buffalo Intl Airport, NY (KBUF), launched 12:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 84 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: 559 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -4 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 719 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 77 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 239 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 234 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.7
Supercell composite: 4.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

093 
WFUS51 KBUF 181243
TORBUF
NYC009-181315-
/O.NEW.KBUF.TO.W.0004.260618T1243Z-260618T1315Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
843 AM EDT Thu Jun 18 2026

The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southern Cattaraugus County in western New York...

* Until 915 AM EDT.

* At 842 AM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Salamanca, moving northeast at 70 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...
  Salamanca, Allegany State Park, Hinsdale, Great Valley, Carrollton,
  Randolph, Napoli, Ischua, Lyndon, and Humphrey.

This includes Interstate 86 between exits 17 and 21, and exit 24 and
near exit 27.
 
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 4208 7896 4219 7897 4235 7836 4222 7832
      4211 7836
TIME...MOT...LOC 1242Z 244DEG 60KT 4218 7885 

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

$$

Hitchcock

2 follow-up statements

917 
WWUS51 KBUF 181256
SVSBUF

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
856 AM EDT Thu Jun 18 2026

NYC009-181315-
/O.CON.KBUF.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-260618T1315Z/
Cattaraugus NY-
856 AM EDT Thu Jun 18 2026

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 915 AM EDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN CATTARAUGUS COUNTY...

At 856 AM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Salamanca, moving east at 55 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...
Salamanca, Allegany State Park, Hinsdale, Great Valley, Carrollton,
Ischua, Humphrey, and Kill Buck.

This includes Interstate 86 between exits 20 and 21, and near exit
27.
 
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 4210 7877 4222 7877 4229 7834 4222 7832
      4211 7836
TIME...MOT...LOC 1256Z 260DEG 47KT 4217 7865 

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

$$

Hitchcock

832 
WWUS51 KBUF 181315
SVSBUF

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
915 AM EDT Thu Jun 18 2026

NYC009-181325-
/O.EXP.KBUF.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-260618T1315Z/
Cattaraugus NY-
915 AM EDT Thu Jun 18 2026

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN CATTARAUGUS COUNTY HAS
EXPIRED...

The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.
Therefore, the warning has been allowed to expire.  However, gusty
winds are still possible with this thunderstorm.

&&

LAT...LON 4210 7877 4222 7877 4229 7834 4222 7832
      4211 7836
TIME...MOT...LOC 1315Z 244DEG 60KT 4227 7836 

$$

Hitchcock

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jun 18, 12:47 AM EDT	High Wind Warning	BUF	Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston and 5 more	19 hr
Jun 18, 3:57 AM EDT	Beach Hazards Statement	BUF	Cayuga, Chautauqua, Erie, Jefferson, Monroe, Niagara and 3 more	60 hr
Jun 18, 7:32 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	BUF	Erie	58 min
Jun 18, 7:47 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	BUF	Erie	3 hr
Jun 18, 8:30 AM EDT	Special Marine Warning	BUF		60 min
Jun 18, 8:33 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BUF	Cattaraugus	57 min
Jun 18, 9:23 AM EDT	Special Marine Warning	BUF		82 min
Jun 18, 9:23 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BUF	Allegany	82 min
Jun 18, 9:45 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BUF	Cayuga, Oswego, Wayne	60 min
Jun 18, 10:24 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BUF	Oswego	47 min
Jun 18, 12:08 PM EDT	Special Marine Warning	BUF		52 min
Jun 18, 2:38 PM EDT	Special Marine Warning	BUF		66 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in New York, 2026 Every tornado warning in 2026 Tornadoes in 2026

Sources

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