Damaging Winds in Ohio, November 10, 1998

One of the strongest low pressure systems ever observed across the central U.S. developed across southeast Colorado on November 9th. The low deepened throughout the day on the 9th and 10th as it tracked northeastward into southeast Minnesota. Low pressure records were set across Iowa and Minnesota with the lowest observed pressure of 961 millibars at Rochester Minnesota the afternoon of the 10th.During the early morning hours of the 10th, gulf moisture rapidly streamed northward into the midwest ahead of a strong cold front extending south from the surface low in northeast Iowa. Dewpoints rose into the lower 60s with temperatures in the middle to upper 60s from central Indiana into southern Michigan by mid morning. Although instability was marginal, the existence of a 70 knot low level jet combined with a mid level jet in excess of 100 knots and its associated dry air intrusion helped to enhance the wind damage potential within the squall line that developed along the cold front during the early morning hours of the 10th. This squall line quickly developed as it moved eastward across Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Ohio during the day of the 10th with widespread wind damage reported.