Hail and Damaging Wind in Ohio, May 9, 2000

Synoptic and mesoscale conditions during the afternoon of the 9th...A significant mid-level shortwave trough extended through the Mississippi valley during the afternoon with a deepening surface low over northeast Illinois. Northwest Ohio was in the warm sector with surface based CAPE of 2500 J/kg and increasing deep layer shear in advance of a 70 knot mid-level jet max ahead of the mid-level shortwave. A prefrontal squall line quickly developed late in the afternoon along the Illinois/Indiana state line. Additional isolated supercells developed in advance of this line and were mainly responsible for the swath of large hail from Wabash to Steuben counties. The squall line gradually organized into a large bow echo with the apex of the bow tracking from southwest Whitley county eastward through northern Allen and into western Defiance county in Ohio were the greatest widespread wind damage was observed. A bow echo/supercell merger occurred over northwest Williams county causing extensive damage in Montpelier and Columbia.