A strong low pressure system tracked through the northern Great Lakes during the overnight and morning hours of the 28th. A cold front moved through the region.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS CLE wrote it up.
A strong low pressure system tracked through the northern Great Lakes during the overnight and morning hours of the 28th. A cold front moved through the region. While there were mainly just showers associated with the cold front, these showers were strong enough to bring down severe winds. Once the cold front passed, synoptic winds associated with the strong low pressure system allowed for high winds to continue in some locations.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Cleveland, OH wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 28, 5:49 AM EST, 1 hour 49 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH
549 AM EST SUN DEC 28 2008
.SYNOPSIS...
A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH OHIO AND PENNSYLVANIA
TODAY...BRINGING GUSTY CONDITIONS AS WELL AS COOLER TEMPERATURES.
HIGH PRESSURE WILL RETURN TO THE REGION TONIGHT ALLOWING FOR DRIER
WEATHER TO START THE UPCOMING WEEK.
&&
.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/...
COLD FRONT JUST ABOUT TO ENTER NORTHWEST OHIO AS OF 07Z.
PRECIPITATION HAS BECOME MORE SHOWERY SINCE MIDNIGHT AS ALL
LIGHTNING HAS DIMINISHED BUT STILL CANT RULE OUT A RUMBLE OF THUNDER
THIS MORNING. WINDS SO FAR HAVENT BEEN TOO TERRIBLY STRONG...A FEW
GUSTS INTO THE UPPER 20KTS BUT THATS BEEN THE WORST OF IT. UPSTREAM
OBS IMMEDIATELY AHEAD OF/BEHIND THE FRONT INDICATE THAT HIGHER WINDS
ARE ON TAP ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA...HOWEVER IT APPEARS THEY WILL
BE RELATIVELY SHORT LIVED. I WILL CONTINUE THE WIND ADVISORY AS IS
SINCE I THINK ADVISORY WINDS WILL OCCUR ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA...BUT
WILL ADVISE NEXT SHIFT THAT THE DURATION COULD PROBABLY BE TRIMMED
BACK A BIT.
TWO OTHER ISSUES TO CONTEND WITH...THE FIRST BEING HOW LONG TO HOLD
ONTO THE MENTION OF RAIN. WHILE THE BACK EDGE OF THE RAIN IS FAIRLY
RAGGED ON THE REGIONAL RADAR MOSAIC...MY BEST GUESS IS THAT PRECIP
IS FINISHED WEST OF A KSBN/KIND LINE. THIS WOULD END THE PRECIP
ACROSS MY WESTERN COUNTIES RIGHT AROUND DAYBREAK AND ACROSS MY
ENTIRE AREA BY NOON. I WILL CARRY A LOW CHANCE MENTION IN THE WEST
THIS MORNING WITH MUCH HIGHER POPS FURTHER EAST...HOWEVER I THINK
ALL PRECIP SHOULD BE DONE BY NOON WITH CLEARING SKIES. THERE IS A
LOT OF DRY AIR BEHIND THIS SYSTEM AND I THINK WE WILL BE HARD
PRESSED TO KEEP CLOUDY SKIES IN PLACE ALL DAY.
THE OTHER ISSUE IS TEMPERATURES...TEMPS WILL BE FALLING ALL DAY IN
THE WEST BUT WILL REMAIN WARM THIS MORNING IN THE EAST BEFORE
TUMBLING AROUND MID-MORNING. I WILL WORD THE FORECAST TO MENTION
FALLING TEMPS BUT HOURLY TEMPS/GRIDS WILL CERTAINLY NEED TO BE
TWEAKED AS COLD AIR RUSHES IN THIS MORNING.
&&
.SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/...
COLD FRONT WILL BE WELL EAST OF THE AREA BY THIS EVENING. WINDS WILL
BE ON THE DECREASE AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT RELAXES AND AS HIGH
PRESSURE SETTLES INTO PLACE ACROSS THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY. WENT WITH
A DRY FORECAST TONIGHT AND DURING THE DAY ON MONDAY AND THIS
CONTINUES TO BE IN LINE WITH ALL MODEL GUIDANCE. A WEAK TROUGH WILL
MOVE THROUGH ONTARIO MONDAY NIGHT BUT REMAIN NORTH OF THE LAKE...THE
GFS IS HINTING AT SOME VERY LIGHT SNOWFALL DOWNWIND OF THE LAKE
MONDAY NIGHT BUT THE NAM REMAINS DRY. LOCAL GFS-BASED WRF ALSO
HINTING AT SOME LIGHT SNOW MONDAY NIGHT ACROSS NW PA...IT LOOKS LIKE
A PRETTY SLIM CHANCE AT THIS POINT BUT I WILL RETAIN LOW CHANCE POPS
ACROSS NW PA MON NIGHT FOR CONTINUITY. BY TUESDAY MORNING HOWEVER
ANOTHER RIDGE SETTLES IN OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN CONUS AND I DONT
EXPECT ANY PRECIP ANYWHERE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. THIS SHOULD
CONTINUE TO BE THE CASE UNTIL TUESDAY NIGHT AS A FAST MOVING WAVE OF
LOW PRESSURE MOVES FROM WISCONSIN TO WESTERN NEW YORK. SNOW SHOULD
DEVELOP FAIRLY QUICKLY AHEAD OF THIS WAVE TUESDAY NIGHT BUT SHOULD
ALSO DISSIPATE QUICKLY BEHIND IT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL SETTLE IN FROM
THE WEST WEDNESDAY NIGHT BUT A FEW SNOW SHOWERS WILL LIKELY HANG ON
ACROSS THE EASTERN COUNTIES INTO EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.
&&
.LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
FORECAST FOR THE LATTER PORTION OF THE WEEK RELATIVELY UNCHANGED AS
THE EURO AND GFS MODELS SHARE GOOD AGREEMENT. HIGH PRESSURE SHOULD
BE WELL ESTABLISHED ACROSS THE FORECAST THURSDAY MORNING WITH
DECREASING CLOUDS. SHOULD BE A CHILLY START TO THE DAY BUT AS THE
HIGH SLIDES EAST I EXPECT TEMPS TO REBOUND TO NEAR NORMAL VALUES
THURSDAY AFTERNOON. ANOTHER WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE THROUGH
THE GREAT LAKES ON FRIDAY. PRECIP WITH THIS WAVE APPEARS TO BE A
GOOD BET PER PREVIOUS FORECAST...NO MAJOR CHANGES TO POPS FRIDAY OR
SATURDAY. CONDITIONS MAY BE SLOW TO DRY OUT ON SATURDAY AS A
SECONDARY TROUGH ROTATES ACROSS LAKE ERIE SATURDAY MORNING AND I
KEPT SNOW MENTIONED DOWNWIND OF THE LAKE THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT.
&&
.AVIATION /12Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
STRONG COLD FRONT NOW MOVING THROUGH THE AREA. EXPECT PASSAGE AT
KCLE NEAR 12Z AND ERIE AROUND 14Z. MAX GUSTS WITH FRONT HAVE BEEN
IN THE MID TO UPPER 40 KNOT RANGE MOST AREAS ALTHOUGH A FEW AREAS
HAVE PEAKED ABOVE 50 KTS. POST FRONT WINDS WILL BEGIN TO DROP AND
BY MID MORNING WILL HAVE GUSTS IN THE MID 30 KNOTS RAGE AGAIN.
EXPECT CIGS MVFR THROUGH THE MORNING WITH CLEARING TIMED IN
THROUGH THE AFTERNOON FROM THE SW AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN.
OUTLOOK...CHANCE OF SOME MVFR CONDITIONS MONDAY NIGHT AND EARLY
TUESDAY. VFR TUE...THEN ANOTHER LOW PRES BUILDS IN WITH MVFR AND
POSS LCL IFR TUES NITE/WED. VFR WED NIGHT AND THU.
&&
.MARINE...
WILL CONTINUE WITH MARINE HEADLINES AS THEY ARE. COLD FRONT NOW
ENTERING WESTERN OHIO AND SHOULD BE ON THE WESTERN BASIN OF THE LAKE
BY 5AM. WEST WINDS GUSTING TO 25 TO 30 KNOTS AHEAD OF THE FRONT
WILL TURN WSW AND INCREASE TO 30 TO 35 KNOTS. PEAK GUSTS TO THE
WEST HAVE REACHED THE LOW TO MID 40 KNOT RANGE AND WOULD EXPECT THAT
ON THE LAKE AS WELL. FRONT WILL LIKELY CLEAR THE EAST END OF THE
LAKE AROUND 11AM OR SO. LATE AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT EXPECT WINDS TO
DIMINISH QUICKLY HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS TOWARD THE AREA FROM THE
SOUTHWEST. STRONG WSW FLOW WILL ALSO TAKE LAKE LEVELS BELOW THE
CRITICAL MARK. THIS SHOULD TAKE PLACE AROUND DAWN AND LAST MUCH OF
THE DAY. NEXT SYSTEM TO AFFECT THE LAKE WILL COME LATE MONDAY INTO
MONDAY NIGHT AS A CLIPPER MOVES THROUGH THE CENTRAL LAKES. A COLD
FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE LAKE DURING THE EVENING ALTHOUGH GALES
ARE NOT EXPECTED. WEDNESDAY ANOTHER LOW WILL INTENSIFY ACROSS THE
CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND MOVE ACROSS THE LOWER LAKES. SOME
SMALL DIFFERENCES WITH THE NAM AND GFS LOW POSITIONS AND TRACKS
WOULD NOT NORMALLY BE SIGNIFICANT ALTHOUGH THE TRACK WILL BE CLOSE
TO THE LAKE AND THEREFORE ANY DIFFERENCES RESULT IN A SIGNIFICANT
DIFFERENCE IN WIND DIRECTION. FOR NOW WILL SIDE WITH THE NAM WHICH
IS A BIT SLOWER AND FURTHER SOUTH THAN THE GFS. EITHER WAY
WEDNESDAY SHOULD SEE WINDS TURN NORTHWEST BEHIND THE SYSTEM IN COLD
ADVECTION. HIGH PRESSURE TO BUILD IN LATE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY.
&&
.CLE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OH...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR OHZ011>014-
020>023-031>033-038-089.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON FOR OHZ003-006>010-
017>019-027>030-036-037-047.
PA...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR PAZ001>003.
MARINE...GALE WARNING UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR LEZ061-142>149-
162>169.
LOW WATER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM EST MONDAY FOR LEZ142>144-
162>164.
&&
SYNOPSIS...LEINS
NEAR TERM...LEINS
SHORT TERM...LEINS
LONG TERM...LEINS
AVIATION...TK
MARINE...TKHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH 454 AM EST SUN DEC 28 2008 OHZ011>014-020>023-031>033-038-089-PAZ001>003-291000- CUYAHOGA-LAKE-GEAUGA-ASHTABULA INLAND-MEDINA-SUMMIT-PORTAGE-TRUMBULL- WAYNE-STARK-MAHONING-HOLMES-ASHTABULA LAKESHORE-NORTHERN ERIE- SOUTHERN ERIE-CRAWFORD PA- 454 AM EST SUN DEC 28 2008 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EST THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST OHIO AND NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WIND ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. OHZ003-006>010-017>019-027>030-036-037-047-291000- LUCAS-WOOD-OTTAWA-SANDUSKY-ERIE OH-LORAIN-HANCOCK-SENECA-HURON- WYANDOT-CRAWFORD-RICHLAND-ASHLAND-MARION-MORROW-KNOX- 454 AM EST SUN DEC 28 2008 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL OHIO AND NORTHWEST OHIO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WIND ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. LEZ142>144-162>164-291000- MAUMEE BAY TO RENO BEACH OH-RENO BEACH TO THE ISLANDS OH- THE ISLANDS TO VERMILION OH- LAKE ERIE OPEN WATERS FROM MAUMEE BAY TO RENO BEACH- LAKE ERIE OPEN WATERS FROM RENO BEACH TO THE ISLANDS- LAKE ERIE OPEN WATERS FROM THE ISLANDS TO VERMILION- 454 AM EST SUN DEC 28 2008 ...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING... ...LOW WATER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM EST MONDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR LAKE ERIE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. GALE WARNING. LOW WATER ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. LOW WATER ADVISORY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. LEZ061-145>149-165>169-291000- LAKE ERIE OPEN WATERS FROM RIPLEY TO BUFFALO NY- VERMILION TO AVON POINT OH-AVON POINT TO WILLOWICK OH- WILLOWICK TO GENEVA-ON-THE LAKE OH-GENEVA-ON-THE-LAKE TO CONNEAUT OH- CONNEAUT OH TO RIPLEY NY- LAKE ERIE OPEN WATERS FROM VERMILION TO AVON POINT- LAKE ERIE OPEN WATERS FROM AVON POINT TO WILLOWICK- LAKE ERIE OPEN WATERS FROM WILLOWICK TO GENEVA-ON-THE-LAKE- LAKE ERIE OPEN WATERS FROM GENEVA-ON-THE-LAKE TO CONNEAUT- LAKE ERIE OPEN WATERS FROM CONNEAUT OH TO RIPLEY NY- 454 AM EST SUN DEC 28 2008 ...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR LAKE ERIE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. GALE WARNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH 452 AM EST SUN DEC 28 2008 OHZ003-006>009-017>019-027-281200- LUCAS-WOOD-OTTAWA-SANDUSKY-ERIE OH-HANCOCK-SENECA-HURON-WYANDOT- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...TOLEDO...BOWLING GREEN...PORT CLINTON... FREMONT...SANDUSKY...FINDLAY...TIFFIN...NORWALK... UPPER SANDUSKY...CAREY 452 AM EST SUN DEC 28 2008 VERY GUSTY WEST WINDS...OCCASIONALLY GUSTING AROUND 55 MPH...WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE THROUGH DAYBREAK AS A STRONG COLD FRONT SWEEPS THROUGH NORTHWEST OHIO. THE GUSTY NATURE OF THE WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS BEFORE WEAKENING THIS AFTERNOON. MOTORISTS TRAVELING ACROSS NORTHWEST OHIO THIS MORNING WILL NEED TO USE CAUTION...ESPECIALLY THOSE MOTORISTS IN HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. OHZ028>030-036-037-047-281200- CRAWFORD-RICHLAND-ASHLAND-MARION-MORROW-KNOX- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BUCYRUS...MANSFIELD...ASHLAND... MARION...MOUNT GILEAD...MOUNT VERNON 452 AM EST SUN DEC 28 2008 GUSTY WEST WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE THIS MORNING AS A STRONG COLD FRONT SWEEPS THROUGH OHIO. THE GUSTY NATURE OF THE WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS BEFORE WEAKENING THIS AFTERNOON. MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION IF TRAVELING THIS MORNING...ESPECIALLY THOSE MOTORISTS IN HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES.
The Buffalo radar (KBUF), 144 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:35 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained spotter estimated winds to be about 60 mph as the cold front pushed through the area. No damage was observed.
A tree and several large limbs were reported down.
Many trees and power lines were reported down across the county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, December 2008
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 144763, 144764, 144762.