A strong area of low pressure track north along a cold front from the lower Mississippi River Valley during the day on the 29th and through the central Great Lakes region on the 30th. This area of low pressure intensified as it tracked north through the central Great Lakes from the afternoon on the 29th through the 30th as this low pressure moved into Canada.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 area of low pressure track north along a cold front from the lower Mississippi River Valley during the day on the 29th and through the central Great Lakes region on the 30th. This area of low pressure intensified as it tracked north through the central Great Lakes from the afternoon on the 29th through the 30th as this low pressure moved into Canada. The cold front associated with this low pressure moved through the region during the early overnight hours into the 30th. Thunderstorms developed ahead of the cold front during the late evening on the 29th, but severe thunderstorms diminished before reaching Pennsylvania. Windy conditions continued through the overnight hours as the low pressure intensifed. Winds finally subsided during the late afternoon and evening hours of the 30th.
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 Jan 30, 12:34 AM EST, 2 hours 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH
1234 AM EST WED JAN 30 2008
.SYNOPSIS...
A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES REGION
TONIGHT USHERING IN VERY STRONG WINDS AND MUCH COLDER AIR TO THE
REGION OVERNIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION ON
THURSDAY BUT WILL QUICKLY BE REPLACED BY A WINTRY MIX OF
PRECIPITATION THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY AS ALLOW PRESSURE SYSTEM
MOVES NORTHEAST INTO OHIO.
&&
.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM THIS MORNING/...
STRONGEST COLD AIR PUSH OF THE SEASON HEADED TOWARD THE FORECAST
AREA. MISSOURI REPORTING TEMPERATURES IN THE 60S AND EVEN 70
DEGREES AT ST LOUIS AND THIS AREA WILL EXPERIENCE A 50 DEGREE DROP
IN TEMPERATURE OVER A 2 TO 3 HOUR PERIOD. BY THE TIME THE FRONT
REACHES OUR AREA...WE WILL EXPERIENCE ABOUT A 20 TO 30 DEGREE DROP
BETWEEN FRONTAL PASSAGE AND SUNRISE TOMORROW MORNING.
HOWEVER...BEFORE THE COLD AIR ARRIVES...THERE WILL BE CONTINUED
WARM AIR ADVECTION AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. TEMPERATURES WILL
LIKELY RISE ABOUT ANOTHER 8 TO 10 DEGREES INTO THE LOWER TO MIDDLE
50S BEFORE THE COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE AREA. WILL ACCOUNT FOR
THIS IN THE HOURLY TEMPERATURES INDICATING RISING TEMPERATURES
THROUGH LATE TONIGHT AND THEN DRASTICALLY DROP THEM THROUGH THE
REST OF THE NIGHT.
NEXT BIG ISSUE TO DEAL WITH IS WINDS. HIGH WIND WARNING ALREADY
POSTED FOR THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA FOR TONIGHT INTO TOMORROW
MORNING. WINDS AT ABOUT 2000 TO 3000 FEET ABOVE THE SURFACE AT
AROUND 60 KNOTS. LATEST VISIBLE SATELLITE INDICATES A LOT OF
CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY OCCURRING AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT OVER
ILLINOIS. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY DEVELOP AHEAD OF
THE COLD FRONT AND TAP INTO THE HIGHER WINDS. FORECAST AREA IS
OUTLOOKED FOR A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY FROM
STRONG WINDS ALOFT BEING TAPPED AND FORCED DOWNWARD TO THE
SURFACE. GUSTS TO 60 MPH LIKELY WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS AND EVEN
SHOWERS. WILL LIKELY BE ISSUING SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS THIS
EVENING TO ACCOUNT FOR CONVECTION AND STRONG WINDS.
THE FINAL ISSUE TO DEAL WITH IS WIND CHILLS. WIND CHILLS WILL
LIKELY DIP TO JUST BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA BY TOMORROW MORNING IN
THE WESTERN HALF OF THE AREA. WILL HOLD OFF ON WIND CHILL ADVISORY
FOR NOW BUT MENTION WIND CHILLS OF 0 TO -8 DEGREES OVERNIGHT.
&&
.SHORT TERM /6 AM THIS MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/...
STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES FROM RECOVERING
MUCH IF AT ALL DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY. SOME MID AND LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE WRAPS AROUND BACK SIDE OF THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM ON
WEDNESDAY MORNING ALONG WITH SOME ASSOCIATED PVA. SNOW GROWTH AREA
DESCENDS INTO THE AREA OF MEAN RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND THIS SHOULD
BE SOMEWHAT FAVORABLE FOR SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY. SOME LAKE EFFECT
WILL LIKELY DEVELOP DURING THE MORNING HOURS EVEN THOUGH THERE IS
A LOT OF ICE ON THE LAKE. MOISTURE TRANSPORT FROM THE LAKE SURFACE
TO THE AIR FROM THE ICE STILL OCCURS. SO...LOCALLY UP TO 3 INCHES OF
SNOW ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE DURING THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY IN THE
NORTHEAST SNOW BELT AREAS. REST OF THE FORECAST AREA SHOULD REMAIN
DRY THROUGH THE DAY.
WINDS WILL REMAIN UP THROUGH THE MORNING WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH
MAINLY IN THE EAST BUT THEN BEGIN TO SUBSIDE BY MID DAY. WESTERN
AREAS WILL SEE WINDS SUBSIDING EARLY IN THE MORNING.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT WILL BE ANOTHER COLD NIGHT AS COLD AIR ADVECTION
SUBSIDES AND ARCTIC AIR MASS REMAINS IN PLACE THROUGH THE NIGHT
INTO THURSDAY. AS HIGH PRESSURE NUDGES ITS WAY INTO THE
REGION...FAIR WEATHER SHOULD BE THE RULE ACROSS THE ENTIRE
FORECAST AREA THROUGH THE NIGHT AND THURSDAY.
THE FAIR WEATHER WILL BE SHORT LIVED AS ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEM MOVES NORTHEAST OUT OF THE PANHANDLE OF OKLAHOMA INTO
CENTRAL OHIO. A QUASI STATIONARY FRONT PROGGED TO SET UP FROM
CINCINNATI TO PITTSBURGH TO LAKE ONTARIO. OUR FORECAST AREA SHOULD
REMAIN ON THE COLD SIDE OF THE BOUNDARY SETTING THE STAGE FOR A SURGE
OF WARM AIR WITH THE STORM SYSTEM. LAYERS OF WARMER AIR JUST
ABOVE THE COLD LAYER AT THE SURFACE WILL LIKELY CAUSE MIXED
PRECIPITATION THURSDAY NIGHT.
LEANING TOWARD NAM TEMPERATURES THIS PERIOD AS THIS MODEL APPEARS
TO HAVE A BETTER HANDLE ON THE COLD AIR APPROACHING THE FORECAST AREA.
&&
.LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
GFS AND ECMWF ARE IN SOME AGREEMENT MOVING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM
ACROSS NW OHIO FRIDAY MORNING. DEPENDING ON THE EXACT TRACK OF THE
AND TIMING OF THE LOW COULD SEE BRIEF WINTRY MIX TO START THE DAY.
NORTH OF LOW ALSO POTENTIAL FOR SOME HEAVY SNOW. SO IF THIS
SCENARIO PLAYS OUT WOULD SEE HEAVY SNOW NW OH AND SOME RAIN FAR
SOUTH AND A WINTRY MIX IN BETWEEN. BUT BY THE AFTERNOON ALL
PRECIPITATION WILL TRANSITION TO ALL SNOW AS LOW QUICKLY MOVES INTO
NY STATE. HIGH PRESSURE MOVES QUICKLY ACROSS LOWER GREAT LAKES
FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY BRINING A RETURN OF DRY CONDITIONS. NEXT
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TO MOVE ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES MONDAY NIGHT INTO
TUESDAY. ECMWF AND GFS ENSEMBLE HAVE SIMILAR TRACK...BUT THE ECMWF
IS MUCH FASTER WITH THE SYSTEM.
&&
.AVIATION /06Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
COLD FRONT NOW THROUGH KCLE AND SHOULD BE THROUGH KERI AROUND 07Z.
NO THUNDER WITH CONVECTION ALONG THE FRONT ALTHOUGH GUSTS TO 40 TO
45 KTS CAN STILL BE EXPECTED WITH THE FRONT. WINDS DROP OFF BEHIND
THE FRONT GUSTING INTO THE UPPER 20S AND 30S BUT STRONG COLD
ADVECTION NOW MOVING INTO THE WESTERN OHIO COUNTIES. WITH THIS
STRONG COLD ADVECTION WINDS HAVE INCREASED AGAIN GUSTING TO THE
MID AND UPPER 40 KNOT RANGE. EXPECT THIS TREND TO PERSIST THROUGH
THE NIGHT. PRECIPITATION QUICKLY CHANGES TO LIGHT SNOW. EXPECT A
PERIOD OF MVFR VIS/CIG WITH THE SNOW. DRY AIR MOVES IN BEHIND THE
FRONT AFTER 12-15Z TIME FRAME SO EXPECT CONDITIONS TO BECOME VFR
THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS.
.OUTLOOK...
HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE REGION FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY
WITH MORE VFR. FOR FRIDAY A LOW PRESSURE AREA WILL MOVE SOUTH TO
NORTH ACROSS OHIO WITH A MIXED BAG OF WEATHER AND MVFR OR LOWER
CONDITIONS. ON SATURDAY HIGH PRESSURE AND VFR BUILDS BACK IN.
&&
.MARINE...
PER COORDINATION WITH TORONTO AND BUFFALO HAVE DECIDED TO HOIST
STORM WARNINGS FOR LAKE ERIE. THIS WILL REPLACE GALES PREVIOUSLY IN
EFFECT. COLD FRONT STILL ON TRACK TO MOVE OVER W END OF LAKE LATE
THIS EVENING AND OVER THE EAST END BY MORNING. THIS FRONT COULD BE
THE STRONGEST IN YEARS WITH A RAPID 30 DEG TEMP DROP IN ITS WAKE.
WILL SEE WINDS QUICKLY INCREASE TO STORM FORCE BEHIND FRONT. LOTS
OF ICE STILL ON THE LAKE AND THIS KEEP LOW WATER FROM BEING A
PROBLEM ON THE WEST END AND WILL HELP DAMPEN WAVES A LITTLE FURTHER
E. WINDS SHOULD DIMINISH A LOT ON WED AND WILL LIKELY BE ABLE TO
DOWNGRADE STORM TO GALE TOMORROW MORNING. BY DAYBREAK THURSDAY
WINDS WILL BE LESS THAN 15 KNOTS ALL AREAS. EASTERLY FLOW WILL
QUICKLY DEVELOP LATER THURSDAY IN ADVANCE OF NEXT LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEM. STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY IN EXACT TRACK LOW WILL TAKE...BUT
WINDS SHOULD INCREASE BY EARLY FRIDAY. WE COULD GET CLOSE TO GALES
BEHIND THE LOW FRIDAY EVENING. THE WEEKEND SHOULD BE FAIRLY QUIET
WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING OVER THE REGION.
&&
.CLE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OH...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 10 AM EST THIS MORNING FOR OHZ011>014-
020>023-031>033-038-089.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 7 AM EST THIS MORNING FOR OHZ003-
006>010-017>019-027>030-036-037-047.
PA...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 10 AM EST THIS MORNING FOR PAZ001>003.
MARINE...STORM WARNING UNTIL 4 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON FOR LEZ061-142>149-
162>169.
&&
SYNOPSIS...LOMBARDY
NEAR TERM...LOMBARDY/OUDEMAN
SHORT TERM...LOMBARDY
LONG TERM...DJB
AVIATION...TK
MARINE...KUBINAHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH 1213 AM EST WED JAN 30 2008 OHZ011>014-020>023-031>033-038-089-PAZ001>003-301200- CUYAHOGA-LAKE-GEAUGA-ASHTABULA INLAND-MEDINA-SUMMIT-PORTAGE-TRUMBULL- WAYNE-STARK-MAHONING-HOLMES-ASHTABULA LAKESHORE-NORTHERN ERIE- SOUTHERN ERIE-CRAWFORD PA- 1213 AM EST WED JAN 30 2008 ...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM EST THIS MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST OHIO AND NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. HIGH WIND WARNING RAINFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH TONIGHT SHOULD GENERALLY BE BETWEEN A QUARTER AND HALF OF AN INCH...HOWEVER WITH RECENT WARM TEMPERATURES THERE COULD BE SOME MOVEMENT OF ICE IN RIVERS. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR SOME MINOR ICE JAM FLOODING LATE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. A WINTER STORM WILL MOVE UP THE OHIO VALLEY THURSDAY NIGHT AND BRING A MIX OF SNOW...SLEET...FREEZING RAIN...AND RAIN TO EASTERN OHIO AND NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA. SOME ICE ACCUMULATIONS MAY BE POSSIBLE BY FRIDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. OHZ003-006>010-017>019-027>030-036-037-047-301200- LUCAS-WOOD-OTTAWA-SANDUSKY-ERIE OH-LORAIN-HANCOCK-SENECA-HURON- WYANDOT-CRAWFORD-RICHLAND-ASHLAND-MARION-MORROW-KNOX- 1213 AM EST WED JAN 30 2008 ...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST THIS MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL OHIO AND NORTHWEST OHIO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. HIGH WIND WARNING RAINFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH TONIGHT SHOULD GENERALLY BE BETWEEN A QUARTER AND HALF OF AN INCH...HOWEVER WITH RECENT WARM TEMPERATURES THERE COULD BE SOME MOVEMENT OF ICE IN RIVERS. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR SOME MINOR ICE JAM FLOODING LATE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. A WINTER STORM WILL MOVE UP THE OHIO VALLEY THURSDAY NIGHT AND BRING A MIX OF SNOW...SLEET...FREEZING RAIN...AND RAIN TO CENTRAL AND NORTHWESTERN OHIO. SOME ICE ACCUMULATIONS MAY BE POSSIBLE BY FRIDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. LEZ061-142>149-162>169-301200- LAKE ERIE OPEN WATERS FROM RIPLEY TO BUFFALO NY- MAUMEE BAY TO RENO BEACH OH-RENO BEACH TO THE ISLANDS OH- THE ISLANDS TO VERMILION OH-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 MAUMEE BAY TO RENO BEACH- LAKE ERIE OPEN WATERS FROM RENO BEACH TO THE ISLANDS- LAKE ERIE OPEN WATERS FROM THE ISLANDS TO VERMILION- 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- 1213 AM EST WED JAN 30 2008 ...STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR LAKE ERIE. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. STORM WARNING .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE UP THE OHIO VALLEY THURSDAY NIGHT AND MOVE NORTH OF LAKE ERIE FRIDAY EVENING. WINDS COULD GET CLOSE TO 35 KNOT GALES BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. OUDEMAN
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH
232 AM EST WED JAN 30 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1030 PM TSTM WND DMG MARION 40.58N 83.13W
01/29/2008 MARION OH LAW ENFORCEMENT
TWO TREES REPORTED DOWN ALONG ROUTE 423. ONE NORTH OF THE
CITY OF MARION ALONG ROUTE 423, AND THE OTHER ALONG ROUTE
423 SOUTH OF THE CITY OF MARION.
1050 PM TSTM WND DMG 6 WNW MILAN 41.32N 82.71W
01/29/2008 ERIE OH TRAINED SPOTTER
A TREE WAS REPORTED DOWN ONTO A HOUSE.
1055 PM TSTM WND GST 5 W CASTALIA 41.40N 82.91W
01/29/2008 M59.00 MPH SANDUSKY OH DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
1058 PM TSTM WND GST GALION 40.73N 82.79W
01/29/2008 E65.00 MPH CRAWFORD OH TRAINED SPOTTER
1100 PM TSTM WND DMG BAY VIEW 41.47N 82.82W
01/29/2008 ERIE OH LAW ENFORCEMENT
SEMI-TRUCK FLIPPED OVER ON ROUTE 2.
1130 PM TSTM WND DMG MANSFIELD 40.76N 82.53W
01/29/2008 RICHLAND OH LAW ENFORCEMENT
SEVERAL TREES REPORTED DOWN COUNTYWIDE.
1206 AM TSTM WND DMG GRAFTON 41.28N 82.03W
01/30/2008 LORAIN OH LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES AND UTILITY LINES WERE REPORTED DOWN.
1220 AM TSTM WND DMG GREEN 40.95N 81.49W
01/30/2008 SUMMIT OH LAW ENFORCEMENT
ONE TREE REPORTED DOWN.
1230 AM TSTM WND DMG MASSILLON 40.79N 81.52W
01/30/2008 STARK OH LAW ENFORCEMENT
ONE TREE REPORTED DOWN.
&&
ABEThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees, large limbs, power poles and power lines were reported down countywide, especially in the cities of Erie and Northeast.
Numerous trees, large limbs, power poles and power lines were reported down countywide, especially in the cities of Edinboro.
Automated weather observing equipment at Meadville Airport measured a wind gust of 57 mph.
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, January 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: 75765, 75766, 75767.