Showers and thunderstorms developed north of a warm frontal boundary stretched across central Ohio on March 23rd. The center of low pressure was located over the Chicago, Illinois area at 0700 local time and tracked east-southeast across Indiana and Ohio during the morning and afternoon hours.
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.
Showers and thunderstorms developed north of a warm frontal boundary stretched across central Ohio on March 23rd. The center of low pressure was located over the Chicago, Illinois area at 0700 local time and tracked east-southeast across Indiana and Ohio during the morning and afternoon hours. A tornado watch was issued early that afternoon and a winter weather advisory was issued a couple of hours later in anticipation of freezing rain later that evening.
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 Mar 23, 12:23 PM EST, 2 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH 123 PM EDT WED MAR 23 2011 .SYNOPSIS... LOW PRESSURE OVER IOWA WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS CENTRAL OHIO THIS AFTERNOON. THE LOW WILL MOVE EAST OF THE REGION THIS EVENING. NORTH FLOW BEHIND THE LOW WILL BRING IN MUCH COLDER AIR FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... GFS AND NAM NOW IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE TRACK OF THE LOW...MOVING IT EAST ACROSS CENTRAL OHIO DURING THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. A WARM FRONT AHEAD OF THE LOW WILL MOVE INTO CENTRAL OHIO. EXPECT A RATHER SHARP BOUNDARY WITH 60S SOUTH AND 40S NORTH OF THE FRONT. THE TRICK WILL BE WHERE TO STOP THE NORTH PROGRESSION OF THE FRONT. DO EXPECT SOME MILD AIR WILL REACH INTO THE SOUTHERN CWA COUNTIES. TOOK HIGHS TO THE MID 60S IN KNOX COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON BUT CUT TEMPS FROM GUIDANCE ACROSS THE NORTH COAST BACK TO UPPER 30S AND NEAR 40. RIGHT NOW THERE IS A LARGE GAP IN PRECIP SHOWING UP ON RADAR ALTHOUGH BY DAYBREAK EXPECT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE WEST TO BEGIN MOVING INTO THE AREA. TO THE NORTHEAST...RAIN AND SNOW ARE FALLING IN NWRN PA. BASED ON THE NAM12 TEMPS ALOFT EXPECT SOME WARMING ALOFT TO GET INTO NWRN PA LATE MORNING. WILL HAVE RAIN AND/OR SNOW EARLY...THEN OCCASIONAL RAIN AND A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/... THE LOW WILL MOVE EAST OF THE AREA THIS EVENING. WINDS BEHIND THE SYSTEM TURN NORTHERLY AND COLDER AIR WILL BEGIN MOVING IN. NAM12 HOWEVER COOLS THE LOWER LEVELS BEFORE 850MB AND THINK AS TEMPS DROP LATE AFTERNOON WE COULD GET INTO A PERIOD OF FREEZING RAIN BEFORE THE CHANGE TO SNOW. FOR NOW WILL BASICALLY HAVE A MIX/TRANSITION PERIOD AND THEN GO TO SNOW OVERNIGHT AS POPS DROP THROUGH LIKELY TO CHANCE FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE NIGHT. THURSDAY MUCH DRIER AIR MOVE INTO THE AREA FROM THE NORTH AS 850MB TEMPS DROP TO -10, -12C. BIG QUESTION IS LAKE INVOLVEMENT. AIRMASS WILL BE DRY AND HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE BUILDING IN HOWEVER LOW LEVEL AUTO CONVECTIVE TO THE LAKE. THINK THERE WILL BE SOMETHING BUT FURTHER AWAY FROM THE LAKE CLOUDS WILL BREAK. FOR NOW WENT WITH FLURRIES THURSDAY MORNING AND THEN A CHANCE OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON IN THE USUAL PLACES. CONTINUED THIS THEME THURSDAY NIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY WITH 850MB TEMPS AS LOW AS -16C ON THE NAM. GFS NOT AS COLD. NEXT SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE SOUTHERN PLAINS ON SATURDAY. MOISTURE/OVERRUNNING AHEAD OF THE LOW SHOWN ON THE GFS TO BE MOVING INTO THE OHIO VALLEY DURING THE DAY. THE NEW ECMWF HOWEVER IS MUCH DRIER WITH THE SURFACE HIGH OVER CANADA AND THE GREAT LAKES DOMINATING OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS LOW. WILL FOR NOW LEAN TOWARD THE ECMWF AND KEEP SATURDAY DRY AND BRING IN JUST A SMALL CHANCE OF THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES SATURDAY NIGHT. TEMPS MUCH COLDER THAN NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... BEGINNING SUNDAY GFS CONTINUES TO TREND SPREADING PRECIP FROM LOW PRESSURE TRACKING OVER THE TENNESSEE VALLEY NORTHWARD INTO THE AREA. LATEST ECMWF AND EVEN GEM CONTINUE TO SHOW PRECIP CONFINED MAINLY SOUTH OF THE AREA. WITH THAT WILL ALLOW FOR A DRY FORECAST ON SUNDAY WITH HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NORTH CONTINUING TO RIDGE SOUTH INTO THE AREA. IN CONTRAST...BOTH MODELS SHOWING ANOTHER LOW WITH SIMILAR TRACK EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH THIS TIME THE ECMWF A BIT STRONGER WITH THIS LOW AS COMPARED TO GFS. WITH THAT THE GFS KEEPS IT DRY OVER THE FORECAST AREA WHILE ECMWF SPREADS PRECIP NORTHWARD. GIVEN THIS IS AT THE END OF THE PERIOD WILL ALLOW FOR MAINLY DRY CONDITIONS WITH AT BEST A SLIGHT CHANCE. HIGH PRESSURE RIDGING FROM THE NORTH WILL ALLOW FOR TEMPS TO REMAIN MAINLY A BIT BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .AVIATION /17Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... WARM FRONT ACROSS SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST PROVIDING WIDELY VARIED CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREAS. EXPECT FEW THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLY SEVERE SOUTHERN AREAS EARLY IN PERIOD MAINLY FDY-MFD-CAK SOUTH. NORTH OF WARM FRONT MAINLY IFR CIGS WITH MVFR/IFR VSBYS RAIN FOG. EXPECT CIGS TO RETURN TO IFR AS LOW PRESSURE AND WARM FRONT PULL EAST. PERIOD OF FREEZING DRIZZLE OR SNOW LIKELY AS TEMPERATURES DROP BACK BELOW FREEZING THIS EVENING AND EARLY TONIGHT. CIGS SHOULD IMPROVE TO MVFR LATE TONIGHT EARLY THRUSDAY. OUTLOOK...NON VFR CONDITIONS AGAIN LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY. && .MARINE... NORTHEAST FLOW ON THE LAKE TODAY WITH LOW PRESSURE TRACKING OVER OHIO WILL ALLOW WINDS ON THE LAKE TO RANGE AROUND 20KT. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTH AND THEN NORTHWEST AS THE LOW PASSES TO THE EAST TONIGHT AND THURSDAY. LARGE HIGH PRESSURE OVER CENTRAL CANADA WILL RIDGE SOUTH TOWARD THE LAKE THROUGH MUCH OF THE PERIOD KEEPING MAINLY NORTH WINDS OVER THE LAKE. && .CLE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OH...NONE. PA...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...TK NEAR TERM...TK SHORT TERM...TK LONG TERM...ABE AVIATION...RANDEL MARINE...ABE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH 617 AM EDT WED MAR 23 2011 OHZ003-006>014-017>023-033-089-PAZ001>003-241030- LUCAS-WOOD-OTTAWA-SANDUSKY-ERIE OH-LORAIN-CUYAHOGA-LAKE-GEAUGA- ASHTABULA INLAND-HANCOCK-SENECA-HURON-MEDINA-SUMMIT-PORTAGE-TRUMBULL- MAHONING-ASHTABULA LAKESHORE-NORTHERN ERIE-SOUTHERN ERIE-CRAWFORD PA- 617 AM EDT WED MAR 23 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHEAST OHIO...NORTHWEST OHIO AND NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. TEMPERATURES WILL DROP BELOW FREEZING LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. IF RAIN IS IN THE AREA...THIS COULD RESULT IN A PERIOD OF FREEZING RAIN BEFORE THE CHANGE TO SNOW. WHILE HEAVY ICING IS NOT EXPECTED...A GLAZE OF ICE IS POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. OHZ027>032-036>038-047-241030- WYANDOT-CRAWFORD-RICHLAND-ASHLAND-WAYNE-STARK-MARION-MORROW-HOLMES- KNOX- 617 AM EDT WED MAR 23 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHEAST OHIO AND NORTHWEST OHIO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE THAT SOME STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE DUE TO HAIL. ALSO...TEMPERATURES WILL DROP BELOW FREEZING THIS EVENING. THERE IS A CHANCE THAT ANY RAIN IN THE AREA WILL FALL AS A PERIOD OF FREEZING RAIN BEFORE CHANGING OVER TO SNOW. HEAVY ICING IS NOT EXPECTED HOWEVER A GLAZE OF ICE IS POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE TODAY. LEZ061-142>149-162>169-241030- 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- 617 AM EDT WED MAR 23 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR LAKE ERIE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The Cleveland radar (KCLE), 124 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:27 UTC.
20 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Storm spotters reported nickle sized hail lasting 1 to 2 minutes along Route 20.
Pea sized hail was reported with this storm.
Quarter sized hail was reported with this storm. The duration of the hail event lasted nearly a minute.
Pea sized hail was reported with this storm.
Spotters reported hail lasting for five minutes. Quarter sized hail was mixed in with penny sized hail during the event.
Pea sized hail was reported with this storm.
Law enforcement reported nickel to quarter size hail.
Pea sized hail was reported with this storm.
Pea sized hail was reported with this thunderstorm.
Pea sized hail was reported with this thunderstorm.
Quarter sized hail was reported with this thunderstorm.
Quarter sized hail was reported with this thunderstorm.
Quarter sized hail was reported with this thunderstorm.
Pea sized hail was reported with this thunderstorm.
Quarter sized hail was reported with this thunderstorm.
Half dollar or ping pong ball sized hail was reported with this thunderstorm.
Half dollar or ping pong ball sized hail was reported with this thunderstorm.
Pea to quarter sized hail was reported by numerous spotters across the county during this ten minute time period.
Storm spotters reported pea to quarter sized hail covering the ground with this thunderstorm.
Golf ball sized hail was reported with this thunderstorm.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Ohio in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, March 2011
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: 288976, 288977, 288979, 288978, 288981, 288982, 289064, 288987, 288991, 288994, 289030, 289037, 289028, 289065, 289073, 289032, 289072, 289067, 289066, 289074.