A moderately unstable air mass with temperatures in the mid and upper 80s was in place across Northern Ohio on the afternoon of August 4th. A line of thunderstorms developed upstream across Indiana ahead of a cold front.
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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 moderately unstable air mass with temperatures in the mid and upper 80s was in place across Northern Ohio on the afternoon of August 4th. A line of thunderstorms developed upstream across Indiana ahead of a cold front. Severe Thunderstorm Watch 561 was issued for 16 counties in Northwest and North Central Ohio. The thunderstorms weakened as they moved east across Northern Ohio, outpacing the front, and caused widely scattered wind damage.
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 Aug 4, 7:05 PM EST, 1 minute earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH
805 PM EDT SAT AUG 4 2012
.SYNOPSIS...
A STRONG COLD FRONT FROM THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL SWEEP ACROSS
THE AREA ON SUNDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA ON
MONDAY. THE NEXT WEEK COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY.
&&
.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM SUNDAY MORNING/...
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST ACROSS THE WESTERN
PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA THIS EVENING. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE FIRST LINE IN WOOD AND HANCOCK
COUNTIES NOW AND FOR THE LINE PUSHING INTO WESTERN OHIO AT THIS
TIME.
&&
.SHORT TERM /6 AM SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/...
THE INITIAL BATCH OF SHOWERS/STORMS WILL TRY TO MOVE EAST OF THE
AREA SUNDAY MORNING BUT ADDITIONAL LINES OF SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL
DEVELOP...THE LAST BATCH BEING WITH THE COLD FRONT. DRIER
AIR/SUBSIDENCE WILL INCREASE FROM WEST TO EAST DURING THE AFTERNOON
AS THE FRONT CROSSES THE AREA AND TOLEDO WILL LIKELY HAVE A DECENT
AFTERNOON WITH A BREEZY WEST WIND AND FALLING DEW POINTS. IT WILL
TAKE UNTIL SUNDAY LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING TO GET MOST OF THE
SHOWERS EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA. A FEW LAKE EFFECT/ENHANCED
SHOWERS MIGHT LINGER ACROSS THE SNOWBELT COUNTIES OF EXTREME NE
OH/NW PA THROUGH MONDAY MORNING AS THE THERMAL TROUGH ALOFT PASSES
OVER THE AREA. 850 MB TEMPERATURES ARE PROGGED TO DROP TO 10C.
HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN FROM THE WEST ON MONDAY AND IT WILL BE
MUCH COOLER WITH HIGHS IN THE 70S TO LOWER 80S AND LOW DEW POINTS.
THE RETURN SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL DEVELOP ON TUESDAY AND HIGH
TEMPERATURES WILL RECOVER A COUPLE OF CATEGORIES AND IT WILL REACH
THE MID TO UPPER 80S IN TOLEDO. THE NEXT COLD FRONT WILL BEGIN TO
DROP SOUTH ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES.
&&
.LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
THE OVERALL PATTERN FOR THE EXTENDED WILL BE A TROUGH OVER THE
CENTRAL GREAT LAKES REGION. A FEW PIECES OF ENERGY ASSOCIATED WITH
WEAK COLD FRONTS WILL BREAK-OFF FROM TIME-TO-TIME AND BRING A CHANCE
OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE FORECAST AREA POSSIBLY WEDNESDAY
AND AGAIN ON FRIDAY.
FOR TEMPERATURES...WEDNESDAY WILL PROBABLY BE THE WARMEST DAY OF THE
EXTENDED PERIOD WITH HIGHS IN THE LOWER TO MID 80S. HIGHS BY FRIDAY
INTO SATURDAY SHOULD BE A BIT COOLER WITH HIGHS GENERALLY IN THE 70S
TO LOWER 80S.
&&
.AVIATION /00Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
MOISTURE VALUES WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON
AS THE SOUTHERLY FLOW INCREASES IN ADVANCE OF AN APPROACHING
COLD FRONT SLATED TO SWEEP ACROSS OHIO SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
DUE TO THE INCREASED MOISTURE ESPECIALLY KMFD AND SOUTH THERE MAY
BE A FEW SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS THAT COULD CLIP THAT AREA.
FOR TONIGHT LOOK FOR A BETTER CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS...PROBABLY
AFTER 06Z. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY DEVELOP OVER MICHIGAN
SOUTHWARD INTO ILLINOIS AND COULD BRING SOME GUSTY WINDS.
.OUTLOOK...NON VFR SUNDAY IN SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS.
&&
.MARINE...
SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON AND BECOME A BIT GUSTY
DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. WITH THE SOUTHWEST WINDS GETTING
STRONGER LOOK FOR THE WAVES TO BUILD ACROSS THE OPEN WATERS OF
LAKE ERIE.
AN ACTIVE COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE LAKE ON SUNDAY RESULTING IN
STRONGER WINDS AND WAVES DURING THE DAY ON SUNDAY. SOUTHWEST WINDS
WILL BECOME WEST THEN NORTHWEST AFTER FRONTAL PASSAGE. THE MOVEMENT
OF THIS FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL RESULT IN A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY BEING
POSTED ON SUNDAY...BEGINNING AT 14Z.
HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD SOUTHEAST ON MONDAY WITH NORTHERLY WINDS
SHIFTING TO WEST AND SOUTHWEST BY TUESDAY. THE NEXT WEAK COLD FRONT
MAY ARRIVE ON WEDNESDAY.
&&
.CLE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OH...NONE.
PA...NONE.
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 10 AM SUNDAY TO 4 AM EDT MONDAY FOR
LEZ142>149.
&&
SYNOPSIS...KOSARIK
NEAR TERM...LOMBARDY
SHORT TERM...KOSARIK
LONG TERM...BC
AVIATION...BC
MARINE...BCHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH 513 AM EDT SAT AUG 4 2012 OHZ003-006>009-017>019-027-028-036-050915- LUCAS-WOOD-OTTAWA-SANDUSKY-ERIE OH-HANCOCK-SENECA-HURON-WYANDOT- CRAWFORD-MARION- 513 AM EDT SAT AUG 4 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL OHIO AND NORTHWEST OHIO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AFTER MIDNIGHT SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. AGAIN...THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS. THE THREAT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL DIMINISH BY EARLY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. LEZ061-145>149-165>169-OHZ010>014-020>023-029>033-037-038-047-089- PAZ001>003-050915- 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-LORAIN-CUYAHOGA- LAKE-GEAUGA-ASHTABULA INLAND-MEDINA-SUMMIT-PORTAGE-TRUMBULL-RICHLAND- ASHLAND-WAYNE-STARK-MAHONING-MORROW-HOLMES-KNOX-ASHTABULA LAKESHORE- NORTHERN ERIE-SOUTHERN ERIE-CRAWFORD PA- 513 AM EDT SAT AUG 4 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR LAKE ERIE...NORTH CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHEAST OHIO AND NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. CONVECTIVE OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES AND A COLD FRONT WILL DRIFT ACROSS NORTHERN OHIO AND NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA ON SUNDAY. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR THE POTENTIAL OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. WITH THE FRONT NEAR THE AREA SUNDAY MORNING...ANY CHANGES IN TIMING OF THE FRONT LOCATION SUNDAY MORNING WILL IMPACT THE SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL IN THE AREA THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. LEZ142>144-162>164-050915- 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- 513 AM EDT SAT AUG 4 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR LAKE ERIE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AFTER MIDNIGHT SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. AGAIN...THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS. THE THREAT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL DIMINISH BY EARLY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH 651 PM EDT SAT AUG 4 2012 OHZ003-006>009-017-018-027-028-036-037-042315- CRAWFORD-ERIE-HANCOCK-LUCAS-MARION-MORROW-OTTAWA-SANDUSKY-SENECA- WOOD-WYANDOT- 651 PM EDT SAT AUG 4 2012 ...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR HANCOCK...LUCAS...MARION...OTTAWA... SANDUSKY...SENECA...WESTERN CRAWFORD...WESTERN ERIE...WESTERN MORROW...WOOD AND WYANDOT COUNTIES UNTIL 715 PM EDT... AT 642 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 55 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BOWLING GREEN...35 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DESHLER TO 22 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ADA TO 36 MILES SOUTHWEST OF KENTON...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. PEOPLE IN CRAWFORD...ERIE...HANCOCK...LUCAS...MARION...MORROW... OTTAWA...SANDUSKY...SENECA...WOOD AND WYANDOT COUNTIES...SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER THREATEN. THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY FOR STRONG GUSTY WINDS WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS AS THEY APPROACH THE AREA. LOMBARDY
The Cleveland radar (KCLE), 133 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:07 UTC.
10 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Law enforcement reported downed trees and power poles from strong thunderstorm winds in the city of Pemberville and across Eastern portions of Wood County.
Strong thunderstorm winds caused downed power lines.
Trained spotter estimated a 60 mph wind.
Thunderstorm winds caused large tree limbs to fall on power lines.
Thunderstorm winds caused a large tree to be uprooted and fell on a house.
Thunderstorm winds caused large tree branches and telephone poles to come down.
Media reported an estimated 70 mph wind gust.
High tension lines down near State Route 105 and State Route 51.
Public measured a 60 mph wind gust and reported trees down.
Numerous trees reported down in the city and outskirts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Ohio in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, August 2012
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: 401370, 401430, 401425, 401493, 401431, 401432, 401448, 401581, 401566, 401563.