Thunderstorms developed across the Upper Ohio Valley with isolated severe thunderstorms.
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 PBZ wrote it up.
Thunderstorms developed across the Upper Ohio Valley with isolated severe thunderstorms.
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 Pittsburgh, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 15, 4:45 PM EST, 3 hours 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 545 PM EDT SUN JUL 15 2012 .SYNOPSIS... AN EASTBOUND UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE TROUGH CAN STILL PROVIDE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS EARLY TONIGHT, SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN, FREQUENT LIGHTNING, AND GUSTY WIND. HIGH PRESSURE, CENTERED NEAR GEORGIA, WILL MAINTAIN WARM, HUMID CONDITIONS INTO WEDNESDAY. A CANADIAN COLD FRONT WILL REDUCE THE HUMIDITY LATE WEEK, BUT TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE WARMER THAN NORMAL. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH MONDAY/... BLEND OF RECENT RADAR AND HIGH RESOLUTION MODEL OUTPUT SHOW THUNDERSTORMS, AT LEAST SCATTERED IN COVERAGE, THIS EVENING, WITH SOME HAVING HEAVY RAIN, FREQUENT LIGHTNING, AND GUSTY WIND. THESE ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE EASTBOUND PASSAGE OF AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH. RECENT SREF MODEL OUTPUT SHOWS UPPER LEVEL RIDGING YIELDING DECREASED INSTABILITY MONDAY, SO AT MOST A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. FORECASTED LOWS TONIGHT 65 TO 70 AND HIGHS MONDAY WELL INTO THE 80S PER RECENT GFS AND NAM MOS. DEW POINTS CAN BE SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN WHAT THEY WERE DAYTIME SUNDAY. && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... RECENT SREF MODEL OUTPUT WILL CONTINUE TO PROMOTE STABLE CONDITIONS ACROSS THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY TUESDAY, BEFORE A SOUTHWARD MOVING CANADIAN COLD FRONT SPARKS SCATTERED PREFRONTAL THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY. AS SHOWN BY GFS, NAM, AND ECMWF MOS, TUESDAY CAN BE THE WARMEST DAY WITH HIGHS WARMER THAN 90, AND WITH DEW POINTS AT LEAST IN THE MID 60S, HEAT INDICES CAN APPROACH 100 ACROSS LOWER ELEVATIONS. WEDNESDAYS HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE AFFECTED BY TIMING AND COVERAGE OF PREFRONTAL THUNDERSTORMS. LOWS MONDAY NIGHT WILL AGAIN BE 65 TO 70, BUT LOWS TUESDAY NIGHT CAN BE IN THE LOWER 70S, AS PREFRONTAL CONVERGENCE SPURS DEW POINT INCREASES. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... GLOBAL MODEL AGREEMENT AND RUN-TO-RUN CONSISTENCY IS VERY GOOD ON THE SOUTHWARD PROGRESSION OF A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY. THE GFS AND ECMWF BOTH DEPICT IT CLEARING VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE FORECAST AREA SAVE FOR MAYBE THE FARTHEST SOUTHEASTERN COUNTIES BY THURSDAY MORNING. DRY CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST THROUGH SUNDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE DOMINATES. THE RESULTANT DEEP NORTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL BRING MUCH LESS HUMID CONDITIONS INTO THE REGION...HOWEVER WITH 850 MB TEMPERATURES FROM THE MODEL CONSENSUS STILL RUNNING IN THE MID TEENS...HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE LIKELY TO REMAIN NEAR SEASONAL NORMS. && .AVIATION /22Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... LINES OF SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND MOVE EAST ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING HOURS AS AN UPPER TROUGH MOVES ACROSS THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY. CONFIDENCE IS HIGH THAT OCCASIONAL MVFR RESTRICTIONS WILL OCCUR IN SHOWERS...AND BRIEF IFR CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN HEAVIER RAINFALL WITH STORMS. OUTSIDE OF PRECIPITATION...BROKEN VFR CEILINGS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT. ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE SHOULD ALLOW AREAS OF MVFR STRATUS AND FOG TO FORM MAINLY AFTER 08Z AT MOST TAF LOCATIONS...WITH A BETTER THAN EVEN CHANCE OF IFR CEILINGS AT KFKL AND KDUJ. IMPROVEMENT TO VFR IS EXPECTED BY AROUND 15Z MONDAY AS LOW LEVELS BEGIN TO DRY OUT AND A WEAK SURFACE RIDGE BUILDS IN. OUTLOOK...MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY... WEAK RIDGING SHOULD PROVIDE GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. A COLD FRONT WILL SAG SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES AND THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. RESTRICTIONS CAN BE EXPECTED IN SCATTERED PREFRONTAL THUNDERSTORMS. PREVAILING VFR WEATHER SHOULD RETURN BY THURSDAY AS A SURFACE HIGH BUILDS IN. && .PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MD...NONE. OH...NONE. PA...NONE. WV...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 357 AM EDT SUN JUL 15 2012 MDZ001-OHZ040-041-049-050-059-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023-029-031- 073>076-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-160800- GARRETT-CARROLL-COLUMBIANA-HARRISON-JEFFERSON OH-BELMONT-MONROE- MERCER-VENANGO-FOREST-LAWRENCE-BUTLER-CLARION-JEFFERSON PA-BEAVER- ALLEGHENY-ARMSTRONG-INDIANA-WASHINGTON-GREENE-WESTMORELAND- WESTMORELAND RIDGES-FAYETTE-FAYETTE RIDGES-HANCOCK-BROOKE-OHIO- MARSHALL-WETZEL-MARION-MONONGALIA-PRESTON-TUCKER- 357 AM EDT SUN JUL 15 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN MARYLAND...EAST CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...SOUTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...WEST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND NORTHERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. LOCALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. A FEW OF STORMS MAY BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING, WITH GUSTY WINDS THE PRIMARY THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. OHZ039-048-057-058-068-160800- TUSCARAWAS-COSHOCTON-MUSKINGUM-GUERNSEY-NOBLE- 357 AM EDT SUN JUL 15 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL OHIO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. LOCALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. A FEW OF STORMS MAY BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING, WITH GUSTY WINDS THE PRIMARY THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. A WARM AND HUMID AIR MASS WILL BUILD INTO THE AREA ON TUESDAY. HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW 90S WITH HUMIDITY WILL BRING HEAT INDICES TO NEAR 100 DEGREES TUESDAY AFTERNOON. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
614 PM EDT SUN JUL 15 2012
OHZ048-057-152245-
COSHOCTON OH-MUSKINGUM OH-
614 PM EDT SUN JUL 15 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN MUSKINGUM AND SOUTHERN
COSHOCTON COUNTIES...
AT 613 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 6 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF COOPERDALE...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. HEAVY RAIN WILL
POND WATER ON ROADS AND QUICKLY FILL DITCHES AND SMALL STREAMS.
INTENSE LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED FROM THESE STORMS. MOVE INDOORS
WHEN A THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES. DO NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER TREES.
SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED INCLUDE...
COOPERDALE... CONESVILLE... PLAINFIELD...
OTSEGO... FERNCLIFF... ADAMSVILLE...
EXCESSIVE RUNOFF WILL ELEVATE SMALL STREAMS. PONDING OF WATER CAN BE
EXPECTED IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS...LOW LYING SPOTS...AND UNDERPASSES.
PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772.
LAT...LON 4026 8220 4027 8170 4001 8175 4004 8220
4023 8219 4024 8220SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
654 PM EDT SUN JUL 15 2012
PAZ013-014-020-021-152330-
ALLEGHENY PA-BEAVER PA-BUTLER PA-LAWRENCE PA-
654 PM EDT SUN JUL 15 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EXTREME NORTH CENTRAL
ALLEGHENY...NORTHEASTERN BEAVER...SOUTHEASTERN LAWRENCE AND SOUTHERN
BUTLER COUNTIES...
AT 648 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 4 MILES NORTH OF
FOMBELL...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. HEAVY RAIN WILL
POND WATER ON ROADS AND QUICKLY FILL DITCHES AND SMALL STREAMS.
INTENSE LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED FROM THESE STORMS. MOVE INDOORS
WHEN A THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES. DO NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER TREES.
SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED INCLUDE...
FOMBELL... ELLWOOD CITY... ZELIENOPLE...
EVANS CITY... MARS...
THIS WILL IMPACT THE FOLLOWING HIGHWAYS...
I-79 IN PENNSYLVANIA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 80 AND 96.
I-76 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 25 AND 26.
EXCESSIVE RUNOFF WILL ELEVATE SMALL STREAMS. PONDING OF WATER CAN BE
EXPECTED IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS...LOW LYING SPOTS...AND UNDERPASSES.
PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772.
LAT...LON 4082 7978 4066 7991 4071 8013 4085 8033
4096 8022SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 734 PM EDT SUN JUL 15 2012 PAZ014-021-022-073-160000- ALLEGHENY PA-ARMSTRONG PA-BUTLER PA-WESTMORELAND PA- 734 PM EDT SUN JUL 15 2012 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EXTREME NORTHWESTERN WESTMORELAND...NORTHEASTERN ALLEGHENY...SOUTHEASTERN BUTLER AND WEST CENTRAL ARMSTRONG COUNTIES... AT 733 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 4 MILES WEST OF SAXONBURG...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. WIND GUSTS TO 30 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. THERE CAN ALSO BE A BRIEF PERIOD OF HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED INCLUDE... BUTLER... SAXONBURG... LERNERVILLE... SARVER... NATRONA HEIGHTS... FREEPORT... EXCESSIVE RUNOFF WILL ELEVATE SMALL STREAMS. PONDING OF WATER CAN BE EXPECTED IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS...LOW LYING SPOTS...AND UNDERPASSES. PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772. LAT...LON 4076 7956 4057 7968 4073 8007 4087 7993
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
739 PM EDT SUN JUL 15 2012
OHZ039>041-160015-
CARROLL OH-COLUMBIANA OH-TUSCARAWAS OH-
739 PM EDT SUN JUL 15 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT CARROLL...NORTHEASTERN TUSCARAWAS
AND WESTERN COLUMBIANA COUNTIES...
AT 738 PM EDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG A LINE FROM 2 MILES
EAST OF ALLIANCE TO 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CANTON...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT
25 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. HEAVY RAIN WILL
POND WATER ON ROADS AND QUICKLY FILL DITCHES AND SMALL STREAMS.
INTENSE LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED FROM THESE STORMS. MOVE INDOORS
WHEN A THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES. DO NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER TREES.
SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED INCLUDE...
HOMEWORTH... MALVERN... EAST ROCHESTER...
GUILFORD LAKE STATE PARK... AUGUSTA...
DELLROY... MILLPORT... MECHANICSTOWN...
LISBON... CARROLLTON...
EXCESSIVE RUNOFF WILL ELEVATE SMALL STREAMS. PONDING OF WATER CAN BE
EXPECTED IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS...LOW LYING SPOTS...AND UNDERPASSES.
PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772.
LAT...LON 4066 8125 4072 8124 4073 8123 4074 8109
4090 8109 4091 8108 4091 8091 4076 8073
4047 8116 4065 8138SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
816 PM EDT SUN JUL 15 2012
OHZ040-041-160045-
CARROLL OH-COLUMBIANA OH-
816 PM EDT SUN JUL 15 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT NORTHERN CARROLL AND SOUTHERN
COLUMBIANA COUNTIES...
AT 812 PM EDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG A LINE FROM LISBON TO
3 MILES SOUTH OF GUILFORD LAKE STATE PARK TO 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
MALVERN...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS, ALONG WITH
BRIEFLY HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING.
SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED INCLUDE...
MALVERN... LISBON...
GUILFORD LAKE STATE PARK... EAST ROCHESTER...
AUGUSTA... MILLPORT... CARROLLTON...
MECHANICSTOWN... BEAVER CREEK STATE PARK...
PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772.
LAT...LON 4074 8111 4073 8110 4075 8109 4080 8098
4083 8065 4072 8054 4065 8064 4064 8082
4056 8097 4057 8111 4067 8124SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
834 PM EDT SUN JUL 15 2012
MDZ001-WVZ023-041-160130-
GARRETT MD-PRESTON WV-TUCKER WV-
834 PM EDT SUN JUL 15 2012
...HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS WITH SCATTERED GUSTY THUNDERSTORMS...
THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WILL MOVE THROUGH THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES...
GARRETT...PRESTON AND TUCKER...
AT 825 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN PITTSBURGH SHOWED
THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 2 MILES
NORTHEAST OF NEWBURG TO 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PHILIPPI TO 18 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF PHILIPPI...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE GENERATING HEAVY RAIN, THAT CAN POND WATER
ON ROADS AND IN LOW LYING AREAS. THERE CAN ALSO BE WIND GUSTS TO 30
MPH AND BRIEF PERIODS OF FREQUENT LIGHTNING.
SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED BY THESE THUNDERSTORMS
INCLUDE...
NEWBURG... FELLOWSVILLE... TUNNELTON...
KINGWOOD... ROWLESBURG... HANNAHSVILLE...
SAINT GEORGE... TERRA ALTA... PARSONS...
DAVISVILLE... PLEASANT RUN...
CATHELDRAL STATE PARK...
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
EXCESSIVE RUNOFF WILL ELEVATE SMALL STREAMS...AND POND WATER ON ROADS
AND ALONG CREEK BANKS.
DO NOT DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. THE WATER DEPTH
MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW SAFE PASSAGE. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.
PLEASE REPORT HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
BY CALLING TOLL FREE...1-877-633-6772.
&&
LAT...LON 3904 7978 3908 7978 3913 7984 3923 7981
3925 7986 3930 7990 3944 7989 3952 7946
3952 7904 3940 7914 3935 7925 3930 7929
3920 7948 3922 7934 3920 7929 3909 7935
3907 7929 3896 7934 3897 7951The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 39 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:56 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees were reported down west of Route 30.
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, July 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: 400599.