A strong cold front crossed the Ohio Valley in the afternoon of Saturday, April 2nd. The highest gusts following the passage of the front came in the early evening for much of the region.
Every event with a place to put it; 32 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 ILN wrote it up.
A strong cold front crossed the Ohio Valley in the afternoon of Saturday, April 2nd. The highest gusts following the passage of the front came in the early evening for much of the region.
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 Wilmington, OH wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 3, 9:04 AM EST, 2 hours 56 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 1004 AM EDT SUN APR 3 2016 .SYNOPSIS... AN AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRIEFLY BUILD INTO THE REGION TODAY. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION ON MONDAY MORNING...BRINGING A CHANCE OF SHOWERS TO THE AREA THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE DAY. AFTER DRY WEATHER ON TUESDAY...AND ANOTHER BRIEF WARM UP ON WEDNESDAY...CHANCES FOR RAIN WILL INCREASE AGAIN THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW NORMAL GOING INTO NEXT WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... WITH TEMPS ABOVE 32...FREEZE WARNING WAS ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 10 AM. MID LEVEL CLOUDS STREAMING ON A NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT ARE INVADING NORTHERN AND EASTERN COUNTIES...AS DEPICTED ON SATELLITE AND RAP 850-700MB LAYER RH...SO INCREASED SKY COVER FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. FOR LATER THIS MORNING AND THIS AFTERNOON...SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE BUILDING INTO THE SOUTHEASTERN STATES...WITH SOME SLIGHT HEIGHT RISES OVER THE OHIO VALLEY AS THE MID-LEVEL FLOW PIVOTS TEMPORARILY INTO MORE OF A WEST-TO-EAST SETUP. FREQUENT AND PRONOUNCED CHANGES IN SURFACE FLOW DIRECTION ARE A HALLMARK OF THE PATTERN THE REGION HAS BEEN IN...AND WILL REMAIN IN FOR A LITTLE WHILE LONGER. TODAY...WINDS WILL SHIFT FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHWEST...AND AGAIN BECOME GUSTY BY AFTERNOON. THIS TIME...GUSTS SHOULD TOP OUT AT AROUND 30 KNOTS (DAYTON AREA / MIAMI VALLEY) TO 25 KNOTS (ELSEWHERE). MIXING WILL BE INHIBITED TO AROUND 3000-4000 FEET AGL TODAY...WITH A FAIRLY STRONG INVERSION (NEAR 850MB) IN THE WARM ADVECTION PATTERN. NONETHELESS...THIS WARM ADVECTION WILL HELP TEMPERATURES RISE INTO THE 50S THROUGHOUT THE CWA...WITH UPPER 50S POSSIBLE IN THE FAR SOUTHWESTERN COUNTIES. THERE WERE SOME POTENTIAL CONCERNS ABOUT FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TODAY...WITH FUEL MOISTURE VALUES NEAR 8PCT...AND WINDS BECOMING GUSTY DURING THE AFTERNOON. RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES DO NOT APPEAR LIKELY TO BE EXCEEDINGLY LOW TODAY...WHICH WILL BE A LIMITING FACTOR TO THE POSSIBLE THREAT. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... BY SUNDAY EVENING...SURFACE LOW PRESSURE WILL BE MOVING EAST ACROSS SOUTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN...FORECAST TO MOVE TOWARD SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND BY MONDAY AFTERNOON. WHILE THE MOST WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG AND NORTH OF THE LOW TRACK...ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS LIKELY ALONG A TRAILING COLD FRONT. THIS FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE SOUTH THROUGH THE ILN FORECAST AREA BETWEEN 12Z AND 21Z ON MONDAY...SWITCHING THE PATTERN TO NORTHERLY FLOW AND COLD ADVECTION. MODEL AGREEMENT IN THE STRENGTH OF THE FORCING (AND AVAILABILITY OF MOISTURE) DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE AS STRONG AS MIGHT BE HOPED FOR A DAY-2 FORECAST...THOUGH THERE IS ENOUGH AGREEMENT IN PRECIPITATION CHANCES FOR THE EASTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA TO INCREASE POPS TO 60 PERCENT. PRECIPITATION WILL BE ALL RAIN...AND DEPENDING ON MOISTURE AND FRONTAL TIMING...THERE MIGHT BE JUSTIFICATION TO ADD SOME THUNDER TO THE FORECAST FOR THE FAR SOUTHEAST (PORTSMOUTH AREA) IN LATER UPDATES. ASIDE FROM THE CONTINUED SHIFTING OF THE WINDS...THE IMPACT ON TEMPERATURES FROM THIS FRONT (AND THE STRONG FLOW ON EITHER SIDE OF IT) WILL BE THE MOST PRONOUNCED FORECAST ELEMENT FROM SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. NON-DIURNAL TEMPERATURES WERE USED THROUGH THIS PERIOD...ALLOWING FOR VERY LITTLE DROP IN TEMPERATURES GOING INTO MONDAY MORNING...BUT A VERY TIGHT GRADIENT (AND EVEN SOME FALLING TEMPERATURES DURING THE DAY IN THE NORTH) ON MONDAY. BY TUESDAY MORNING...SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL ENVELOP THE ENTIRE GREAT LAKES REGION...WITH DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED OVER THE OHIO VALLEY. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR ANOTHER COOL NIGHT ON EARLY TUESDAY MORNING...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR FROST OR FREEZE HEADLINES AGAIN. WINDS WILL AGAIN SHIFT TO THE SOUTH GOING INTO WEDNESDAY...WITH SOME SIGNS THAT WEDNESDAY COULD SEE STRONG WINDS (GUSTS OF 30 KNOTS OR HIGHER POSSIBLE). A VERY BRIEF PERIOD OF SHALLOW MID-LEVEL RIDGING WILL BE IN PLACE EARLY ON WEDNESDAY...BUT AN APPROACHING SHORTWAVE WILL LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM...FORECAST TO MOVE INTO THE AREA AT SOME POINT WEDNESDAY. WITH STRENGTHENING SURFACE LOW PRESSURE MOVING INTO THE GREAT LAKES...PRECIPITATION AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT WILL LIKELY BECOME WIDESPREAD...ESPECIALLY AFTER 18Z ON WEDNESDAY. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... BACK DOWN INTO THE 40S FOR HIGHS ON THURSDAY AMIDST STRONG COLD ADVECTION AND GUSTY WINDS WHICH WILL SET UP YET ANOTHER LIKELY ISSUANCE OF FROST/FREEZE HEADLINES FOR FRIDAY MORNING GIVEN 850MB TEMPS DROPPING INTO -8C TO -10C. IT'S A MORE UNSETTLED PERIOD GIVEN COLD CYCLONIC FLOW...LIKELY SOME INSTBY-DRIVEN SHOWER POTENTIAL IN THE WAKE OF THIS SYSTEM TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK. SOME OF THIS COULD BE SNOW FRIDAY SO RUNNING WITH RAIN/SNOW SHOWER CHANCES AS TEMPS HOLD IN THE LOWER/MID 40S AT PEAK HEATING AND IN THE 30S MORNINGS/EVENINGS. && .AVIATION /14Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... FOR TODAY...HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL QUICKLY MOVE EAST WHILE LOW PRESSURE AND A WARM FRONT MOVE INTO THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES. RETURN FLOW AND AN INCREASING PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL BRING GUSTY WINDS TO THE TERMINALS BY 18Z. WIND GUSTS WILL GENERALLY RANGE BETWEEN 25 AND 30 KNOTS. MID CLOUDS ACROSS THE NORTH SHOULD SHIFT TO THE NORTHEAST...WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES ELSEWHERE. FOR TONIGHT...LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE QUICKLY SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES. A COLD FRONT WILL ACCOMPANY THIS LOW WHICH IS FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH THE TERMINALS LATE TONIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING. PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL REMAIN MODEST OVERNIGHT BUT WITH SOME DIURNAL COOLING...GUSTINESS WILL BE ERRATIC...BUT WITH GUSTS IN THE 25 TO 30 KNOT RANGE POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION...A STRONG LOW LEVEL JET WILL DEVELOP THIS EVENING WITH MODELS FORECASTING WEST/SOUTHWEST WINDS BETWEEN 55 AND 60 KNOTS AT 2000 FEET. THIS WILL BRING NON CONVECTIVE LLWS TO THE TERMINALS. SOME SHOWERS WILL ACCOMPANY THE FRONT...BUT THE FRONT APPEARS SOMEWHAT MOISTURE STARVED AHEAD OF IT THAT CEILINGS WILL LIKELY REMAIN VFR WITH PERHAPS A BRIEF MVFR VISIBILITY WITH A PASSING SHOWER. MVFR CEILINGS ARE THEN EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN THE POST FRONTAL AIRMASS ON MONDAY. OUTLOOK... MVFR CEILINGS POSSIBLE MONDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT. MVFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY. && .ILN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OH...NONE. KY...NONE. IN...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...HATZOS NEAR TERM...CONIGLIO/HATZOS SHORT TERM...HATZOS LONG TERM...BINAU AVIATION...HICKMAN/AR
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 1002 AM EDT SUN APR 3 2016 OHZ026-034-035-043>046-056-041415- HARDIN-MERCER-AUGLAIZE-SHELBY-LOGAN-UNION-DELAWARE-LICKING- 1002 AM EDT SUN APR 3 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL OHIO AND WEST CENTRAL OHIO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .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. INZ050-058-059-066-073>075-080-KYZ089>100-OHZ042-051>055-060>065- 070>074-077>082-088-041415- WAYNE-FAYETTE-UNION-FRANKLIN-RIPLEY-DEARBORN-OHIO-SWITZERLAND- CARROLL-GALLATIN-BOONE-KENTON-CAMPBELL-OWEN-GRANT-PENDLETON-BRACKEN- ROBERTSON-MASON-LEWIS-DARKE-MIAMI-CHAMPAIGN-CLARK-MADISON-PREBLE- MONTGOMERY-GREENE-PICKAWAY-FAIRFIELD-BUTLER-WARREN-CLINTON-ROSS- HOCKING-HAMILTON-CLERMONT-BROWN-HIGHLAND-ADAMS-PIKE-SCIOTO- 1002 AM EDT SUN APR 3 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL INDIANA...SOUTHEAST INDIANA...NORTHEAST KENTUCKY...NORTHERN KENTUCKY...CENTRAL OHIO...SOUTHWEST OHIO AND WEST CENTRAL OHIO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. BELOW FREEZING CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED LATE MONDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. LOW TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM THE MIDDLE 20S TO LOWER 30S. MORE COLD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED BY THE END OF THE WEEK...ESPECIALLY ON THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY NIGHT. TEMPERATURES MAY AGAIN REACH OR DROP BELOW FREEZING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
1231 PM EDT SUN APR 03 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0405 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG 3 NW WASHINGTON COURT H 39.57N 83.46W
04/02/2016 FAYETTE OH LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREE LIMBS DOWN ACROSS PRARIE RD. NEAR WASHINGTON COURT
HOUSE.
&&
KCPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
1233 PM EDT SUN APR 03 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0505 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG W WASHINGTON COURT HOUS 39.54N 83.44W
04/02/2016 FAYETTE OH LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREE DOWN ALONG N. NORTH ST.
&&
KCPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
1238 PM EDT SUN APR 03 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0605 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG 1 SSE JEFFERSONVILLE 39.64N 83.55W
04/02/2016 FAYETTE OH LAW ENFORCEMENT
SEMI TRUCK WAS OVERTURNED ALONG I71 NEAR JEFFERSONVILLE.
&&
KCPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
1240 PM EDT SUN APR 03 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0705 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG 3 E WASHINGTON COURT HO 39.54N 83.38W
04/02/2016 FAYETTE OH LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREE DOWN ALONG BOGUS RD.
&&
KCPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
1248 PM EDT SUN APR 03 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0500 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG 2 N SIDNEY 40.31N 84.17W
04/02/2016 SHELBY OH TRAINED SPOTTER
SEVERAL LARGE LIMBS DOWN. A FEW SHINGLES TAKEN FROM ROOFS
AND PIECES OF SIDING TORN FROM SEVERAL STRUCTURES IN THE
EAGLE GLEN NEIGHBORHOOD.
&&
KCPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
1259 PM EDT SUN APR 03 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0800 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG PLEASANTVILLE 39.81N 82.52W
04/02/2016 FAIRFIELD OH PUBLIC
TWO POWER POLES SNAPPED NEAR PLEASANTVILLE.
&&
KCThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
32 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Two power poles were blown down by high winds.
A home weather station recorded a 65 mph gust 2 miles west-southwest of Potsdam, while another east of Union City recorded a 60 mph gust. A carport was blown over between State Routes 127 and 503. A large pine tree was uprooted in Greenville, where another large tree was blown down across power lines.
A tree was blown down onto a car on Vine Street in Georgetown. A tree was blown down and a roof peeled off of a barn south of Fayetteville, as well as a tree blown onto a boat. In Mount Orab, a tree was knocked onto a mobile home. A home weather station recorded a 59 mph gust 3 miles north of Aberdeen.
The Butler County regional airport KHAO measured a 58 mph gust, as did a home weather station 3 miles east-southeast of New Miami. Power lines were blown down across Interstate 75 near Union Center Boulevard.
The Port Columbus international airport KCMH measured a 61 mph gust, as did a home weather station in Grandview Heights. The Rickenbacker airport KLCK measured a 58 mph gust. Power was disrupted to over 3100 residents as dozens of trees were blown down across the county, some on houses. A large tree was on a house in Upper Arlington.
The Wright-Patterson Air Force Base KFFO recorded a 58 mph gust of wind. Large branches were broken and siding was stripped from a house southeast of Beavercreek.
Lunken field KLUK measured a 63 mph gust of wind. At one point in time 16,000 power outages had occurred. Interstate 75 was closed for a period of time due to obstacles blown on it and numerous trees had fallen on power lines and some homes. In Oakley, a large tree crashed through the third story of a house and fell on a car below it. This occurred a the intersection of Cadillac and Isabella roads.
The Cox - Dayton international airport measured a 63 mph gust of wind. A home weather station located 1 mile south of Dayton measured a 58 mph gust. A gust of wind blew down a tree onto a car in Kettering. A gas station canopy was toppled near the Dayton Mall. Large trees had fallen on two houses in Huber Heights, causing extensive damage.
The RAWS station located 3 miles north of Chillicothe measured a 58 mph gust of wind. Over 1000 power outages were reported in the county due to trees falling on power lines.
Twenty two power poles were blown down on Experimental Farm Road, trapping motorists for several hours until crews were able to get them out safely. A storage building at Skinner Painting on US Route 36 west of Piqua sustained heavy damage.
Several people were injured and two people were sent to the hospital when a gust of wind blew a pole vault mat at a track meet at the Little Miami High School. At least one large tree was blown down in Mason.
A semi trailer was blown over on I-75 near Anna. Siding was torn off of an apartment building in Sidney and large limbs were blown down across the county.
A large tree was blown over across route 68 at the same time a dairy cow sign was torn from Young's Dairy, which had been standing for 40 years. A large tree was blown onto a house in Springfield, and a shed was toppled in Park Layne. A large tree was blown down in Donnelsville.
A tree tore through the middle of a house in Logan. Thirty to forty trees or large limbs were blown down across the county.
A semi trailer was blown over on Route 23. A home weather station recorded a gust to 68 mph at the time.
Over 1300 power outages were reported in the county due to trees falling on power lines.
A tree was downed at the intersection of Hinton Mill Road and Springdale Road. A line of power poles were blown down at Patrick Brush Run Road and State Route 31.
A garage was torn down due to the strong winds.
Based on surrounding observations and damage in nearby counties, winds were estimated to gust over 58 mph in the county. Recorded gusts in Eaton reached 55 mph from a home weather station.
Based on surrounding observations and nearby damage reports, it is estimated that winds gusted over 58 mph. The Bellefontaine regional airport AWOS measured gusts to 53 mph.
Trees were blown down across State Route 41 in Cynthiana near the Pike county border. A tree was down along McMullen Road in St. Martin. The AWOS located 4 miles east-southeast of Hillsboro measured a 55 mph gust.
A roof was damaged 4 miles west of Wilmington. The ASOS at the Wilmington Air Park gusted to 56 mph.
A large tree was blown down 4 miles southeast of Loveland. Another large tree fell on a car in Milford. A home weather station 2 miles south-southeast of Pleasant Plain recorded a 51 mph gust. Two days after the winds, there were still over 100 power outages in the county.
A large tree was blown down on Tick Bridge Road at State Route 335 near Minford. Another large tree was knocked down near Franklin Furnace.
Several tree limbs, power poles, and power lines were blown down across the county.
Several trees and power lines were blown down across the county, particularly along Meyer Road.
Several trees and power lines were blown down in and around Jackson Township.
Large limbs were blown down across Prairie Road near Washington Court House, and along N North Street in town. A semi truck was overturned along Interstate 71 near Jeffersonville.
Based on surrounding observations, it is estimated that winds gusted to 58 mph across much of the county.
Based on surrounding observations, it is estimated that winds gusted to 58 mph across much of the county.
Based on surrounding observations, it is estimated that winds gusted to 58 mph across much of the county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Ohio in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, April 2016
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: 620543, 620545, 620546, 620547, 620548, 620549, 620550, 620551, 620552, 620561, 620719, 620720, 620722, 620730, 620733, 620736, 620750, 620751, 620752, 620754, 620755, 620756, 620758, 620762, 620767, 620799, 620800, 620801, 620820, 625666, 625668, 625669.