An upper-level ridge was positioned over the East Coast May 18th, and pumped warm and moist air from the southwest. Skies were clear in Eastern Ohio that morning and early afternoon, which supported day time mixing and steep low-level lapse rates.
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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 PBZ wrote it up.
An upper-level ridge was positioned over the East Coast May 18th, and pumped warm and moist air from the southwest. Skies were clear in Eastern Ohio that morning and early afternoon, which supported day time mixing and steep low-level lapse rates. MUCAPE values neared 1500 J/kg in the evening and DCAPE values on the local 00Z sounding was over 1000 J/kg, indicating that storms had the capability to produce strong downdrafts.
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 May 18, 1:36 PM EST, 4 hours 8 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA 236 PM EDT Sat May 18 2019 .SYNOPSIS... Above normal temperatures and periods of showers and thunderstorms expected through the weekend. Dry weather will return for the first portion of next week. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Diurnal heating with clearing skies will create enough instability for an isolated thunderstorm or two to develop mainly along and south of I-70, plus the eastern ridges later in the period. The lack of much upper level support will limit areal coverage and ability of storms to persist into the overnight hours. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... A combination of increased orographic lift and weak perturbations within the sw flow aloft will help break warm-air capping late Sunday morning, allowing for isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms to develop over the eastern ridges, and potentially along the I-80 corridor. Otherwise, areas will remain rain free during the day as warm air aloft will cap instability and require more large scale lift for convective development. High temperature 10 to 15 degrees above normal are expected. The approach of a pre-frontal boundary and closer proximity to the upper level trough will provide the best chance for more widespread showers and thunderstorms Sunday evening. There remains some uncertainty in the type of environment there storms will enter, which will dictate overall storm coverage and severe weather threat. But there is a threat, based on some model profiles, that a combination of modest instability, steep low level lapse rates, low LCL heights, and dry air aloft will create an environment conducive for strong to severe downburst winds. Though low, there is enough confidence for mentioning this threat in HWO. The cold front will move through later Monday morning, which will create the potential for another round of showers. Cooler and drier conditions will quickly move in behind the fropa, resulting in a more spring-like temperature for the afternoon. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... Building sfc high pressure plus residual NW flow will mean a dry but cooler day Tuesday. Upper level ridging will build over the southeast U.S. through the rest of the week, resulting in temperature across the region to become above normal. Weak disturbances rounding the ridge will be the source of periodic showers and thunderstorms through the end of the week. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... VFR expected the remainder of the day as shortwave ridging transitions over the region. .Outlook... Restrictions are possible with a Sun night cold front. && .PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MD...None. OH...None. PA...None. WV...None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA 237 PM EDT Sat May 18 2019 MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023- 029-031-073>076-WVZ001>004-012-021-509>514-191845- Garrett-Tuscarawas-Carroll-Columbiana-Coshocton-Harrison- Jefferson OH-Muskingum-Guernsey-Belmont-Noble-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-Ridges of Eastern Monongalia and Northwestern Preston- Preston-Eastern Preston-Western Tucker-Eastern Tucker- 237 PM EDT Sat May 18 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for western Maryland, east central Ohio, northwest Pennsylvania, southwest Pennsylvania, west central Pennsylvania, western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia and northern panhandle of West Virginia. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. Hazardous weather is not expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. Slight risk for severe storms Sunday afternoon and evening. The main threat will be damaging wind gusts with a more isolated threat of large hail. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA
546 PM EDT Sat May 18 2019
OHZ049-058-059-182215-
Guernsey-Harrison-Belmont-
546 PM EDT Sat May 18 2019
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY
WIND WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN HARRISON...NORTHEASTERN GUERNSEY AND
NORTHWESTERN BELMONT COUNTIES...
At 545 PM EDT, a strong thunderstorm was located near Freeport,
moving northeast at 20 mph.
Wind gusts up to 45 mph and small hail are possible with this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Cadiz... Freeport...
Flushing... Holloway...
New Athens... Piedmont...
Deersville... Clendening Lake...
Piedmont Lake... Tappan Lake...
This storm may intensify, so monitor local radio or television
stations for additional information and possible warnings from the
National Weather Service.
LAT...LON 4008 8124 4015 8135 4032 8117 4032 8106
4018 8091
TIME...MOT...LOC 2145Z 235DEG 18KT 4015 8126Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA
610 PM EDT Sat May 18 2019
OHZ049-050-182245-
Jefferson-Harrison-
610 PM EDT Sat May 18 2019
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY
WIND WILL AFFECT EASTERN HARRISON AND SOUTHWESTERN JEFFERSON
COUNTIES...
At 609 PM EDT, a strong thunderstorm was located near Cadiz, moving
northeast at 25 mph.
Wind gusts up to 45 mph and small hail are possible with this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Cadiz... Hopedale...
Smithfield... Adena...
New Athens... Harrisville...
Bloomingdale... Unionport...
Newell...
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Seek
safe shelter inside a building or vehicle.
This storm may intensify, so monitor local radio or television
stations for additional information and possible warnings from the
National Weather Service.
LAT...LON 4042 8090 4033 8073 4025 8069 4016 8088
4017 8107 4022 8113
TIME...MOT...LOC 2209Z 239DEG 23KT 4022 8098The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 45 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:44 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The local 911 Call Center reported trees down at the intersection of State Route 26 and Cross Creek Road.
A trained spotter reported trees down along Braybarton Boulevard.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Ohio in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, May 2019
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: 821778, 821780.