Scattered thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours in a warm and unstable airmass.
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 ILN wrote it up.
Scattered thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours in a warm and unstable airmass.
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 May 23, 3:15 PM EST, 18 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Wilmington OH 415 PM EDT Sat May 23 2020 .SYNOPSIS... A weak warm front will lift across the area tonight. Warm and humid conditions will occur through much of the week with a chance of thunderstorms each day, primarily in the afternoon and evening. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM SUNDAY MORNING/... Storms have developed from central Indiana into central and eastern Kentucky. Much of this activity is heading east northeast. Instability axis remains oriented northwest to southeast cutting across the Tri-State. As storms continue to progress, expect them to weaken as they move out of the more favorable environment. Thus northern activity will likely decrease first with more robust storms moving across northern Kentucky, southeast Indiana, and southwest Ohio. Conditions still look favorable for a few severe storms with damaging winds and/or hail. Showers and thunderstorms will likely continue into the late evening as they continue across the southern part of the forecast area all the while weakening. Meanwhile tail end of short wave lifting through the Great Lakes overnight could result in some additional showers or thunderstorms developing south into central Ohio later tonight. Lows will only fall into the mid 60s. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... Warm and humid conditions will occur with highs getting a few degrees warmer than today and lows likely being just a bit warmer as well. A weak disturbance is forecast to move from Tennessee into Kentucky during the day. This will result in a chance of showers and thunderstorms again across southern counties during the afternoon. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... The extended period will start with a continued warm trend that begins in the short term, with light winds and scattered diurnal convection through mid-week. A cold front will bring cooler, drier conditions into the weekend. Mid-level ridging centered over the Appalachians on Monday will slowly shift to the Eastern Seaboard through mid-week. Meanwhile, low pressure will remain anchored over the southern plains, cut-off from the jet in southern Canada. This will place the forecast area in a continued southwest to southerly flow regime aloft. At the surface, a sprawling Bermuda high pressure will provide southerly winds, increased dewpoints, and above normal temperatures. A stalled frontal system over the Mississippi Valley will keep most concentrated shower development to the west; however, scattered convection will still likely develop in an unstable airmass. By late Wednesday into Thursday, a stronger northern stream shortwave will shift eastward into the Great Lakes, flattening the Bermuda ridge and allowing the frontal system to progress toward the southeast. This cold front will provide our highest precipitation chances of the week by Thursday, followed by cooler, drier air pushing into the Ohio Valley Friday into the Weekend as a mid-level trough becomes established over the East Coast. As would be expected, ensembles vary in how quickly Thursday's front pushes south of the area. Most of the EPS members, along with nearly all of the GEFS members, clear the front and establish surface high pressure for the weekend. Decided to lean toward this solution, reducing NBM isolated to scattered PoPs by a category Friday night through Saturday. && .AVIATION /20Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... Scattered to broken cumulus will occur through the early part of the TAF period. Expect to have convection after 21Z. The best chance of that occurring is in the Cincinnati area and thus have included TEMPO groups for a few hours there. Convection will move east and weaken after 00Z. Will have a lingering mid deck which will likely clear overnight. Expect some visibility restrictions to develop at KLUK. Would not be surprised if some fog or stratus occurs elsewhere, although that signal is too subtle to include a mention in the TAFs at this time. Cumulus will redevelop late in the period with heating. OUTLOOK... Thunderstorms are possible, mainly in the afternoon and evening each day, through Thursday. && .ILN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OH...None. KY...None. IN...None. && SYNOPSIS... NEAR TERM... SHORT TERM... LONG TERM...Hogue AVIATION...
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Wilmington OH 256 PM EDT Sat May 23 2020 KYZ099-100-OHZ026-034-035-042>046-051>056-061>065-072>074-079>082- 088-240900- Mason-Lewis-Hardin-Mercer-Auglaize-Darke-Shelby-Logan-Union OH- Delaware-Miami-Champaign-Clark-Madison-Franklin OH-Licking- Montgomery-Greene-Fayette OH-Pickaway-Fairfield-Clinton-Ross-Hocking- Brown-Highland-Adams-Pike-Scioto- 256 PM EDT Sat May 23 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Northeast Kentucky, Northern Kentucky, Central Ohio, South Central Ohio, Southwest Ohio and West Central Ohio. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. INZ050-058-059-066-073>075-080-KYZ089>098-OHZ060-070-071-077-078- 240900- Wayne-Fayette IN-Union IN-Franklin IN-Ripley-Dearborn-Ohio- Switzerland-Carroll-Gallatin-Boone-Kenton-Campbell-Owen-Grant- Pendleton-Bracken-Robertson-Preble-Butler-Warren-Hamilton-Clermont- 256 PM EDT Sat May 23 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for East Central Indiana, Southeast Indiana, Northern Kentucky, Southwest Ohio and West Central Ohio. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. Scattered thunderstorms will occur this afternoon into this evening. A few of the storms may become strong to severe. The primary hazards will be damaging wind gusts and large hail. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Wilmington OH
330 PM EDT Sat May 23 2020
INZ050-058-059-066-232100-
Fayette IN-Union IN-Wayne IN-Franklin IN-
330 PM EDT Sat May 23 2020
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY IN
SOUTHEASTERN INDIANA...WAYNE...UNION AND FAYETTE COUNTIES IN EAST
CENTRAL INDIANA UNTIL 500 PM EDT...
At 329 PM EDT, radar indicated a strong thunderstorm near Rushville,
moving east at 30 mph.
STORM HAZARDS INCLUDE...
Winds to 50 mph...
Nickel size hail...
Frequent cloud-to-ground lightning...
Locations impacted include...
Richmond, Connersville, Centerville, Cambridge City, Liberty, Dublin,
West College Corner, Glenwood, Salem, Waterloo, Columbia, Bunker
Hill, Abington, Brownsville, Greens Fork, East Germantown, Spring
Grove, Boston, Mount Auburn and Richmond Municipal Airport.
This includes the following Interstates...
I-70 in Indiana between mile markers 134 and 156.
I-70 in Ohio near mile marker 0.
Do not stay in the open or seek shelter under trees when lightning
threatens. Move indoors when a thunderstorm approaches.
Residents in these areas should remain alert. If this storm becomes
stronger, then a warning may be needed.
To report hazardous weather conditions, go to our website at
weather.gov/iln and submit your report via social media, when you can
do so safely.
LAT...LON 3979 8530 3979 8522 3987 8522 3993 8481
3952 8482 3952 8526 3953 8530
TIME...MOT...LOC 1929Z 270DEG 28KT 3970 8549
McGinnisSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Wilmington OH
424 PM EDT Sat May 23 2020
INZ050-232100-
Wayne IN-
424 PM EDT Sat May 23 2020
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN WAYNE COUNTY UNTIL 500
PM EDT...
At 424 PM EDT, radar indicated a strong thunderstorm near Hagerstown,
moving east at 20 mph.
STORM HAZARDS INCLUDE...
Winds to 50 mph...
Pea size hail...
Locations impacted include...
Hagerstown, Fountain City, Franklin, Greens Fork, Bethel, Economy,
Whitewater and Williamsburg.
To report hazardous weather conditions, go to our website at
weather.gov/iln and submit your report via social media, when you can
do so safely.
LAT...LON 4000 8520 4001 8494 4000 8481 3992 8481
3987 8520
TIME...MOT...LOC 2024Z 257DEG 18KT 3988 8510
McGinnisThe Cincinnati radar (KILN), 94 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:31 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A few trees were downed on Kitchel Road.
Olean Road was closed due to high water.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, May 2020
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: 882789, 882790.