A surface low moved from west-central Lower Michigan during the evening of April 7th to near Long Island by daybreak on April 8th. The accompanying cold front extended west-southwestward from the low and swept south-southeastward through northern Ohio during the early morning of the 8th.
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 CLE wrote it up.
A surface low moved from west-central Lower Michigan during the evening of April 7th to near Long Island by daybreak on April 8th. The accompanying cold front extended west-southwestward from the low and swept south-southeastward through northern Ohio during the early morning of the 8th. Along and ahead of the cold front, clusters of thunderstorms, including supercells, formed over southern Lake Michigan and southern Lower Michigan by the early evening of the 7th. These storms grew upscale into a squall line, which then moved generally southeastward through northern Ohio from late evening of the 7th through the first hour of the 8th. Additional more discrete thunderstorms, including supercells, developed ahead of the squall line. These storms encountered primarily moderate instability amidst strong effective bulk shear within the warm sector. In addition to numerous reports of damaging straight-line winds and severe hail, three QLCS tornadoes occurred within the squall line and affected portions of northeast Ohio.
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 Apr 7, 6:43 PM EST, 3 hours 10 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Cleveland OH 743 PM EDT Tue Apr 7 2020 ...00z Aviation TAFs and Evening Forecast Update... .SYNOPSIS... Low pressure tracking east through the Great Lakes tonight will bring a cold front southeast across the area. Another low and a stronger cold front will move southeast across the region Wednesday night. An upper low will linger over the northern Great Lakes Thursday, moving to New England by Friday. High pressure will build across the Friday into the weekend. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... Mid evening update discussion... High res model data continue to indicate a very active and likely severe weather late this evening through the overnight hours. We are watching the storm developing over Michigan this evening and will likely organized into a squall line or MCS type structure as it moves southeastward towards northern Ohio into NW PA. We are thinking the time will be 10 pm to 3 am as the worse for our local area with 10 pm to 12 am for northwest Ohio, over Lake Erie and approaching the Lakeshore areas. We predict this line of severe storms will race at 50 to 60 mph across the area and be along and south of the lakeshore between 12 am and 2 am. The line of storms should be mostly out of our local area moving into central and southern Ohio after 3 am. The main threats will be damaging wind gusts up to 70 mph...isolated higher gusts possible, large hail up to the size of tennis balls possible, and an isolated tornado threat. The highest threat for an isolated tornado or two will be near northwestern Ohio and wherever the squall line of storms interacts with the warm front.Scattered power outages will be likely tonight across the area. Frequent, dangerous cloud to ground lightning will be likely. Stay safe and weather aware! Previous discussion... Main focus of the forecast is severe weather potential across the area this evening. A few storms are possible across the southern part of the area this afternoon on the nose of a low level theta-e ridge, although MLCAPE remains low in this area will a decent amount of MLCIN across the southeast portion of the area. The main threat with any storm that gets going would be hail, with damaging winds possible as well. Anticipating convection to develop upstream across lower MI later this afternoon/evening in an area of appreciable surface pressure falls ahead of an advancing cold front. The atmosphere continues to destabilize northeast into this area, where 1500-2500 j/kg SBCAPE is expected. A robust EML will advect northeast into the region, with mid level lapse rates up to 8.5C/km. The convection will persist and organize into the area coincident with a 60-70 kt 500mb jet max. Expecting the convection to grow upscale into a MCS and track southeast across the area, with 50-65 kts of effective bulk shear, with MLCAPE values maintaining in the 1500 j/kg range. The primary threats with this convection are large hail and damaging winds, especially if the convection becomes more organized. A low end tornado threat exists as well, especially across the northwest part of the area as the convection enters the area, with effective SRH values of 200 m2/s2, LCLs of 250-500m, and 0-3km bulk shear vectors out of the west/north west around 35 kts. The convection is expected to quickly move south out of the area shortly after/around 6Z, with a stabilizing atmosphere curtailing severe weather potential regardless. Clearing skies will build across the area from the west through the day tomorrow, with highs ranging from the mid/upper 60s west to the mid 50s to around 60s across far northeast OH/northwest PA. A stronger cold front will push southeast across the area tomorrow night, with rain showers expected to move across the region, mainly after 03Z into Thursday morning. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... Upper level troughiness will move southeast into the area Wednesday night and move east during the day Thursday. However, a much more vigorous upper level trough will rotate south out of northern Canada into the Great Lakes with a potent positive vorticity maximum by Thursday night. This trough will swing quickly east Friday keeping the forecast areas in a cyclonic flow pattern. An upper level ridge will slide southeast in the mean flow toward the area by late Friday night. The upper level low pressure system and associated trough will cause a surface low pressure system to move southeast through central Ontario, Canada to near Maine by Thursday afternoon. As the upper level system cranks up and trough becomes negatively tilted, the surface low is expected to rapidly intensify during this forecast period. This will force strong cold air advection southeast into the local area Friday into Saturday. Eventually, surface high pressure builds northeast toward the area allowing winds to diminish and a bit of warm air advection. As a result, showers associated with the cold front will move east of the area leaving behind some lake effect rain showers becoming mixed with snow Thursday evening and mostly snow by early Friday morning away from the lake in the snowbelt. Otherwise fair over the rest of the forecast area. Cold air advection will keep temperatures in the 40s Thursday and Friday and drop them into the lower 30s Thursday night and upper 20s to lower 30s Friday night. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... Upper level ridging will move quickly east across the area Saturday into Saturday night followed by a fast moving upper level low pressure system from the deep south that eventually weakens to a trough by Sunday night. Large amplitude upper level trough develops over the Plains states and becomes a dominant feature across the entire Lower 48 States into early next week. Strong cold air advection will be the rule as a lobe of Arctic air plunges south toward the area. Needless to day, winter is not giving up just yet. Surface high will build east Saturday with fair weather but next warm front will begin to lift north across the area by evening. Moisture associated with the boundary will push into the area late Saturday. Surface low pressure over the southern Rockies by Friday night will swing south into Texas and track northeast toward the area with the weak upper level low pressure system. As the upper level low tracks northeast and becomes a negatively tilted trough, the surface low is expected to rapidly intensify as it moves into the forecast area. There are some indications coastal low development will take place Monday but since upper level trough is so robust, the inland low will remain the dominant feature. Fair weather returns Saturday followed by a threat for rain from there on out and the best chance comes in the east half by Sunday night. As cold air advection takes place, snow will mix in with the rain over the entire area Monday night into Tuesday. Area will see a slight warming trend Saturday into Sunday followed by cold air returning Monday and Tuesday. && .AVIATION /00Z Wednesday THROUGH Sunday/... Active weather through the period with the main threat of strong to severe TSRA generally between 02Z and 07Z across the region. A line of TSRA expected to develop a move southeast across the area between 02z and 07z tonight, with damaging wind gusts up to 50 kts or higher and possible GS. Ceilings lower behind the storms to MVFR likely with possible IFR. The MVFR/IFR ceilings will scatter or lift late in the period during Wednesday. Southwest winds 5 to 12 knots will precede the convection, with winds becoming northwest about 10 knots behind the cold front generally around/after 09Z. Have included a TEMPO group for each TAF location for a two hour window when the winds will likely be very strong to severe with gusts over 40 knots likely during the line of convection. .OUTLOOK...Non-VFR again possible Thursday into Friday with rain and low ceilings. && .MARINE... Generally light winds expected Wednesday but will begin to increase from the west-northwest by Wednesday night in the wake of the low pressure system. Will likely need small craft advisories Wedneday night into early Friday night when winds begin to diminish to light northwest. Light south-southwest flow is expected Saturday and Sunday. && .CLE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OH...None. PA...None. MARINE...None. && SYNOPSIS...Greenawalt NEAR TERM...Greenawalt/Griffin SHORT TERM...Lombardy LONG TERM...Lombardy AVIATION...Griffin MARINE...Lombardy
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Cleveland OH 911 PM EDT Tue Apr 7 2020 OHZ003-006>014-017>023-027>033-036>038-047-089-PAZ001>003-090115- Lucas-Wood-Ottawa-Sandusky-Erie-Lorain-Cuyahoga-Lake-Geauga- Ashtabula Inland-Hancock-Seneca-Huron-Medina-Summit-Portage-Trumbull- Wyandot-Crawford-Richland-Ashland-Wayne-Stark-Mahoning-Marion-Morrow- Holmes-Knox-Ashtabula Lakeshore-Northern Erie-Southern Erie- 911 PM EDT Tue Apr 7 2020 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 84 IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 AM EDT WEDNESDAY... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north central Ohio, northeast Ohio, northwest Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the Internet for more information about the following hazards. Severe Thunderstorm Watch. A squall line of severe thunderstorms late this evening and overnight will bring the threat for large hail up to the size of tennis balls, damaging winds gusts up to 70 mph, localized flooding, and a threat for isolated tornadoes. The main time period for the severe weather threat will be from 10 pm to 3 am. The Storm Prediction Center has outlined much of the area in an Enhanced Risk for severe weather, due to these threats. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. Hazardous weather is not expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed. Please relay any information about observed severe weather to the NWS while following all local, state, and CDC guidelines. LEZ142>149-162>169-090115- Lake Erie nearshore waters from Maumee Bay to Reno Beach OH- Lake Erie nearshore waters from Reno Beach to The Islands OH- Lake Erie nearshore waters from The Islands to Vermilion OH- Lake Erie nearshore waters from Vermilion to Avon Point OH- Lake Erie nearshore waters from Avon Point to Willowick OH- Lake Erie nearshore waters from Willowick to Geneva-on-the Lake OH- Lake Erie nearshore waters from Geneva-on-the-Lake to Conneaut OH- Lake Erie nearshore waters from Conneaut OH to Ripley NY- Lake Erie open waters from Maumee Bay to Reno Beach OH- Lake Erie open waters from Reno Beach to The Islands OH- Lake Erie open waters from The Islands to Vermilion OH- Lake Erie open waters from Vermilion to Avon Point OH- Lake Erie open waters from Avon Point to Willowick OH- Lake Erie open waters from Willowick to Geneva-on-the-Lake OH- Lake Erie open waters from Geneva-on-the-Lake to Conneaut OH- Lake Erie open waters from Conneaut OH to Ripley NY- 911 PM EDT Tue Apr 7 2020 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 84 IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 AM EDT WEDNESDAY... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Lake Erie and western Lake Erie. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the Internet for more information about the following hazards. Severe Thunderstorm Watch. A squall line of severe thunderstorms late this evening and overnight will bring the threat for large hail up to the size of tennis balls, damaging winds gusts up to 70 mph, localized flooding, and a threat for isolated tornadoes. The main time period for the severe weather threat will be from 9 pm to 2 am. The Storm Prediction Center has outlined much of the area in an Enhanced Risk for severe weather, due to these threats. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. Hazardous weather is not expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. LEZ061-090115- Lake Erie open waters from Ripley to Buffalo NY- 911 PM EDT Tue Apr 7 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for eastern Lake Erie. .DAY ONE...Tonight. A squall line of severe thunderstorms late this evening and overnight will bring the threat for large hail up to the size of tennis balls, damaging winds gusts up to 70 mph, localized flooding, and a threat for isolated tornadoes. The main time period for the severe weather threat will be from 9 pm to 2 am. The Storm Prediction Center has outlined much of the area in an Enhanced Risk for severe weather, due to these threats. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. Hazardous weather is not expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Cleveland OH
1049 PM EDT Tue Apr 7 2020
OHZ011-013-021-022-080330-
Summit-Geauga-Portage-Cuyahoga-
1049 PM EDT Tue Apr 7 2020
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN PORTAGE...
SOUTHWESTERN GEAUGA...CENTRAL CUYAHOGA AND NORTHEASTERN SUMMIT
COUNTIES...
At 1049 PM EDT, a strong thunderstorm was located near Parma, or near
Cleveland, moving east at 40 mph.
Wind gusts up to 50 mph and penny size hail are possible with this
storm.
Locations impacted include...
Cleveland, Parma, Lakewood, Cleveland Heights, North Royalton, Solon,
Hudson, Twinsburg, Streetsboro, Warrensville Heights, Macedonia,
South Russell, Highland Hills, Garfield Heights, Shaker Heights,
Maple Heights, South Euclid, Parma Heights, Broadview Heights and
Brook Park.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
LAT...LON 4149 8119 4120 8134 4139 8185 4150 8180
4149 8174 4153 8167 4153 8166 4154 8165
TIME...MOT...LOC 0249Z 286DEG 34KT 4144 8173
JaszkaThe Cleveland radar (KCLE), 13 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:53 UTC.
31 thunderstorm wind, 14 hail, 4 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Trained spotter reported penny-size hail about 0.5 miles south of the Cleveland Zoo.
Trained spotter reported ping pong ball to hen egg-size hail in Slavic Village (i.e. one mile ENE of Newburgh Heights).
Trained spotter reported nickel to half dollar-size hail one mile ESE of Avon.
Tree fell onto house near downtown Elyria and another tree fell onto another home one mile SSE of Elyria. 18 trees were downed at OH routes 10 and 57, four miles WNW of Eaton Estates.
Gazebo tossed and damaged.
An EF0 tornado began in rural Lorain County, about 0.5 miles east-northeast of Belden and just north of OH 303. As the tornado moved southeastward, it produced EF1 damage at a farm along Island Road. This EF1 damage consisted of a barn and small outbuildings being destroyed. Farther southeastward along the tornado's path, EF0 damage in the form of a garage door being blown-in occurred at a house along Law Road, about 0.5 miles west of where it intersects Medina Elyria Road. The tornado continued moving southeastward and entered Medina County about 0.3 miles north of the intersection of Neff Road and Erhart Road. No fatalities or injuries occurred.
Trained spotter reported half dollar-size hail two miles ESE of South Russell.
An EF0 tornado entered Medina County from Lorain County about 0.3 miles north of the intersection of Neff Road and Erhart Road. As the tornado continued moving southeastward, large hardwood tree branches were snapped at the intersection of Spieth Road and Lester Road along Mallet Creek. At a nearby farm on Lester Road, about 0.5 miles south of Spieth Road, a small outbuilding lost its roof panels. The EF0 tornado traveled farther southeastward and as it entered Medina, large hardwood tree branches were broken at the intersection of West Smith Road and South Huntington Street, while minor roof damage occurred at a plaza along the north side of Lafayette Road, between South Huntington Street and South Elmwood Street. The tornado dissipated at the intersection of Wadsworth Road and Smokerise Drive in Medina, where softwood trees were uprooted. No fatalities or injuries occurred.
Multiple trees down about 1.3 miles south of Valley City.
Pine trees down along Jackson Road in Moreland Hills. Some of these trees were snapped and others were uprooted.
Trained spotter reported 64 mph peak wind gust from thunderstorm six miles west of Brunswick.
Trained spotter tweeted picture showing a house had portions of its roof and siding ripped off five miles northwest of Medina.
Approximately 40 trees down at Ridge Top Golf Course along Tower Road near Medina.
Tweet with picture of quarter-size hail one mile WNW of Warren.
Tweet with picture showing several trees down in Copley.
Several trees down one mile southwest of Wadsworth.
Large tree fell onto a car in Stow. Three utility poles were also knocked down at the same location. Facebook message provided photo of this damage.
Eight trees down at the corner of OH 94 and Eastern Road in far-southeastern Medina County, south of Wadsworth.
Received Facebook reports and a trained spotter report of penny-size to quarter-size hail in Sylvania, the Old Orchard Neighborhood in Toledo, and West Toledo.
An EF1 tornado began at a baseball diamond complex along Yonkers Road, about 0.25 miles northwest of Newton Park in Barberton. As the tornado moved southeastward through Barberton, softwood trees were uprooted between Morgan Street and West Summit Street, just west of Orchard Ave, and along Grandview Ave, just northwest of the intersection with 5th Street NE. Farther to the southeast in Barberton, the tornado uprooted several hardwood trees which then fell onto and damaged three homes along Wisteria Drive. As the tornado progressed through the Portage Lakes area, at least 200 trees were lost in the Bramblewood Estates, between Quail Ridge Circle and OH 619. Nearby, softwood and hardwood trees were either snapped or uprooted at and near Turkeyfoot Lake Golf Links. The tornado then entered Green, where hardwood trees were uprooted along Arlington Road, about 0.10 miles south of Harring Road, and along Golden Wood Way, where a tree fell onto a garage and caused extensive damage to the home. Farther to the southeast, the tornado snapped multiple softwood trees at a cemetery along Thursby Road and peeled away portions of a barn's roof along Thursby Road, just south of Greensburg Road. Soon thereafter, the tornado dissipated at the intersection of Thursby Road and Discovery Road. No fatalities or injuries occurred.
Tweet reporting penny-size hail in Austintown.
Trained spotter reported three pine trees down, one power pole snapped, and a HAM radio tower bent over about two miles southeast of Doylestown. About three miles southeast of Doylestown, the public reported multiple trees down and areas of roof damage.
Trained spotter reported peak gust of 58 mph from thunderstorm.
Partial roof removal at a building in New Franklin.
Tweet with picture of football field press box toppled and destroyed. This happened at Northwest High School in Canal Fulton.
Several trees down one mile east of Green.
Facebook message with photo showed several trees down in North Lawrence.
Trained spotter reported penny-size hail in New Franklin.
Several trees down and garage damaged in Dalton.
Trained spotter reported penny-size hail in Willard.
Facebook report of quarter-size hail in Canal Fulton.
Facebook video of six large pine trees down along Beaumont Avenue NW on the northwest side of Massillon.
Akron-Canton Airport (KCAK) ASOS recorded 68 mph peak gust from thunderstorm.
This EF0 tornado began at the intersection of Lincoln Way W and 26th Street NW in Massillon, where hardwood trees were uprooted. As the tornado moved southeastward, ten turbine fans were ripped off the roof of a warehouse at Shearer's Stark Distribution Center on Phoenix Avenue SE in Massillon. Farther along the tornado's path, it uprooted trees and destroyed a barn at a farm along Kemary Avenue SW, about 0.9 miles south-southwest of Richville. The tornado progressed southeastward toward East Sparta. As it approached the town, softwood trees were uprooted along Downing Street SW, about 0.2 miles east-southeast of Briggle Avenue SW. In addition, a home lost a portion of its roof about 0.25 miles west-northwest of the intersection of Ridge Avenue SE and Farber Street SE. Afterward, the EF0 tornado veered toward the south-southeast. Softwood trees were uprooted along Chestnut Avenue SE, about 0.5 miles south of downtown East Sparta. The tornado uprooted more softwood trees about 0.1 miles north-northwest of the intersection of OH 800 and Steele Drive NE before moving into Tuscarawas County. No fatalities or injuries occurred.
Tweet with photo showing large tree branches downed onto house.
Trees down where Lincoln Way NW intersects 28th Street NW, 20th Street NW, and 17th Street NW. Large uprooted tree at Erie Street S and Forest Avenue SE. Considering the nearby tornado was no more than 100 yards wide, this tree damage in Massillon was likely related to straight-line winds.
Multiple structures damaged and a couple warehouses heavily damaged in Ellsworth, where US 224 intersects OH 45.
Public reported quarter-size hail two miles NW of McDonald.
Tweet with photo of several trees uprooted at Flying B Golf Course about six miles ENE of Beloit.
Multiple trees down in Navarre. Several dozen pine trees snapped or uprooted at the corner of Beth Avenue and Seeman Street SW in Bethlehem Township (i.e. 2 miles southeast of Navarre).
Several trees down one mile southeast of Hills and Dales.
At least ten pine trees down four miles SSE of Perry Heights.
Trained spotters reported quarter-size hail in North Canton and Louisville.
Trained spotter estimated 60 mph peak gust from thunderstorm in Louisville.
Trained spotter reported quarter-size hail in Canton.
Trained spotter estimated 60 mph peak wind gust from a thunderstorm in Canton.
Trained spotter reported quarter-size hail four miles south of Canton.
Road blocked by downed trees in Magnolia.
Trained spotter estimated 60 mph peak wind gust from thunderstorm four miles south of Canton.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Ohio in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Ohio, 2020Warnings in Ohio, April 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: 887389, 887390, 887393, 887699, 887700, 887102, 887394, 887116, 887798, 887799, 887800, 887802, 887803, 887395, 887804, 887805, 887807, 887806, 887397, 887126, 887396, 887808, 887810, 887811, 887812, 887813, 887814, 887399, 887809, 887400, 887401, 887815, 887816, 887128, 887817, 887818, 887819, 887402, 887821, 888305, and more.