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, 1 hour 41 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.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
448 PM EDT SAT MAY 23 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0446 PM TSTM WND GST KRID RICHMOND APT 39.76N 84.84W
05/23/2020 M52 MPH WAYNE IN AWOS
&&
KCPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
459 PM EDT SAT MAY 23 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0458 PM HEAVY RAIN 2 NE ALPINE 39.57N 85.15W
05/23/2020 M0.58 INCH FAYETTE IN CO-OP OBSERVER
STORM TOTAL
&&
JEGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
506 PM EDT SAT MAY 23 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0433 PM TSTM WND DMG 5 NE LIBERTY 39.68N 84.87W
05/23/2020 UNION IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
REPORT OF SOME TREES DOWN ON KITCHEL ROAD. OFFICERS
DISPATCHED TO INVESTIGATE. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
&&
JEGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
513 PM EDT SAT MAY 23 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0449 PM TSTM WND GST 2 ESE KRID RICHMOND APT 39.74N 84.81W
05/23/2020 M48 MPH WAYNE IN TRAINED SPOTTER
MEASURED WITH A HANDHELD ANEMOMETER ON THE INDIANA OHIO
STATE LINE ON 122.
&&
JEGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
521 PM EDT SAT MAY 23 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0521 PM HEAVY RAIN 4 S CHEVIOT 39.10N 84.61W
05/23/2020 M0.75 INCH HAMILTON OH COCORAHS
STORM TOTAL
&&
JEGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
545 PM EDT SAT MAY 23 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0545 PM HEAVY RAIN CENTERVILLE 39.82N 85.00W
05/23/2020 M1.02 INCH WAYNE IN TRAINED SPOTTER
STORM TOTAL
&&
JEGThe Cincinnati radar (KILN), 60 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:53 UTC.
8 hail, 6 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Multiple large limbs were downed along Asbury Hills Drive in Anderson Township.
In addition to the hail, a large tree was also knocked down onto a driveway.
The wind gust was measured on a personal weather station.
A very large tree was downed.
A large tree was downed onto a house.
A large tree was downed near the intersection of Cole Road and Cherry Lane.
A few trees were downed near the 4900 block of Wahlsburg East Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Ohio in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, 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: 882791, 882792, 882804, 882793, 882794, 882795, 882796, 882797, 882798, 882799, 882800, 882801, 882802, 882803.