Showers and thunderstorms developed in the warm and unstable airmass of a low pressure system before a cold front moved through.
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.
Showers and thunderstorms developed in the warm and unstable airmass of a low pressure system before a cold front moved through.
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 16, 2:27 PM EST, 5 hours 4 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wilmington OH 327 PM EDT Fri May 16 2025 .SYNOPSIS... Low pressure over the upper Midwest state and a trailing cold front will bring thunderstorms this evening. High pressure will offer breezy and mild conditions heading into the weekend. An upper level low will bring cloudy and cooler weather early next week. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM SATURDAY MORNING/... Vigorous upper level low over the upper Midwest will combine with elevated wind field to bring a severe storm threat this evening. EML apparent on GOES Channel 10 imagery is shifting east from the middle Mississippi Valley into the Ohio Valley this afternoon. This is providing mid-level lapse rates from 7-8 degC per km. This, combined with warm, humid conditions at the surface will be leading to SBCAPE around or possibly exceeding 3000J/kg. The enhanced southwesterly to westerly flow aloft will bring effective bulk shear in the range of 50-60 knots. Current radar mosaic shows supercells in a north-south line crossing the Mississippi River around STL. Latest CAMs including the HRRR and MPAS grow these storms upscale into a QLCS -- with the potential for a few discreet supercells ahead of it -- nearing our western counties around 7-8PM. Based on the predicted environment, all hazards will be possible with these storms, with straight line winds being the biggest concern. Fast forward motion will likely result in the storms exiting our eastern counties by around midnight or shortly after. The rest of the night should be relatively quiet with low temperatures dropping to around 60 in the rain-cooled air. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/... Trailing surface cold front will push through the region Saturday morning. In its wake, westerly winds will gust to 25-35 mph at times. Mostly sunny skies will allow high temperatures to rise to the upper 60s in the northwest to lower-middle 70s in the southeast. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... Mid level ridge will translate into the area early in the period, but there are a number of models that show a weak short wave moving through the ridge which could result in some showers making into the Tri-State on Monday. The ridge will get pinched off as a low tracks east out of the central Plains on Tuesday. This low will get absorbed into another low retrograding across southeast Canada on Wednesday. The large merged low will then pivot eastward Thursday night into Friday. This evolution will lead to several days of wet weather, with some improvement late in the week. In addition, temperatures will be below normal with Thursday looking to be the coolest day with readings 10 degrees or more below normal. && .AVIATION /19Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... Main aviation weather impact for this period will be an advancing line of storms moving through most of the terminals early this evening. While a few of the recent CAMs have backed off storm coverage, the latest HRRR as well as the MPAS still show the storms currently developing across Missouri growing upscale into a semi-continuous squall line as they reach DAY, CVG, and LUK by around 23Z-00Z. Damaging winds will be the main threat, so have kept the tempo group for this. Winds will shift more westerly behind a cold front set to arrive to the region Saturday morning. This should allow for decreasing clouds but gusty winds for the rest of the period. OUTLOOK...No significant weather expected. && .ILN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OH...None. KY...None. IN...None. && SYNOPSIS... NEAR TERM... SHORT TERM... LONG TERM... AVIATION...
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Wilmington OH 728 PM EDT Fri May 16 2025 INZ050-058-059-066-073>075-080-KYZ089>100-OHZ026-034-035-042>046- 051>056-060>065-070>074-077>082-088-171000- Wayne-Fayette-Union-Franklin-Ripley-Dearborn-Ohio-Switzerland- Carroll-Gallatin-Boone-Kenton-Campbell-Owen-Grant-Pendleton-Bracken- Robertson-Mason-Lewis-Hardin-Mercer-Auglaize-Darke-Shelby-Logan- Delaware-Miami-Champaign-Clark-Madison-Licking-Preble-Montgomery- Greene-Pickaway-Fairfield-Butler-Warren-Clinton-Ross-Hocking- Hamilton-Clermont-Brown-Highland-Adams-Pike-Scioto- 728 PM EDT Fri May 16 2025 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for east central Indiana, southeast Indiana, northeast Kentucky, northern Kentucky, central Ohio, south central Ohio, southwest Ohio and west central Ohio. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Severe storms can be expected this evening. All severe hazards are possible, including damaging winds in excess of 70 mph, very large hail, and tornadoes, some of which could be strong. In addition, locally heavy rain could result in flash flooding. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. There is a low probability for widespread hazardous weather. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are encouraged to relay severe reports to the National Weather Service.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Wilmington OH
801 PM EDT Fri May 16 2025
OHZ026-034-035-042>044-051>053-060>062-170045-
Champaign OH-Montgomery OH-Logan OH-Auglaize OH-Darke OH-Shelby OH-
Hardin OH-Preble OH-Clark OH-Mercer OH-Miami OH-Greene OH-
801 PM EDT Fri May 16 2025
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF SHELBY...WESTERN
CHAMPAIGN...NORTHERN PREBLE...WESTERN LOGAN...DARKE...NORTHWESTERN
GREENE...WESTERN CLARK...NORTHERN MONTGOMERY...WESTERN HARDIN...
AUGLAIZE...MERCER AND MIAMI COUNTIES THROUGH 845 PM EDT...
At 800 PM EDT, strong thunderstorms were located along a line
extending from 7 miles east of Monroe to near New Paris, moving east
at 60 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and half inch hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Hail may cause minor damage to
vegetation.
Locations impacted include...
Fryburg, Englewood, Casstown, Union Corners, Newbern, Bradford,
Potsdam, Chickasaw, Lockington, Darke County Airport, West Milton,
New Madison, Covington, New Knoxville, Neptune, Fort Loramie, Kiser
Lake State Park, Interstate 70 at US Route 127, Wright-Patterson Afb,
and Yellow Springs.
This includes the following Interstates...
I-70 in Ohio between mile markers 1 and 55.
I-75 in Ohio between mile markers 56 and 118.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a sturdy building.
A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 300 AM EDT for west central
Ohio.
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 3975 8380 3983 8481 4073 8480 4073 8446
4068 8445 4069 8422 4066 8422 4066 8411
4064 8411 4065 8388 4082 8388 4082 8377
TIME...MOT...LOC 0000Z 262DEG 62KT 4074 8480 3977 8480
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
ClarkThe Cincinnati radar (KILN), 113 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:28 UTC.
22 hail, 20 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Multiple trees and a utility pole were downed.
A tree was downed and a gutter was torn from a nearby residence.
Multiple trees as well as some power lines were downed. In the same area, lightning struck a utility pole, causing a nearby tree to catch on fire.
Several trees, along with power poles and lines, were downed in the area.
Several trees were downed along the roadway.
Several large trees were downed at a residence.
A large tree was downed near the roadway.
Multiple large trees were downed near the roadway.
Several tree limbs were downed.
A large tree was downed.
Multiple trees were downed.
Numerous large tree branches were downed.
A tree was downed onto the roadway.
A large healthy tree was downed. Other nearby trees had multiple limbs downed.
Several trees were downed and several other trees had large branches downed. A nearby home had roofing ductwork blown off.
Numerous trees were downed.
Numerous trees were downed.
A home and garage sustained siding damage from large hail.
A tree was downed onto a home, causing damage.
Several trees were downed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Ohio in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, May 2025
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: 1247286, 1247287, 1247288, 1247290, 1247291, 1247261, 1247259, 1247260, 1247262, 1247258, 1247257, 1247292, 1247293, 1247295, 1247294, 1247296, 1250467, 1250472, 1250471, 1247263, 1250474, 1247264, 1250473, 1247265, 1247267, 1247268, 1247270, 1247269, 1250477, 1250478, 1247271, 1247273, 1247274, 1247277, 1247278, 1247279, 1250498, 1247280, 1247282, 1247283, and more.