Severe Thunderstorm Watches Issued; Severe Thunderstorms with Hail, Destructive Winds Will Move Through Ohio Valley and Northeast Friday

Brian Donegan
Published: July 7,2017
Severe thunderstorms are likely in portions of the Northeast and Ohio Valley on Friday, possibly featuring destructive straight-line winds and large hail.
(MORE: Tornado Central | View National Interactive Radar Map)
A pair of squall lines pushed through parts of Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia with strong winds Thursday afternoon into the evening. Many reports of tree damage came in from these states, but in many cases, the trees were weakened by heavy rainfall over the last week or so. Some power lines were also taken down.
A roof was blown off in Fayetteville, Ohio along with 5-6 trees that were downed.

Storm reports on July 7th, 2017.

Flooding became an issue for residents in northern and central Indiana Friday afternoon. Widespread flooding was reported in the southwestern portion of Marshall County, especially near Lake Maxinkuckee. Two to five inches of rain was reported in the northern half of the state.
Early Friday morning, a man died when a large tree fell on a home in Grand Haven, Michigan. A wind gust of 91 mph was measured just west of Grand Haven. Numerous trees and power lines were downed from near Muskegon, Michigan to south of Lansing.

Setup

An area of low pressure and its associated cold front are pushing southeastward through the Northeast, providing some of the lift needed to aid in thunderstorm formation.
Muggy conditions will shift into the coastal Northeast by early afternoon Saturday, which should add more buoyancy for storms to grow.

One con for severe weather chances on Saturday continues to be the possibility that not enough heating will become available for thunderstorm formation.
Below is our latest forecast thinking on the timing and magnitude of the severe threats.

Severe Weather Forecast

Saturday

• Forecast: A few strong to locally severe thunderstorms are possible in the afternoon and evening hours in parts of New England. 
• Threats: Damaging wind gusts are the main threat, but hail and an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out. 
• Cities: Boston | Concord, New Hampshire | Portland, Maine

Saturday's Thunderstorm Forecast

Thursday's Storm Reports

The town of Trempealeau, Wisconsin was hammered Thursday evening by very large hail. Windshields and windows were smashed by hail as large as 3.5 inches in diameter, or larger than tea cups.

Large hail was reported elsewhere across western Wisconsin, including a report of tennis ball size hail near Centerville, Wisconsin and two-inch hail near Marshland, Wisconsin.
Severe storms produced widespread tree damage in Ogemaw County, Michigan, southwest of Alpena, Thursday afternoon. Power lines were also downed on the south side of Clear Lake, according to county law enforcement.

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