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Overview

A warm and moist air mass set up across the region, characterized by dew points in the lower to mid-70s and instability parameters in the moderate to strong range. Multiple rounds of strong to severe thunderstorms moved across the area Wednesday morning into Friday, with portions of the region outlooked in a SPC Enhanced Risk for two out of the three days, mainly for a damaging wind threat, though a few instances of large hail did occur, given the large instability in the hail growth zone (-10C to -30C layer). Deep layer shear was relatively weak through all three days, though modest mid-level flow around 35 to 40 knots helped to sustain generally multi-cell and cold pool-driven convection, along with nocturnal mesoscale convective systems, which helped to provide surface lifting mechanisms and enhanced low to mid-level shear profiles.

Wednesday, August 11 was characterized by having two main rounds of severe convection; one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) increased a portion of our area under an enhanced risk at the 1230 PM update. The convection in the afternoon proved to be the most widespread and strongest, with NWS CLE issuing our first 80 mph WEA-generated severe thunderstorm warning since implementation this year which was credited to saving at least one person’s life. The lakeshore areas were hit particularly hard with widespread tree damage noted.

Thursday, August 12 had two main rounds of severe convection; one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The SPC increased a portion of our area under an enhanced risk at the 1230 PM update. The strongest storms formed generally along and east of the I-77 corridor as they moved east into PA by the evening hours. Most storms exhibited mainly a damaging wind threat, though one storm produced large to very large hail across a small portion of Northwest Pennsylvania from a left-splitting cell. Golf ball-sized hail was reported in the Titusville, PA area.

Finally, Friday, August 13 had one main round of strong to severe convection in the late afternoon and evening. The main threat from this convection was damaging winds, though heavy rain also occurred, with one flood advisory issued. This was the end of a very busy weather week, with a cold front finally moving east across the region by nighttime.

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Infrared "sandwich" satellite loop (visible and infrared) of the several rounds of strong to severe convection that developed between the days of August 11 and August 13, 2021, and impacted the region.

 

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SPC 1630Z (1230 PM ET) day 1 severe thunderstorm outlooks from August 11 (left) and August 12, 2021 (right). 

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