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Back-to-Back Pacific Storms to Impact the West Coast; Heavy Snow in the Central Appalachians

Back-to-back powerful Pacific storm systems to impact the Pacific Northwest and northern California through the end of this week with heavy rain, flooding, strong winds, and higher elevation mountain snow. A strong, long-duration atmospheric river will accompany the Pacific storms, bringing excessive rainfall and flash flooding to southwest Oregon and northwest California through the week. Read More >

EF0 Tornado in Ontonagon

An assessment team from the National Weather Service in Marquette in conjunction with Ontonagon Emergency Management  surveyed storm damage that occurred in Ontonagon around 8:15 AM EDT on Friday, August 19, 2011.  The team determined the damage was caused by a weak tornado.

The tornado initially touched down at the River Pines RV Park and Campground and then skipped northeastward across the Village lifting on the east side of the Ontonagon Golf Course.   Most of the damage was confined to snapped and uprooted trees, snapped power poles, a flipped boat, minor roof damage, and some structural damage to a garage.  There were no injuries.

The tornado was on the ground for 1.5 miles and the maximum damage path width at its widest point was about 125 yards.  The preliminary maximum winds in the tornado were 85 mph which made the tornado a strong EF0 tornado on the Enhanced Fujita scale used to rate the intensity of tornadoes.

 

Shown below are the track of the tornado, radar reflectivity and pictures of the tornado damage in the Ontonagon area.  

 

Yellow line indicates the approximate tornado path through Ontonagon. 

 

 

 

Radar base reflectivity over Ontonagon and Gogebic counties on August 19, 2011.