Monitoring Tsunami Impacts Across the Pacific; Air Quality Concerns; Dangerous Heat; Critical Fire Weather for the West

Tsunami impacts continue for portions of the Pacific basin. Wildfire smoke causes unhealthy air in Midwest to Great Lakes. Heat dome spans Mississippi Valley to Mid-Atlantic with excessive heat warnings and advisories. Critical fire weather in Great Basin to Pacific Northwest (dry thunderstorms). Cold front spawns severe storms/heavy rain in Central U.S. today, shifts to East Coast Thursday. Read More >

February 11, 2009
Severe Weather & High Winds

Unseasonably warm air across the Ohio Valley came to an abrupt end on the 11th of February, 2009, as a cold front approached the region. An intense line of convection developed ahead of the front, stretching from Indiana and Ohio into the Gulf Coast states. There were numerous reports of winds above severe criteria (58 MPH). One complex of showers and storms near the Cincinnati area also produced marginally severe hail.

Behind the cold front, very strong winds funneled into the region from the west and northwest, and atmospheric conditions led to these winds easily reaching the surface. Virtually the entire region experienced gusts above 50 MPH, with gusts above 60 MPH not being uncommon. The highest recorded wind was a gust to 76 MPH in Darke County, Ohio.