Power Outage in Lorain, OH

An Arctic cold front swept through the area around 1 AM December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of moderate to heavy snow occurred behind the front into the early morning hours of December 23rd with rates up to 1��� per hour between 5:00 and 8:00 AM. Snow then became much lighter through the remainder of the morning. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 45 MPH through the day. At Lorain County Airport a peak gust of 54 MPH was measured at 2:26 PM December 23rd. A mesonet station in Avon Lake clocked a 50 MPH gust at 9:00 PM that day. These winds led to tree damage and power-outages, with over 3500 customers without power in the county at the peak of the storm. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn���t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. At the Lorain County airport, wind gusts over 35 MPH with visibility in falling/blowing snow at or below one-quarter of a mile was observed continuously from 8:12 AM through 4:45 PM December 23rd, meaning blizzard conditions were observed. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Numerous minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th. Over a dozen of these accidents resulted in at least minor injuries. Wind chills plunged below 0F around 7 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0F until early in the morning December 26th. A minimum wind chill of -32F was measured at Lorain County airport at 12:53 PM December 23rd. Elsewhere, mesonet stations in Kipton and Lorain measured minimum wind chills of -34F at 10:20 AM and 11:15 AM respectively. In response, a warming center was opened at Lorain High School. An indirect fatality resulted on December 24th when a man with underlying health conditions died while shoveling snow in the cold conditions. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. A trained spotter measured 3.7��� of snow near Oberlin. Another trained spotter measured 3.1��� of snow in Elyria. CoCoRaHS observers measured 3.5��� of snow near North Ridgeville and 2.0��� of snow near Avon.

Tree downed onto power lines and car along East River Road in Sheffield. Photo did not show any discernable damage to car.

A wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain developed during the afternoon hours on February 17th and continued for several hours into the evening before changing to snow. Snow continued steadily through much of the night before tapering to more intermittent lake effect snow showers through the morning hours of February 18th. Winds gusted up to 35 MPH at times. Ice accumulations of 0.10 to 0.20��� occurred, which resulted in some downed tree limbs and power-outages when combined with the gusty winds. Poor travel conditions and auto accidents were reported. Trained spotters reported 2.8��� of snow in North Ridgeville and 2.7��� of snow in Elyria with this storm.

Rain changed over to snow during the afternoon hours of November 30 in North Central Ohio, as low pressure moved just east of the area. During the early morning hours of December 1, heavy, wet snow overspread the region with visibility dropping to one-quarter of a mile or less and snowfall rates up to one inch per hour. Travel was severely disrupted by this storm as heavy snow quickly accumulated on area roadways and any pre-treatment efforts were hampered by rain earlier on November 30. Due to the heavy, wet nature of the snow and only modest wind speeds of 10 to 15 mph, blowing and drifting snow was not a big issue during this event. However, snow easily collected on area trees, especially area evergreen trees, and the weight of the snow allowed for trees to fall onto area roads, power lines, and even some buildings. Schools and several businesses closed on December 1 and 2 due to the weather conditions. Ten cars of a train also derailed in Amherst on the afternoon of December 1 due to the snow. In Lorain County, snowfall totals ranged from generally 6 to 15 inches of snow for the event. A peak total of 15.2 inches of snow was observed in North Ridgeville. Other selected snowfall totals include: 14.4 inches in Elyria, 11.5 inches in Oberlin, and 6 inches in Wellington. Lesser amounts occurred near the immediate lakeshore with only 4.7 inches in Sheffield Lake.

Seven power poles down along Baumhart Road, between US-6 and OH-2. This is between Vermilion and Lorain.

Numerous trees and power poles down in Lorain and two miles north of Lorain. Time estimated via radar.

Wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph downed trees, large limbs and power lines throughout the county. Scattered power outages were also reported. A peak wind gust of 63 mph was recorded on an automated wind sensor at Lorain County Airport.

Lorain County Airport reported a 67 mph wind gust at 11:35 am local time. Numerous trees, power lines, and power poles were reported down across the county, including one tree into a home in Elyria. Several thousand were without power on the 24th into the 25th.

A line of thunderstorms moved off of Lake Erie and caused damage from Lorain east along the lake shore to Sheffield Lake. Many trees were down, including some on houses. Power outages were reported across the area. Wind gusts were estimated to be at least 60 mph.

Thunderstorm winds downed several trees along Baumhart Road south of State Route 113. Power outages were reported in the area.

A line of thunderstorms moved off of Lake Erie and caused damage from Lorain east along the lake shore to Sheffield Lake. Many trees were down, including some on houses. Power outages were reported across the area. Wind gusts were estimated to be at least 60 mph.

A fast moving line of thunderstorms produced significant straight line wind damage across southeastern Lorain County. Maximum wind gust speeds were estimated to be at least 85 mph. A lot damage was reported in the LaGrange area with dozens of trees downed and many homes and buildings damaged. Most of the building damage was from lost roofing or siding but one business had an exterior wall collapse. A home along Main Street in Lagrange was heavily damaged by a fallen tree. A school building also sustained some roof damage. A whole row of utility poles was snapped south of Lagrange along State Route 301. Many trees, limbs and utility poles were also reported down in the Grafton, Eaton Estates and Columbia Station areas. State Routes 83, 301 and 303 had to be closed because of fallen trees and downed power lines. Many other county roads and streets were also blocked. Over 10,000 electric customers lost power from the storm with full restoration taking over two days. There were reports of many vehicles being damaged by flying debris and fallen trees and limbs. Some of the school districts in the county closed on November 6th.

A fast moving line of thunderstorms produced significant straight line wind damage across southeastern Lorain County. Maximum wind gust speeds were estimated to be at least 85 mph. A lot damage was reported in the LaGrange area with dozens of trees downed and many homes and buildings damaged. Most of the building damage was from lost roofing or siding but one business had an exterior wall collapse. A home along Main Street in Lagrange was heavily damaged by a fallen tree. A school building also sustained some roof damage. A whole row of utility poles was snapped south of Lagrange along State Route 301. Many trees, limbs and utility poles were also reported down in the Grafton, Eaton Estates and Columbia Station areas. State Routes 83, 301 and 303 had to be closed because of fallen trees and downed power lines. Many other county roads and streets were also blocked. Over 10,000 electric customers lost power from the storm with full restoration taking over two days. There were reports of many vehicles being damaged by flying debris and fallen trees and limbs. Some of the school districts in the county closed on November 6th.

Thunderstorm winds downed a tree near Grafton and another just east of Eaton Estates. Power outages were reported in the area.

Highs downed trees, large limbs and power lines throughout Lorain County. Scattered power outages were reported.

Interstate 71 corridor during the evening hours. A three to five hour period of freezing rain occurred from the Marion area northeast through the Bucyrus, Mansfield and Ashland areas to as far north as Sandusky, Lorain and Elyria. The first report of freezing rain occurred around 8 pm and the last around 3 am on the 18th. During that time more than a quarter inch of freezing rain was reported in nine counties, including Lorain County. A few accidents and some power outages were reported during the event.

Winds estimated to be 60 mph downed a few trees and power lines in Lorain County. Scattered power outages were reported. A peak measured gust of 51 mph was measured by an automated sensor at the Lorain County Airport at 1045 am.

A series of thunderstorms rolled in off Lake Erie during the early morning hours of June 23. Between 5 am and 6 am three separate storms hit northeast Lorain and northwest Cuyahoga Counties with heavy rain and strong winds. The radar estimates rainfall amounts of around 2.5 to 3 inches in a little less than two hours. The rainfall rates spiked to over 5 inches per hour during the height of the storm dropping 2.5 inches in 30 minutes. This intense rainfall overwhelmed storm drainage systems resulting in widespread basement flooding which started before widespread power outages. Some homes on Lake Road had up to five feet of water in their basements. Bay Village received between 2.8 to 3.5 of rain during about a two hour time period which resulted in over 400 homes with basement flooding. The heavy rain fell on ground that was already saturated which exasperated the flooding conditions. The Water Treatment Plant was forced to dump untreated sewage directly into Lake Erie in order alleviate flooding into residences. Interstate 90 in Rocky River was closed in both directions due to flooding and standing water. There were no official rain gauges located in the band of heaviest rainfall. The nearby gauges at Westlake and Sheffield Lake reported 1.80 and 1.90 respectively.

High winds in excess of 60 mph downed trees and power lines throughout Lorain County. A two story building in Elyria sustained extensive roof damage. Many other homes and buildings in the county lost roofing or siding. Scattered power outages were reported.

Thunderstorm winds downed over a dozen trees and large limbs. Scattered power outages were reported.

The ASOS at the Lorain County Airport reported a wind gust of 52 knots. Power outages were also reported.

Mixed precipitation spread across the area early on the 12th and then transitioned to snow from west to east. Much of the area also saw a period of freezing rain. The snow increased in intensity during the late morning hours with visibilities less than one half mile. North to northeast winds increased as the low passed to the south of the area. Winds gusted to more than 40 mph during the early afternoon hours. Winds continued to gust to more than 30 mph through the evening hours. The strong winds combined with the snow to create significant blowing and drifting and very treacherous driving conditions. Snowfall totals of more than 6 inches were reported along with a glaze of ice in many areas. Schools across most of northern Ohio were closed on the 12th and the evening commute was very difficult. Dozens of accidents and a some power outages were reported.

Winds gusted to as much as 60 mph behind a strong cold front. Many trees were downed across the northern half of Lorain County. Some power outages were reported.

Winds in Lorain County gusted to over 60 mph for a few hours. A peak gust of 63 mph was measured by an automated sensor at the Lorain County Airport. Hundreds of trees were downed in the county with most of the damage near the Lake Erie shoreline. Up to 30,000 electric customers lost power. There were reports of trees on houses and vehicles. Many homes also lost sections of roofing and siding. A lot of streets had to be closed because of downed trees and power lines.

A couple of trees and a few power lines were downed across the county.

An area of low pressure tracked slowly east across the Ohio Valley on February 20th and 21st. A warm front stretching east from this low moved north into northern Ohio on the 20th and caused freezing rain to develop from west to east during the evening hours. The freezing rain continued for several hours and then ended just before daybreak on the 21st. Ice accumulations of between one quarter and one third of an inch were reported in Lorain County. At the peak of the storm, over 80,000 people were without power in northern Ohio. It took nearly a full day for the power outages to be completely restored. Many schools not already closed for the President's Day Holiday either canceled or delayed classes on the 21st.

Three waves of wintry precipitation were associated with this storm across northern Ohio. Snow began in Lorain County around midnight on February 1st. A four to six hour period of moderate to heavy snow occurred with accumulations of 4 to 6 inches. Most of the daylight hours of the 1st were quiet with just some light snow and patchy freezing drizzle reported. The second wave of precipitation began during the late afternoon and evening hours. Most of this was mixed freezing rain and sleet. Ice accumulations of over a quarter inch along with an inch or more of sleet accumulation occurred. This mixture coated area roads and streets and resulted in treacherous travel. A few power outages were reported on 2nd. Wrap around snow behind the low affected northern Ohio during the daylight hours of the 2nd. Much of the area saw between one and three inches of snow. Many schools were closed on the 1st and 2nd.

A strong cold front moved across Lorain County just before noon on December 9th. Southwest winds behind the front rapidly increased with gusts in excess of 45 mph by early afternoon. Gusts continued to increase the remainder of the afternoon with peak gusts of around 60 mph reported during the late afternoon hours. Winds continued to gust to as much as 50 mph through 10 pm. A 58 mph wind gust was measured at the Lorain County Airport near Elyria at 4:31 pm. The high winds downed a few trees and utility poles in Lorain County. Scattered power outages were reported. Some homes and buildings in the county sustained minor damage. Most of this was from lost siding or roofing.

A strong cold front moved across Lorain County during the evening of February 11th. West to southwest winds gusted to more than 60 mph behind the front. A peak gust of 64 mph was measured at the Lorain County Airport near Elyria at 2 am. Winds finally diminished a couple hours before daybreak on the 12th. Hundreds of trees and a few utility poles were downed in the county causing scattered power outages. Many buildings in the county sustained damage. Most of this was from lost shingles, but a few buildings lost gutters or sections of siding. a large tree fell on a home in the City of Lorain and caused significant damage. A large barn was leveled just north of Brighton.

An automated wind sensor at the Lorain County Airport measured a 60 mph wind gust at 6:06 pm. A few trees and large limbs were downed. A few small power outages were also reported.

Precipitation began as a mix of snow and sleet during the overnight hours into the 19th, then quickly changed over to freezing rain. Freezing rain continued for several hours prior to daybreak. A quarter inch of ice was reported just after daybreak. However, with temperatures right around freezing impacts from the ice were minimal. In fact, shortly after sunrise temperatures rose above freezing allowing for a changeover to rain, and any ice quickly melted. A few accidents were reported, but no major power outages in the area.

High winds associated with the remnants of Hurricane Ike began during the early evening hours of September 14th and continued through late evening. A peak wind gust of 71 mph was measured by an automated sensor at the Lorain County Airport near Elyria at 6:04 PM EDT. Damage in the county was extensive with thousands of trees and many utility poles downed. A twelve year old boy riding his bike in Lorain was killed around 6:30 PM EDT. The boy was struck by a falling tree limb and sustained fatal head injuries. In Lorain, a 37 year old female was hospitalized with injuries sustained when her moving vehicle was struck by a falling tree limb. Widespread power outages occurred in the county with some customers without power for several days. Many homes and buildings were damaged. The damage ranged from a few shingles torn off to significant structural damage caused by fallen trees landing on roofs. Numerous vehicles were damaged by fallen trees and limbs and also from flying debris. This storm hampered travel as downed trees and power lines forced the closure of many roads. Substantial clean up costs were incurred by local governments. Many of the schools in the county were forced to close on Monday the 15th because of the power outages. Significant crop losses occurred as well. Corn yields were reduced between 3 and 5 percent in many areas with lesser losses to the soybean crop.

A mixture of sleet and snow began in Lorain County just before dawn on March 4th. This mixture changed to freezing rain around daybreak which then continued through the evening hours. Conditions quickly deteriorated after sunset as surface temperatures dropped off a few degrees. Over a quarter inch of ice accumulation was reported on roads and sidewalks by early evening with over half an inch of ice accumulation on trees and power poles. Thunder and lightning were reported between 6 and 7 pm. The freezing rain ended just before midnight on the 5th with light snow developing during the early morning hours of the 5th. The snow tapered to flurries during the morning hours of the 5th after an inch or two of accumulation. Many accidents and scattered power outages were reported during this event. A few trees and limbs were reported down across the county as well.

Three power poles were reported down, and wires were in the road. Also, a large limb was reported down.

One large tree was reported down and a power pole was snapped just south of Rochester.

Numerous trees, power poles, and power lines were reported down across central and northern parts of the county. Around 1200 customers throughout Lorain County were without power during the afternoon and evening hours of the 28th.

Numerous trees, large limbs, and power lines were reported down.

One tree and a few large limbs and power lines were reported down.

Several large trees and power lines were reported down.

A line of severe thunderstorms moved across Lorain County and downed downed trees and large limbs countywide. A spotter measured a 61 mph gusts in Amherst. Scattered power outages occurred.

A line of severe thunderstorms moved across Lorain County before daybreak causing widespread damage and power outages. The Elyria and Lorain areas were very hard hit with dozens of trees downed in both cities. A 65 mph thunderstorm gust was measured at Elyria at 5:00 a.m. Many trees were also downed elsewhere in the county. A home was heavily damaged in Avon with several other buildings in the county sustaining minor damage. Dozens of cars were damaged and as many as 26,000 customers lost power during the storm.

Thunderstorm winds downed trees in Wellington, Lorain and Elyria. Four power poles were also downed near Elyria.

A line of thunderstorms producing winds estimated at 60 mph moved across the county prior to daybreak. Dozens of trees were downed in Lorain, Amherst, Elyria and Vermilion. Two power poles were also knocked down and a car in Amherst was severely damaged by a fallen tree.

Thunderstorm winds downed trees in Lorain, Columbia Station and Eaton Township. Several power poles were also snapped along State Route 82 in Eaton Township.

A 58 mph thunderstorm gust was measured at the Lorain County Airport. Several trees were downed in Elyria, Avon and North Ridgeville. Two power poles were also snapped in North Ridgeville and a chimney was knocked off of a house in Elyria.

An area of low pressure moved northeast across Ohio during the afternoon and evening hours of December 17th spreading rain across the area. As the low moved out over Lake Erie during the evening, a cold front moved east across northern Ohio. Enough cold air filtered into north central Ohio behind the front to cause the rain to change to freezing rain before it quit. This change occurred mainly west of the Interstate 71 corridor during the evening hours. A three to five hour period of freezing rain occurred from the Marion area northeast through the Bucyrus, Mansfield and Ashland areas to as far north as Sandusky, Lorain and Elyria. The first report of freezing rain occurred around 8 pm and the last around 3 am on the 18th. During that time more than a quarter inch of freezing rain was reported in nine counties. Automated sensors at Mansfield Lahm Airport (Richland County) and the Marion County Airport reported over a half inch of freezing rain. Rainfall totals and ice accumulations quickly tapered off the further north and east you went from those sites. Further west, the rain ended before changing to freezing rain. Little or no freezing rain was reported west of the U.S. Highway 23 corridor. A few accidents and some power outages were reported during the event.

A strong cold front extending south from an area of very deep low pressure over the northern Great Lakes swept east across northern Ohio during the afternoon hours of October 26th. Showers and thunderstorms developed in advance of the front. A few of the stronger thunderstorms became severe and produced damaging wind gusts. Damaging high winds also occurred behind the front as the area of low pressure passed to the north of the area. Many trees were downed across northern Ohio and scattered power outages were reported.

A strong cold front moved east across northern Ohio during the afternoon and early evening hours of December 24th. Gusty winds occurred behind this front. Peak winds at most locations were between 45 and 50 mph. However, a few higher gusts were recorded by automated wind sensors. A few trees and power lines were reported down.