Marine Thunderstorm Wind · Lake Ontario

After several days of oppressive heat and humidity, the atmosphere was ripe for thunderstorms. A mesoscale convective system (MCS) blossomed over Michigan during the afternoon hours and tracked eastward. It began to weaken while transitting Canada, but it still packed a punch as it reached far western New York. Even during the late evening, dewpoints in the lower 70s aided in producing a very unstable environment. Higher dewpoints were concentrated near Lake Erie and the Pennsylvania state line with another bubble near the western end of Lake Ontario. As this MCS drew closer to our region, it drew upon this instability and produced several thunderstorm line segments. These structures were greatest over Lake Erie and its shoreline, as well as Lake Ontario and in Niagara and Orleans counties. Well defined outflow boundaries were exhibited with these storms. As activity pushed inland, it weakened quickly.