The number of Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado Warnings in our region is among the lowest on record so far this spring.
For the most part, severe weather has been missing in the Midwest through the end of May.
Kentucky has been relatively active compared to other places with 66 reports of large hail, strong wind and tornadoes. Wisconsin has had 19 reports of wind and hail, while Ohio has had only 8.
The number of warnings issued so far this year tells a similar story.
The National Weather Service has issued only 10 warnings in Ohio, and none of them were Tornado Warnings. That’s by far the fewest since reliable warning records began in 2001. The previous record was 69 in 2009.
Wisconsin’s 22 warnings aren’t the fewest to date, but it’s good for third place. The record is a mere nine, set in 2016.
Kentucky is also seeing its third-lowest warning count, tallying 92 so far. 2001 had the fewest through May 24 when there were 73 warnings.
Even though it’s already late May, there’s still plenty of time for severe weather to ramp up. While severe weather tends to increase in the spring, the historical odds of severe weather peak across the Upper Midwest and Ohio Valley into June.
