(WKBN) – We are rolling through May with more dry days than wet and that trend looks like it will last through the end of the month. This weather forecast features more of the same as the month closes out.
To this point, we have not had a severe thunderstorm warning or a tornado warning for our area. The warnings issued for our area come from the National Weather Service located in Cleveland, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
To be specific, the NWS (National Weather Service) in Pittsburgh issues warnings for Columbiana, Lawrence and Mercer counties in our area. The NWS (National Weather Service) in Cleveland issues warnings for Trumbull and Mahoning counties.
When was the last time May finished without a warning?
To this point, our area around Youngstown, Ohio has not received a warning. This means no severe thunderstorms or tornado warnings so far.
This is rare, as May is typically the month our severe weather starts ramping up. This is the time of the year that we use our severe weather plan.
According to data from Iowa State University, the records to find these warnings only goes back to 1986. Using this data, the average number of warnings produced by the National Weather Service in Cleveland and Pittsburgh combined during the month of May is 35.
On average, 39 warnings have taken place during the month of May issued by the NWS in Cleveland and Pittsburgh combined.
So far in 2023, there have been ZERO severe thunderstorm or tornado warnings issued from either office!
Cleveland NWS averages 47 each May dating back to 1986.
Pittsburgh NWS averages 31 each May dating back to 1986.
Keep in mind, each weather service office covers a different number of counties and areas which makes a difference in the warning count.
The charts below are from Iowa State University showing the number of warnings each month throughout the year dating back to 1986.
The most active May on record, since 1986, for severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings was in 2004. The NWS in Pittsburgh issued 102 warnings. The NWS in Cleveland issued 124 warnings that year.
It has been more than 30 years since May has finished without a warning near Youngstown, Ohio
The last time there was not a severe thunderstorm or tornado warning issued, according to the data, was back in 1990! That is the only time we have made it through May within the Cleveland NWS area without a severe thunderstorm or tornado warning since 1986. This year would be the second time if we do not get a warning before the end of the month.
There are no years on record without a severe thunderstorm or tornado, warning dating back to 1986, from the NWS in Pittsburgh! That means if we do not get a severe thunderstorm or tornado warning before the end of the month issued by NWS Pittsburgh, it will be the first time since these records were kept dating back to 1986.
We will have to wait and see how the month ends to find out if we become a rare statistic in weather history across the region.
