1. January 9th- 14th: All Four Seasons in Just Five Days
Starting on that Monday, we saw bitter cold temperatures. It was no surprise that we started off Tuesday morning with snow. Then things took a turn on the crazy side. By mid-morning on Tuesday we had a layer of ice across the Valley. Freezing rain advisories prompted 98 school closings or delays.
Wednesday a wind storm came through, knocking down trees. Plus the rain washed away most of the snow. Thursday we saw Severe Thunderstorm Warnings issued for our viewing area. Some areas saw up to two inches of rain. The rain continued Friday which flooded major roads and trapped drivers in their cars.
http://wkbn.com/2017/01/13/some-roads-closed-following-heavy-rains/
2. February 12th: Severe Thunderstorm Warnings and Winter Weather Warnings
In a bizarre turn of events, on February 12th we had a Winter Weather Warning for Mercer County and Severe Thunderstorm Warning for the southern half of our viewing area. There were reported wind gusts of 58 mph at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport.
There were also reported trees down in Sharpsville, Wellsville, and throughout Lawrence County. After that portions of the Valley received several inches of snow within twenty-four hours.
3. March 8th: High Winds Cause Widespread Damage.
Breezy was an understatement this day. We saw strong winds tear through the Valley toppling trees all over the place. The crazy part about this event was that we also saw sunny skies. No city in the Valley was left untouched by the strong winds. Gusts were reported up to 60-70 mph in Northeast Ohio.
http://wkbn.com/2017/03/08/heavy-winds-causing-some-damage-across-mahoning-valley/
At on point over 100,000 customers were without power. There was a travel ban for large semi-trucks because some were being blown over.
4. April 30th: Microburst Hits Boardman
Just around 4:00 in the afternoon, calls started pouring into the weather center about a tornado that went through Boardman. There were several reports of trees down and structures that had been damage. After looking at radar and initial pictures it was quickly determined that this was not a tornado, but a microburst.
Winds up to 100 mph rushed through an area about a mile and a half in length and width. The damage can be identified as a microburst due to the direction. All the trees where laying in the same direction indicating straight line winds. Other damage that occurred was the Southern Park Mall sign was destroyed and trailers in the Home Depot parking lot were toss around like matchbox cars.
http://wkbn.com/2017/04/30/web-weather-extra-what-was-it-that-hit-boardman/
5. May 1st: Severe Weather Outbreak Across Mahoning Valley
Only a day after the Microburst the entire Valley was gearing up for another severe weather outbreak. This time there were damage reports from Columbiana to Trumbull County. The storm had several signatures of rotation imbedded in the storm, but no tornadoes were produced.
The high winds took off roofs, destroyed small structures, and toppled trees everywhere. This was the most documented storm of the year with viewer videos pouring into the weather center.
http://wkbn.com/2017/05/01/cleanup-continues-monday-following-sunday-storms/
6. August 4th: Girard Severe Thunderstorm Damage
This event was isolated, but caused a major impacted to two blocks in Girard. Most people were unaffected by the storm. However, there was one phone call I received about an apparent tornado. I went out there and surveyed the damage, and found that this was only straight line wind damage.
This was an example of people reacting to what they saw and felt. The article I wrote about the storm that day highlights truth about what happened, but how people react to weather differently.
7. August 17th: Tornado Touched Down in Trumbull County
The NWS in Cleveland would later confirm an EF-1 tornado touched touched down near Fowler Center, Ohio. The tornado had winds up to 90 mph. You can see the final details of the storm here: Final Details on Trumbull County Tornado
8. August 21st: Valley Watches Solar Eclipse
One of highlights of the year, in both news and weather, has to be the Solar Eclipse. The Valley saw almost 80% totality at the peak of the Eclipse.
Not only was this a big deal for the Valley, but this was a big event for the entire nation. Resident in Northeast Ohio are also excited because we will be in complete totality for the next Solar Eclipse on April 8th, 2024.
http://wkbn.com/2017/08/21/photos-solar-eclipse-in-the-valley/
9. September 23rd-27th: Record Breaking Heat Wave.
HOT HOT HOT! It is not that uncommon to see a ninety degree day every once and a while here. Not only did we see one day in the 90s, but we saw four! Not to mention that this heat wave was in the end of September and each day we either broke or tied a new daily high record.
10. November 6th: Apparent Tornado Hits Boardman
Last but certainly not least, the apparent tornado in Boardman. After reviewing the event with the National Weather Service in Cleveland it was determined that this very well could have been a brief spin up. However, just like in football, you need indisputable evidence to overturn a call and I don’t know if it was enough on paper. Here is my survey of the event:
The damage from the storm was roughly two miles long and a quarter mile in width. The most noticeable damage was the blown off roof at Sweeney Buick and roof damage at Ethan Allen. On top of those businesses, countless homes had roof and structural damage.
http://wkbn.com/2017/11/06/weather-service-winds-not-tornado-appeared-to-cause-boardmans-damage/
Meteorologist Matt Jones 