Erie Weather Now

12/07/2025

⚠️ Scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible across the area this afternoon and continue into tonight. Some of these storms may reach strong to severe levels, with damaging wind gusts being the primary hazard. Brief heavy downpours are also possible in the stronger cells.

Anyone on Lake Erie, or those who know someone out on the water, should be aware that strong winds along the leading edge of storms may cause hazardous conditions. Boaters should use caution and be prepared to return to shore if conditions rapidly deteriorate.

Hot and humid conditions continue this afternoon, with high temperatures in the lower 90s and dew points near or above 70. These values will push heat index readings into the mid to upper 90s across much of the area.

A cold front will move through the region on Sunday, bringing the chance for isolated showers and storms before ushering in slightly "cooler" air to start the week.

05/07/2025

🌊🔥 On the Fourth of July, the surface water temperatures across Lake Erie climbed into the mid-70s, with some areas in the western basin reaching the low 80s. The western basin, being the shallowest part of the lake, tends to warm more quickly, and that trend held true this holiday. These temperatures are notably warm for early July and have drawn attention from both recreational boaters and meteorologists alike.

When looking at average conditions, Lake Erie currently stands out among the Great Lakes. It’s the only lake where surface temperatures are entirely above seasonal norms. In many areas, readings are running 2 to more than 10 degrees Fahrenheit above average. These warmer-than-usual waters can have ripple effects on lake ecology, algae growth, and even the severity of lake-effect weather later in the year.

If you’re heading out to enjoy the beaches, be sure to visit a guarded beach whenever possible. Additionally, stay alert for any posted beach hazards, such as rip currents or elevated bacteria levels, which can vary by location and weather conditions.

01/07/2025

Waterspout near Sandusky, OH earlier today. We’re about a month away from the beginning of waterspout season.

First Confirmed Waterspout of July!
Sandusky Bay, Ohio, U.S. Video: https://x.com/rileyhirshman/status/1940128028249534521 Photo courtesy Emerson Young, video Riley Hirshman

30/06/2025

🎥 ☁️ Check out this eerie timelapse showing skud clouds racing beneath the main cloud deck! These low, ragged, fast-moving clouds form when warm, humid air near the surface is lifted rapidly, often by a storm’s gust front or rain-cooled downdraft, causing the moisture to condense into dramatic-looking cloud fragments. The cool air from the downdraft or outflow acts like a wedge or lifting mechanism.

They can look ominous and are often mistaken for funnel clouds—or even tornadoes—but they’re usually harmless (just creepy-looking). That said, their presence can signal strong winds along a gust front or storm outflow. Unlike tornadoes, scud clouds don't rotate and don’t extend from the storm’s main updraft region.

27/06/2025

⚠️ Strong thunderstorms are expected to impact parts of Trumbull, Ashtabula, southwestern Erie, and western Crawford Counties through 2:45 PM EDT.

As of 1:53 PM, Doppler radar was tracking a line of strong storms moving northeast at 35 mph. The line extended from about 7 miles northwest of Conneaut, through North Kingsville and west of Andover, down to West Farmington and near Garrettsville.

Main hazard: Wind gusts up to 40 mph.

What this means: These gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around loose or unsecured objects.

Stay alert and use caution if you’re outdoors or traveling in the affected area.

27/06/2025

12:40 PM | A currently severe warned storm has been gaining strength recently and is traveling in the north easterly direction. At this time, it appears that the storm will remain intact as it is traveling through a favorable environment. Additional storms will be possible later today as well. Expect heavy rain to accompany storms today as precipitable water is over 2".

Remember: When thunder roars, go indoors.

26/06/2025

‼️ So I know a lot of people along the lake shore have been asking... why are there storms showing up just to our south, or off to the north in Canada, but as soon as they move toward our area or try to cross Lake Erie, they just fall apart? It’s not that the storms are “dodging us,” it’s that the atmosphere over our region doesn’t have the right ingredients to support them right now. Specifically, we’re lacking what meteorologists call “storm fuel," that combination of moisture, lift, and instability that helps thunderstorms grow and sustain themselves.

On top of that, there’s actually something actively suppressing storm development in our area: it’s called convective inhibition, or CIN (pronounced “sin”). Think of it like a cap on the atmosphere that prevents rising air, the engine behind storms, from breaking through. Over Lake Erie, CIN is often stronger during the summer because the lake surface keeps the air above it cooler and more stable. That cooler, stable layer acts like a lid, shutting down storm growth as soon as they try to cross. High pressure, dry air aloft, and even localized lake breezes can all make that lid even harder to break.

But this pattern flips in the fall. As the air around us cools and the lake stays relatively warm, Lake Erie actually adds fuel to the atmosphere instead of taking it away. The warm lake heats the lower atmosphere, increasing instability and helping support storm development, or even lake-effect rain and snow later in the season. So while the lake may kill storms in the summer, it becomes an atmospheric engine once the cooler seasons roll in.

25/06/2025

A cold front has stalled across the region, keeping things slightly cooler and a touch less humid than yesterday. Highs will reach around 82°F, with the “feels like” staying just below 90°F, a welcome break from the more oppressive heat we’ve seen recently. Locations south of I-90 will likely see temperatures maxing out aroundd 88°F with heat indicies staying below 100°F.

A stray thunderstorm is possible this afternoon, but most areas should stay dry.

Looking ahead:
🌡️ The front lifts back north as a warm front Thursday
🌬️ A low pressure system moves through the Great Lakes Friday
☀️ A stronger cold front is expected to bring changes early next week

24/06/2025

And just seven months ago, Erie folks were climbing onto their roofs like it was an Olympic sport - armed with shovels and a grudge against snow. Now? That snow would’ve melted before you made it up the ladder. At least nobody’s out there trying to shovel three feet of snow with 95° and humidity!

24/06/2025

🔥 Today’s Heat Risk: Major impacts along the lake shore with Extreme impacts expected further inland. Check on neighbors, keep pets cool, and avoid strenuous outdoor activity if possible. Some relief is in store for tomorrow! A stray thunderstorm is possible this afternoon.

24/06/2025

⚠️ Power outages persist for some across Erie County, just as another round of oppressive heat settles in. Outages as of 8:09 AM.

24/06/2025

🔌⚡ Yesterday’s intense heat pushed electricity demand across the PJM power grid to staggering levels. At 6 PM, PJM, the grid operator that supplies power to Erie, PA and over 65 million people across 13 states and D.C., set a new all-time June record with a load of 161,120 megawatts. That just exceeds their forecasted amount for June 23rd at 161,000 MW.

If you take a look at the graphs from the past 30 days, the difference is clear. Yesterday pulled the most power by far, driven by widespread heat and the massive demand for air conditioning. When it gets this hot, the entire grid feels the strain.

To give some perspective: the highest summer load PJM has ever recorded was 165,563 MW back in 2006. This summer, the grid has about 179,200 MW of generation capacity available. That means yesterday’s demand brought us within about 15% of the grid’s absolute limits. In addition to that, they’ve secured about 7,900 MW of demand response capacity. These are pre-arranged agreements with commercial and industrial users who agree to reduce electricity use automatically when the system is under stress. When you think about how much infrastructure it takes to power homes, businesses, hospitals, data centers, and industry across 13 states and D.C., that’s an incredible amount of energy being pulled all at once.

Now, while demand was high, the supply mix tells another part of the story. Around 6 PM, total grid usage was hovering near 160 gigawatts. Of that, about 147 GW came from non-renewable sources, mainly natural gas, coal, and nuclear. Only around 20 GW came from renewables, with roughly 9.4 GW from solar and about 4.5 GW from wind. So despite how much renewable energy capacity is growing, the grid still leaned heavily on fossil fuels to meet yesterday’s surge.

All in all, yesterday was a powerful reminder of just how much strain extreme heat can put on our infrastructure. The grid held up, but only just. As the climate continues to warm and these kinds of heat events become more common, the stress on our energy systems will only grow. What we saw yesterday could be a glimpse of what normal looks like in the years ahead.