Buffalo, NY – A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for Western and Central New York and Northern Pennsylvania.
According to the NWS Storm Prediction Center in Norman, OK, the watch is effective from 12:20 p.m. EDT Monday until 7:00 p.m. EDT. Scattered thunderstorms are expected to intensify throughout the afternoon, spreading eastward. The primary threats include damaging wind gusts up to 70 mph and isolated large hail events up to 1.5 inches in diameter.
The affected area extends approximately 70 miles north and south of a line from 30 miles west-northwest of Jamestown, NY, to 30 miles south of Utica, NY. The storms will impact regions near Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, with potential for extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts up to 60 knots for aviation.
Residents in the watch area should remain vigilant for threatening weather conditions and listen for updates and possible warnings. Severe thunderstorms can occasionally produce tornadoes.
