Severe Thunderstorm Warning til 3pm for... Northwestern Wyoming County, Northeastern Erie County, Southeastern Niagara County Southwestern Orleans County, Western Genesee County. Storms have a history of producing 60mph and 1/4" hail. Towns in the path of this storm include Buffalo, Cheektowaga, West Seneca, Clarence, Lackawanna, Depew, Amherst, Lancaster, Hamburg and East Aurora.
As a cold front approaches WNY Wednesday a threat for severe weather increases. There are a couple reasons the Storm Prediction Center has issued a slight risk for severe weather across WNY Wednesday.
First, timing is everything and WNY will be smack dab in prime-time heating of the day which makes the environment hot and humid and that is what storms love to thrive on (instability).
Also, a front is approaching so there will be lift - think of it as a way to make the air rise.
The western S.Tier has a 2% threat for a tornado put out by the SPC but conditions are not entirely favorable for rotation in this region, primary threat will be strong winds and hail.
Here's what to expect.
MORNING COMMUTE:
Warm, Sunny and Muggy. Temperatures in the 80s by 10am with a warm breeze.
NOON:
Clouds increasing, soupy with temps in the mid-upper 80s, nice breeze.
NOON-2PM
Line of storms approaches and begins crossing Western New York from west to east. Severe storms potential first to impact the western S.Tier. Some storms may contain 60mph winds and hail.
2PM-5PM
Storms continue to cross WNY with eastern areas impacted by the storms on the tail end of this time-frame. With southwest winds and cooler temperatures impacting downtown Buffalo, any strong/severe storms will tend to be south or north of Buffalo.
6PM-11PM
Scattered storms move across the region as cooler air moves in.
To view the rest of the week's forecast plus the Memorial Day Weekend, click here.
