Severe thunderstorm warning hits Onondaga County with damaging winds, hail

A fast-moving severe thunderstorm warning swept across Onondaga County Thursday evening, bringing the threat of 60 mph wind gusts and penny-size hail just as Syracuse logged its hottest day of 2026 so far.

The National Weather Service issued the warning for Onondaga County at 7:12 p.m. Thursday and kept it in effect until 7:45 p.m. The agency said the storm was capable of damaging wind gusts up to 60 mph, with hail small enough to be described as penny-size. A severe thunderstorm warning is issued when dangerous weather is happening or is imminent, and the threshold includes winds of 58 mph or higher and hail at least 1 inch in diameter.

The warning was not isolated. Multiple severe thunderstorm warnings were issued across Central New York between 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Thursday, covering Cayuga County, Oneida County, Onondaga County, Oswego County and Wayne County as the region moved through a broader round of severe weather. Forecasters had warned for days that damaging winds and hail were possible, and the National Weather Service in Binghamton had already placed central New York under hazardous weather monitoring.

Thursday’s heat added fuel to the day’s weather threat. Syracuse reached 83 degrees at Syracuse Hancock Airport, the warmest reading of 2026 so far, before storms moved through in the evening. Syracuse.com had also flagged the potential for severe thunderstorms and isolated tornadoes, underscoring that Thursday’s warning fit into a larger spring severe-weather pattern across the region.

By later Thursday night, damage reports remained limited. CNY Central reported only a few storm damage calls, including hail reports in Onondaga County and wind damage elsewhere in Central New York. For commuters, that meant the main hazard remained the same through the warning window: sudden visibility drops, gusty crosswinds and hail that could batter vehicles and make roads slick in minutes.

Outdoor plans across Onondaga County needed to shift quickly once the warning was issued. Event organizers had to move people inside, households had to secure loose outdoor items, and drivers had to slow down and stay alert for brief but intense bursts of wind and hail before the 7:45 p.m. expiration.