Severe thunderstorm warnings, tornado watch issued for Onondaga County

A severe thunderstorm warning put Onondaga County under immediate threat Thursday morning, with forecasters warning of a fast-moving line of storms capable of 60 mph wind gusts and damage to roofs, siding and trees. A separate tornado watch also covered Syracuse and the rest of Central New York through 3 p.m., widening the alert across much of the region.

The severe thunderstorm warning for Onondaga County was in effect until 11:30 a.m. EDT. National Weather Service Binghamton said the storm line was moving east at about 50 mph, a speed that can leave little time for people to secure loose items, move indoors and avoid the worst of the wind-driven damage.

The tornado watch was issued around 10 a.m. and covered 19 New York counties, including Onondaga County. The National Weather Service Binghamton forecast office, which serves 17 counties in central New York and 7 counties in northeast Pennsylvania, said its forecast area includes Syracuse, placing the city and surrounding communities squarely inside the day’s active watch and warning zone.

Onondaga County Emergency Management pointed residents to its weather advisories, NY-Alert and National Weather Service storm-warning definitions as the line moved through the county. The timing mattered for daily routines across Syracuse and neighboring towns, where severe weather can quickly affect travel, outdoor plans and emergency response as storms cross the county line.

The broader risk was not theoretical. The National Weather Service Binghamton archive shows Central New York has taken hits from damaging wind and tornado events before, including severe storms affecting Onondaga County in July 2014 and damaging winds there in August 2016. With that history in mind, Thursday’s warnings served as a reminder that even a short-lived line of storms can bring dangerous conditions to Onondaga County in a matter of minutes.