Lightning TrackerBuffalo storms: live alerts, hail & tornado history
Live watches and warnings for Buffalo, NY, the 48-hour thunderstorm outlook, and every hail, damaging-wind and tornado report within 25 miles since 2016.
Live alerts for Buffalo, NY
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Storm outlook, next 48 hours
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Severe weather in Buffalo by the numbers
Severe storms reach Buffalo a handful of times a year: since 2016, spotters and emergency managers have filed 267 severe-weather reports within 25 miles of the city — 41 hail reports, 217 damaging-wind reports and 9 tornado reports. On average that is 7.5 days a year with at least one report.
Storm season here peaks in June, July, August, when 66% of all reports were filed.
In the last 12 months there were 1 hail report, 20 wind reports and 0 tornado reports around Buffalo; the largest hail was 1.00″ (quarter) on Feb 18, 2026.
Latest storm reports near Buffalo
| Date | Report | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2, 2026 | Damaging wind | 11 mi NE · Erie Co. |
| Jul 21, 2026 | Damaging wind | 12 mi N · Niagara Co. |
| Jul 18, 2026 | Damaging wind | 17 mi NW · Niagara Co. |
| Jul 9, 2026 | Damaging wind | 11 mi N · Niagara Co. |
| Jul 1, 2026 | Damaging wind | 4 mi N · Erie Co. |
| May 19, 2026 | Damaging wind | 11 mi N · Niagara Co. |
| May 9, 2026 | Damaging wind | 8 mi NE · Erie Co. |
| Mar 31, 2026 | Damaging wind | 10 mi SE · Erie Co. |
| Feb 18, 2026 | Hail 1.00″ | 19 mi SW · Erie Co. |
| May 16, 2025 | Damaging wind | 4 mi SE |
One line per day and type — the closest report that day. Distance and direction from the city centre. The latest SPC reports are preliminary until NOAA finalises them.
Storm reports by year
Storm season in Buffalo
All hail, wind and tornado reports within 25 miles, 2016–2026, by month.
Hail in Buffalo
Buffalo averages 1.4 days a year with hail reported nearby. The biggest stone on record since 2016 was 2.50 inches — about the size of a tennis ball — reported 21 miles from the city centre on Jul 20, 2021. Hail of 1 inch (quarter size) or larger is what makes a thunderstorm severe; see the hail size chart.
Tornadoes near Buffalo
There have been 9 tornado reports within 25 miles of Buffalo since 2016; the strongest was rated EF2 (Jul 10, 2024, 18 miles from the city centre). A tornado warning means a tornado is occurring or imminent — take shelter immediately.
Storm alerts for Buffalo on your iPhone
Lightning Tracker shows storm risk around you, live severe-weather alerts and how close the storm is — free on the App Store.
Storm trackers near Buffalo
Questions about storms in Buffalo
Does Buffalo get a lot of severe storms?
Buffalo averages 7.5 days a year with at least one hail, damaging-wind or tornado report within 25 miles, based on NOAA Storm Prediction Center reports 2016–2025.
When is storm season in Buffalo?
Most severe-weather reports around Buffalo come in June, July, August.
What is the biggest hail recorded near Buffalo?
2.50 inches (tennis ball size) on Jul 20, 2021, 21 miles from the city centre.
Have tornadoes hit near Buffalo?
Yes — 9 tornado reports within 25 miles since 2016, the strongest rated EF2 on Jul 10, 2024.
How do I get storm alerts for Buffalo?
The live panel on this page shows every active National Weather Service watch and warning for Buffalo, NY. For alerts on your phone, Lightning Tracker for iPhone shows storm risk and warnings for your location.
How this page works: storm reports are NOAA Storm Prediction Center local storm reports (final database 2016–2025, preliminary daily reports after that) within 25 miles of Buffalo, NY. They are reports of hail, damaging wind and tornadoes — not lightning strike counts, which no free public dataset provides at city level. Live alerts come from the National Weather Service API, the outlook from Open-Meteo forecast models. Updated Oct 27, 2026.