Alert archive / New York / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 23, NWS Albany, NY

May 31, 2002Herkimer County, New York

NWS Albany, NY issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 31, 2002, 3:55 PM EDT for Herkimer County, New York. It was in force for 65 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 31, 2002, 3:55 PM EDT (19:55 UTC)
Expired
May 31, 2002, 5:00 PM EDT
In force
65 min
Issued by
NWS Albany, NY
Area
Whole counties

County Herkimer County, NY

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 31, 2:00 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Albany, NY (KALY), launched 12:00Z, 7.9 hours before the alert went out and 123 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Albany, NY at 12:00Z on 2002-05-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 59 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Albany, NY at 12:00Z on 2002-05-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 138 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
59 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-161 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
835 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
138 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
141 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
WUUS51 KALY 311955
SVRALY
NYC043-312100-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
355 PM EDT FRI MAY 31 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBANY HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN HERKIMER COUNTY IN CENTRAL NEW YORK

* UNTIL 500 PM EDT

* AT 351 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR WEST FRANKFORT...OR ABOUT OVER UTICA...
  MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  FRANKFORT AND ELIZABETHTOWN AT 400 PM EDT
  HERKIMER AND MOHAWK AT 405 PM EDT
  FAIRFIELD AND PAINES HOLLOW AT 410 PM EDT
  LITTLE FALLS AT 415 PM EDT

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD PREPARE
FOR DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...LARGE HAIL...AND VERY HEAVY
RAIN. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER NOW.

$$

LAT...LON 4326 7517 4298 7524 4290 7486 4324 7476

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Albany, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 31, 3:54 PM EDT, 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 31, 3:54 PM EDT, 1 minute before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
355 PM AM EDT FRI MAY 31 2002

WORKZONES AVAILABLE. ZONES OUT THE DOOR BY 4.

.DISC...ITS DEJA-VOUS...FROM 4 YEARS AGO THOUGH WE WILL MAY NOT
ISSUE WELL OVER 40 WARNINGS LIKE THAT DAY...WE HAVE ALREADY ISSUE 19
WARNINGS...WITH MANY OF THEM VERIFYING WITH WIND AND HAIL. (SEE THE
LATEST ALBLSRALY FOR ALL THE DETAILS). THERE MIGHT BE A SECOND ROUND
OF SVR AS ANOTHER SERIES OF LINES ARE STILL FIRING UP AHEAD OF THE
REAL FRONT WHICH IS ONLY NOW ENTERING WRN NY STATE. WILL OBVIOUSLY
INCLUDE AN EARLY UPDATE TO INCLUDE ONGOING WX.

MODELS ALL INDICATE THAT THE ACTIVITY SHOULD BE OVER BY 8PM...JUST
AS THE TONIGHT PERIOD REALLY GETS GOING. THE FRONT SHOULD BE
CROSSING THE REGION BY THEN...WITH ALL THE ENERGY AND LIFT EXITING
THE REGION TO THE SE. EXPECT A QUIET NIGHT WITH CLEARING AND
LOWERING HUMIDITY AS THE WIND SHIFTS INTO THE W AND PICKS UP.

THE WEEKEND WILL FEATURE DRIER WX (FOR A CHANGE). HOWEVER...ANOTHER
COLD FRONT...FROM THE STILL MOSTLY FROZEN WATERS OF THE HUDSON BAY
REGION WILL SLIP SOUTH BY LATE IN THE DAY/EVENING HOURS ON SAT. THE
MESO-ETA GIVES A CAPE UP TO NEARLY 500 J/KG N OF KALB BY THE
AFTERNOON...AND AT LEAST 300 ELSEWHERE. DIVERGENCE WITH THE RFQ OF
THE UPPER JETLET WILL SKIM ACROSS OUR NRN SXNS BY LATE IN THE DAY.
HAVE DECIDED TO INCLUDE A CHC TSRA/SHRA LATE IN THE NORTHERN ZONES
BUT WILL KEEP THEM OUT FROM KALB SWD. (THE DIFFERENCE IN POPS
BETWEEN THE MAV AND FWC ARE NEARLY 50...WITH THE MAVS HIGH). BELIEVE
ANY STORMS THAT DO DEVELOP FROM THE CD ON SOUTHWARD WILL BE ISOLATED
IN THE 20 PERCENT RANGE...AND NOT WORTH MENTIONING ATTM.

WILL CONFINE A CHC OF SHRAS/TSRA FOR THE EVENING HOURS ONLY ON SAT
AS THE ATMOSPHERE STABILIZES LATER ON. NO LIFT LEFT...AND SOME
DRYING...SO WILL FORECAST DRY FOR OVERNIGHT. H8 TEMPS PROGGED TO
DROP TO ABOUT 3C BY SUNDAY PM...QUITE UNSEASONABLY COOL FOR THE TIME
OF YEAR. AM CONCERN THERE WILL LOTS OF SC (AND POSSIBLE MOUNTAIN
SHOWERS) FOR SUNDAY...BUT WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP DRY WITH A PARTLY TO
MOSTLY SUNNY SKY.

UA FLOW LOOKS SOMEWHAT ZONAL AS WE HEAD INTO NEXT WEEK. THE FLOW
ACTUALLY REMAINS WNW ENOUGH TO POSSIBLY KEEP NEXT SHORT WAVE TO THE
SOUTH...BUT WILL KEEP CHC FROM ABOUT KALB SOUTH SINCE THERE IS STILL
SOME UNCERTAINTY. UNCERTAINTY IS DEFINITELY THERE CONCERNING THE
FOLLOWING SHORT WAVE FOR LATER TUE/WED...BUT AGAIN WILL CONFINE
S...WHILE THE THIRD ONE COULD BRING PCPN EVERYWHERE LATER IN THE
WEEK. NO HEAT WAVES ARE IN THE OFFING...TEMPS WILL RETURN TO
SLIGHTLY BELOW SEASONABLE LEVELS DURING THIS TIME FRAME.

.HYDROLOGICAL STATUS...KENX RADAR SHOWS STORM TOTALS TO BE MAX OUT
ABOUT 2 INCHES ACROSS THE MOHAWK VALLEY WITH LESSER AMOUNTS
ELSEWHERE. TOTALS MIGHT BE SOMEWHAT HAIL CONTAMINATED. EITHER
WAY...STORMS HAVE BEEN MOVING QUICKLY (UP TO 50 MPH) AND RAINFALL
THUS FAR HAS NOT BEEN THE MAIN PROBLEM. WILL HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON
THE SECOND BATCH WHICH MIGHT DELIVERY UP TO AN INCH OR 2 MORE
RAINFALL BUT ANY ANY FLOODING THAT MIGHT OCCUR WITH THE NEXT LINE
WOULD BE EXTREMELY LOCALIZED AND NOT WARRANTED A FFA AT THIS
TIME.

.ALY...SVR THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR ALL ZONES UNTIL 7 OR 8 EDT.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 31, 12:27 PM EDT, 3 hours 28 minutes before
NYZ033-311700-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
1227 PM EDT FRI MAY 31 2002

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN HAMILTON COUNTY...

AT 1227 PM EDT DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM
21 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SPECULATOR...MOVING EAST AT 55 MPH.

THIS THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 40
MPH...AND HEAVY RAIN...WILL BE NEAR...

LAKE PLEASANT AT 1235 PM EDT...
WELLS AT 1240 PM EDT...
HOPE AT 1245 PM EDT...
Special weather statement, May 31, 12:49 PM EDT, 3 hours 6 minutes before
NYZ033-039-311715-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
1249 PM EDT FRI MAY 31 2002

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN HAMILTON AND FULTON COUNTIES...

AT 1249 PM EDT DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM
OVER ARIETTA...OR 16 MILES NORTHWEST OF GLOVERSVILLE...MOVING EAST AT
30 MPH.

THIS THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 40
MPH...AND HEAVY RAIN...WILL BE NEAR...

UPPER BENSON AT 105 PM EDT...
HOPE AND WELLS AT 110 PM EDT...
NORTHVILLE AT 115 PM EDT...
Special weather statement, May 31, 1:45 PM EDT, 2 hours 10 minutes before
NYZ063-064-311830-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
145 PM EDT FRI MAY 31 2002

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN ULSTER COUNTY...

AT 143 PM EDT DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3
MILES NORTHWEST OF ULSTERVILLE...OR 3 MILES SOUTH OF ELLENVILLE...
MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

THIS THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 40
MPH...POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL...AND HEAVY RAIN...WILL BE NEAR...

KERHONKSON AT 155 PM EDT...
WALLKILL AT 200 PM EDT...
MOHONK LAKE AT 205 PM EDT...
MODENA AT 210 PM EDT...
NEW PALTZ AND CLINTONDALE AT 215 PM EDT...
TILLSON AND ROSENDALE AT 220 PM EDT...

BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS WILL PRODUCE RAINFALL IN EXCESS OF A QUARTER
INCH.

OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP IN NORTHERN
ULSTER COUNTY.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM EDT FRIDAY
EVENING FOR EASTERN NEW YORK.

WASULA/CEMPA
Special weather statement, May 31, 2:32 PM EDT, 1 hour 23 minutes before
MAZ001-NYZ060-061-311915-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
232 PM EDT FRI MAY 31 2002

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN BERKSHIRE AND COLUMBIA COUNTIES...

AT 230 PM EDT DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4
MILES NORTHWEST OF ANCRAM...OR 12 MILES SOUTH OF HUDSON...MOVING EAST
AT 45 MPH.

THIS THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 40
MPH...POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL...AND HEAVY RAIN...WILL BE NEAR...

COPAKE AT 240 PM EDT...
SOUTH EGREMONT AND SHEFFIELD AT 250 PM EDT...
GREAT BARRINGTON AND HOUSATONIC AT 255 PM EDT...
MONTEREY AT 300 PM EDT...
SANDISFIELD AT 305 PM EDT...
OTIS AT 310 PM EDT...

RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL VARY FROM ONE TENTH TO ONE THIRD OF AN INCH
FROM THIS THUNDERSTORM.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM EDT FRIDAY
EVENING FOR EASTERN NEW YORK. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ALSO
REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT FRIDAY EVENING FOR WESTERN
MASSACHUSETTS AND SOUTHERN VERMONT.

WASULA/CEMPA
Special weather statement, May 31, 3:15 PM EDT, 40 minutes before
CTZ001-MAZ001-NYZ032-033-038>043-047>054-058>061-063>066-VTZ013-014-
010230-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
315 PM EDT FRI MAY 31 2002

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THIS EVENING...

A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH EASTERN NEW YORK AND ADJACENT WESTERN
NEW ENGLAND THROUGH THIS EVENING. IN ADVANCE OF THIS FRONT...MOIST
AND UNSTABLE AIR IS IN PLACE...FUELING SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
ACROSS THE REGION.

A SERIES OF LINES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED THROUGH NEW
YORK STATE AND VERMONT THIS AFTERNOON.  THESE STORMS HAVE PRODUCED
STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HAIL AND CAUSED NUMEROUS TREES AND POWERLINES
DOWN THROUGHOUT EASTERN NEW YORK.

ANOTHER LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP
IN ADVANCE OF THE COLD FRONT AND BRING MORE SEVERE WEATHER TO
NORTHERN NEW YORK AND VERMONT.  A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
JUST WEST OF THE NORTHERN ADIRONDACKS AND MOHAWK VALLEY WILL
CONTINUE INCREASE IN INTENSITY AND MOVE ACROSS NEW YORK...SOUTHERN
VERMONT...THE BERKSHIRES AND LITCHFIELD COUNTY BETWEEN 300 PM AND 800 PM.
THESE STORMS WILL CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DOWNPOURS AND LARGE
HAIL.

THE STORMS WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY THIS AFTERNOON
AND THIS EVENING.  SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL EVENTUALLY
DISSIPATE LATE THIS EVENING AS A COLD FRONT MOVES OUT OF THE REGION.

DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS WILL BE THE
MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT THROUGH THIS EVENING.

STAY ALERT FOR THE LATEST UPDATES FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
...AND PREPARE NOW FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR ANY MEDIA OUTLET THAT PROVIDES
YOU WITH THE LATEST PRODUCTS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM EDT FRIDAY
EVENING FOR EASTERN NEW YORK. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ALSO
REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT FRIDAY EVENING FOR WESTERN
MASSACHUSETTS AND SOUTHERN VERMONT.

VTK
Special weather statement, May 31, 3:18 PM EDT, 37 minutes before
NYZ032-033-311945-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
318 PM EDT FRI MAY 31 2002

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN HAMILTON AND HERKIMER COUNTIES...

AT 318 PM EDT DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF INLET TO 3 MILES
NORTHWEST OF HOFFMEISTER TO 3 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BARNEVELD...OR ALONG
A LINE EXTENDING FROM 12 MILES EAST OF OLD FORGE TO 22 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF SPECULATOR TO 11 MILES NORTH OF UTICA...MOVING EAST AT
50 MPH.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF
40 MPH...POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL...AND HEAVY RAIN...WILL BE NEAR...

HOFFMEISTER AT 330 PM EDT...
SPECULATOR AND SABAEL AT 345 PM EDT...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM EDT FRIDAY
EVENING FOR EASTERN NEW YORK. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ALSO
REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT FRIDAY EVENING FOR WESTERN
MASSACHUSETTS AND SOUTHERN VERMONT.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Albany, NY issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 31, 12:59 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningALYHerkimer61 min
May 31, 1:21 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningALYFulton, Montgomery54 min
May 31, 1:35 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningALYSaratoga, Warren, Washington55 min
May 31, 1:59 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningALYDutchess, Ulster61 min
May 31, 2:04 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningALYSchoharie71 min
May 31, 2:15 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningALYSaratoga, Schenectady60 min
May 31, 2:17 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningALYMontgomery43 min
May 31, 2:38 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningALYWashington67 min
May 31, 2:47 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningALYAlbany, Rensselaer58 min
May 31, 3:00 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningALYDutchess45 min
May 31, 3:46 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningALYRensselaer44 min
May 31, 3:49 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningALYColumbia26 min
May 31, 4:16 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningALYFulton, Montgomery59 min
May 31, 4:46 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningALYSaratoga59 min
May 31, 4:59 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningALYDutchess, Schenectady, Ulster61 min
May 31, 5:01 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningALYSchoharie59 min
May 31, 5:10 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningALYWashington65 min
May 31, 5:12 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningALYAlbany63 min
May 31, 5:22 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningALYRensselaer68 min
May 31, 5:25 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningALYGreene50 min
May 31, 6:04 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningALYUlster56 min
May 31, 6:34 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningALYDutchess56 min
May 31, 6:59 PM EDTTornado WarningALYDutchess31 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in New York, 2002Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2002

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.