New York, 1999

Drought in New York, August 1 to 31, 1999

August 1 to 31, 1999 · NWS ALY · 23 events in 23 counties and zones

August 99 was the peak of the long term drought across Eastern New York that began in July of 98. The fourteen month stretch, ending in August, saw rainfall and melted snowfall throughout the region only tallying up to about 80 percent of normal.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 23 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
23

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS ALY wrote it up.

August 99 was the peak of the long term drought across Eastern New York that began in July of 98. The fourteen month stretch, ending in August, saw rainfall and melted snowfall throughout the region only tallying up to about 80 percent of normal. At the Albany International Airport 35.41 inches of water equivalent was recorded from July 98 through August 99, compared to the thirty year normal of 42.82 inches. The long term drought combined with the heat of the summer, resulted in a drought warning across much of the region as well as a declaration of agricultural disaster. The Mohawk Valley and Western Adirondacks were especially hard hit. The drought resulted in record low levels of the Mohawk River, numerous forest fires across the Adirondacks, and many wells going completely dry. Most communities implemented voluntary or mandatory water restrictions.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

23 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Eastern Albany

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Eastern Albany forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.600, -73.974 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Eastern Columbia

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Eastern Columbia forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.250, -73.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Eastern Dutchess

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Eastern Dutchess forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
41.765, -73.743 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Eastern Greene

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Eastern Greene forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.277, -74.123 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Eastern Rensselaer

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Eastern Rensselaer forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.711, -73.510 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Eastern Schenectady

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Eastern Schenectady forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.818, -74.059 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Eastern Ulster

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Eastern Ulster forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
41.888, -74.259 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Fulton

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Fulton forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.114, -74.422 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Hamilton

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Hamilton forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.661, -74.497 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Montgomery

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Montgomery forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.902, -74.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Northern Herkimer

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Northern Herkimer forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.420, -74.962 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Northern Saratoga

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Northern Saratoga forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.107, -73.864 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Southern Herkimer

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Southern Herkimer forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.420, -74.962 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Southern Saratoga

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Southern Saratoga forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.107, -73.864 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Warren

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Warren forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.561, -73.846 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Washington

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Washington forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
43.314, -73.431 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Western Albany

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Western Albany forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.600, -73.974 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Western Columbia

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Western Columbia forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.250, -73.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Western Dutchess

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Western Dutchess forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
41.765, -73.743 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Western Greene

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Western Greene forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.277, -74.123 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Western Schenectady

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Western Schenectady forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.818, -74.059 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Western Ulster

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Western Ulster forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
41.888, -74.259 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Western Rensselaer

When
August 1, 12:00 AM EST to August 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Western Rensselaer forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.711, -73.510 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Drought
A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New York in 1999Every state in 1999This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, August 1999

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5714639, 5714640, 5714641, 5714642, 5714643, 5714644, 5714645, 5714646, 5714647, 5714648, 5714649, 5714650, 5714651, 5714652, 5714653, 5714654, 5714655, 5714656, 5714657, 5714658, 5714659, 5714660, 5714661.