Wildfire in New York, July 5 to 7, 2002

Name: Wildfire in New York, July 5 to 7, 2002
Start: 2002-07-05T20:00
End: 2002-07-07T23:59
Location: New York

July 5 to 7, 2002 · NWS ALY · 24 events in 24 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 24 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: 24

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.

Smoke, from many forest fires across the Nemiscau region of northern Quebec, became trapped under a subsidence inversion, and was transported south across eastern New York from the evening hours of July 5, to the late evening of July 7. The forest fires were sparked by exceptionally hot and dry weather over that part of Canada followed by an unsual amount of thunderstorm activity, resulting in many lightning strikes. The circulation between high pressure over Hudsons Bay and a low pressure off the Canadian Maritimes transported the smoke southward. The smoke obscured the sky, and even reduced surface visiblities to as low as one mile, especially on the early morning of July 7. Advisories were issued warning people with respiratory problems to remain indoors and all individuals to curb outside activity. No major problems were reported to the National Weather Service as a result of this smoke. By late Sunday, July 7, the low pressure weakened and moved further east, allowing the wind to back into more of a westerly direction, finally dissipating the smoke.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, 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 the first event at Jul 5, 2:05 PM EST, 5 hours 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 5, 2:05 PM EST, 5 hours 55 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
305 PM EDT FRI JUL 5 2002

.DISC...UPR TROF CLOSES OFF ACRS ME AND WL INFLUENCE ON OUR WX OVR
THE WEEKEND.  ETA/AVN FAIRLY CLS ON POS AND INTSTY OF UPR LOW.

WDSPRD CU FM CNTRL AND NRN PTNS OF CWA UP INTO CAN WITH CU SPCLY
DENSE ACRS ADRNDCKS.  12Z KALB RAOB WAS QUITE STABLE...BUT WARM
LYRS...SPCLY NR 550/750 MB HAV BEEN ERODED BY STG MID LVL CAA.
SOUNDG MODIFICATIONS AND ETA MODEL SOUNDGS SUGGEST MARGINAL
INSTABILITY AT BEST OVR CWA WITH BEST INSTABILITY UP NR CNDN BDR.
SHRA NOTED IN NRN VT WITH NEAREST LTG NR W ME BDR. ALSO KTYX SHOWG
WHAT LOOKS LIKE A FEW SPITS IN SW ADRNDCKS.  AREA OF 52 TT DIVES ACR
ME THIS AFTN ASSOC WITH -17C H5 COLD POOL.  -18C H5 COLD POOL MOVS
INTO CNTRL NY TNGT WITH TT RCHG 53-55.  INSTABILITY WL DCR WITH LOSS
OF HEATG BUT  WITH COLD AIR ALF WE MAY STILL SEE SOME SHRA DVLP AND
THAT SHRA THREAT WL CONT THIS EVE N SXNS ONLY.  WL DROP THUNDER AS
INSTABILITY MARGINAL.

COLD POOL ALF MOVS WELL OFF TO OUR S BY MIDDAY SAT SUGGESTG ATMOS
STABILIZING..AT LEAST WRT TO DEEP CONVECTION.  HOWEVER...VORT LOBE
ROTATING ARND UPR LOW HELPS PUSH MOISTR BACK TO ITS W INTO CWA.  ETA
GENERATG MEAURBL PCPN.  ETA/FWC POPS AT KALB UP TO 40% SAT WHILE AVN
NR 20%.  ETA MOS POPS AT KPOU LWR.  POPS AT KGFL CLS TO LKLY CAT.
WL GO CHC POPS FOR AFTN/EVE SHRA LL AREAS XCP EXTRM SE. NO THUNDER.

EXTENDED...12Z AVN RUFLY IN LN WITH EXTENDED 00Z VERSION.  TREND TWD
WARMER WX STARTS SUN WITH HUMIDITY LVLS UP SOME MON.  NEXT SHRA/TSRA
THREAT LOOKS TO BE LT MON AFTN THRU ABT MIDDAY OR AFTN  TUE WITH 12Z
AVN SLGTLY FASTER THAN PREV RUN.  DRY PD MIDWEEK WITH AMS NOT QUITE
AS COOL AS ADVERTIZED ERLR WHICH REALLY ISNT A BIG SURPRISE.

HYDROLOGIC STATUS...NO HYDRO PROBLEMS THRU WEEKEND.

.ALY...NONE

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

24 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Eastern Albany

When: July 5, 8:00 PM EST to July 7, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Eastern Albany forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 42.600, -73.974 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wildfire, Eastern Columbia

When: July 5, 8:00 PM EST to July 7, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Eastern Columbia forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 42.250, -73.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wildfire, Eastern Dutchess

When: July 5, 8:00 PM EST to July 7, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Eastern Dutchess forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 41.765, -73.743 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wildfire, Eastern Greene

When: July 5, 8:00 PM EST to July 7, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Eastern Greene forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 42.277, -74.123 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wildfire, Eastern Rensselaer

When: July 5, 8:00 PM EST to July 7, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Eastern Rensselaer forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 42.711, -73.510 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wildfire, Eastern Schenectady

When: July 5, 8:00 PM EST to July 7, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Eastern Schenectady forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 42.818, -74.059 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wildfire, Eastern Ulster

When: July 5, 8:00 PM EST to July 7, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Eastern Ulster forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 41.888, -74.259 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wildfire, Fulton

When: July 5, 8:00 PM EST to July 7, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Fulton forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 43.114, -74.422 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wildfire, Hamilton

When: July 5, 8:00 PM EST to July 7, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Hamilton forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 43.661, -74.497 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wildfire, Montgomery

When: July 5, 8:00 PM EST to July 7, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Montgomery forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 42.902, -74.440 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wildfire, Northern Herkimer

When: July 5, 8:00 PM EST to July 7, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Northern Herkimer forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 43.420, -74.962 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wildfire, Northern Saratoga

When: July 5, 8:00 PM EST to July 7, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Northern Saratoga forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 43.107, -73.864 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wildfire, Schoharie

When: July 5, 8:00 PM EST to July 7, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Schoharie forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 42.588, -74.442 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wildfire, Southern Herkimer

When: July 5, 8:00 PM EST to July 7, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Southern Herkimer forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 43.420, -74.962 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wildfire, Southern Saratoga

When: July 5, 8:00 PM EST to July 7, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Southern Saratoga forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 43.107, -73.864 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wildfire, Warren

When: July 5, 8:00 PM EST to July 7, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Warren forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 43.561, -73.846 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wildfire, Washington

When: July 5, 8:00 PM EST to July 7, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Washington forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 43.314, -73.431 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wildfire, Western Albany

When: July 5, 8:00 PM EST to July 7, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Western Albany forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 42.600, -73.974 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wildfire, Western Columbia

When: July 5, 8:00 PM EST to July 7, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Western Columbia forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 42.250, -73.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wildfire, Western Dutchess

When: July 5, 8:00 PM EST to July 7, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Western Dutchess forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 41.765, -73.743 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wildfire, Western Greene

When: July 5, 8:00 PM EST to July 7, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Western Greene forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 42.277, -74.123 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wildfire, Western Rensselaer

When: July 5, 8:00 PM EST to July 7, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Western Rensselaer forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 42.711, -73.510 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wildfire, Western Schenectady

When: July 5, 8:00 PM EST to July 7, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Western Schenectady forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 42.818, -74.059 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wildfire, Western Ulster

When: July 5, 8:00 PM EST to July 7, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Western Ulster forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 41.888, -74.259 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Wildfire: A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in New York in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in New York, July 2002

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: 5309165, 5309166, 5309167, 5309168, 5309169, 5309230, 5309231, 5309232, 5309233, 5309234, 5309235, 5309236, 5309237, 5309238, 5309239, 5309240, 5309241, 5309242, 5309243, 5309244, 5309245, 5309246, 5309247, 5309248.