The combination of a deep low pressure system passing well to the south, and a high pressure system over eastern Canada led to a strong pressure gradient across western Massachusetts, creating gusty winds on Monday May 12th. A downed tree was reported on Strattford Avenue in Pittsfield during Monday May 12th, due to the strong winds.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS ALY wrote it up.
The combination of a deep low pressure system passing well to the south, and a high pressure system over eastern Canada led to a strong pressure gradient across western Massachusetts, creating gusty winds on Monday May 12th.
A downed tree was reported on Strattford Avenue in Pittsfield during Monday May 12th, due to the strong winds.
Minor damage was reported to a house and car parked in the driveway where the tree landed.
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 May 12, 6:35 AM EST, 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 735 AM EDT MON MAY 12 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A STORM WILL PASS WELL TO OUR SOUTH TODAY AND OUT TO SEA TONIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE REGION ON TUESDAY AND REMAIN THROUGH WEDNESDAY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... A STRONG BLOCKY PATTERN CONTINUES AS THE ATLANTIC OSCILLATION REMAINS NEGATIVE (-NAO) AND THE MAIN STORM TRACK REMAINS JUST TO OUR SOUTH (WHERE IT HAS BEEN MUCH OF THE TIME DURING THE PAST MONTH). LIKE FRIDAYS STORM...THIS THE RAIN SHIELD FROM THIS STORM SHOULD STAY NOT ONLY SOUTH OF ALBANY...BUT PERHAPS SOUTH OF THE JUST ABOUT THE ENTIRE CWA. THE STORM...THE BROUGHT INCLEMENT WEATHER TO THE MIDWEST AND SOUTHEAST (IN COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FLAVORS)...IS NOW REDEVELOPING OFF THE DELMARVA. ALTHOUGH THE PRESSURE FALLS SUGGEST A NORTHEASTWARD MOVEMENT...SURFACE AND UPPER AIR ANALYSIS INDICATES A RIDGE BUILDING BACKOVER OUR REGION FROM THE NORTHEAST. ALSO...UPSTREAM SOUNDINGS FROM CHATHAM AND OKX INDICATE A LOT OF DRY AIR ENTRAINING INTO THE DEVELOPING OCEAN STORM. REGIONAL RADARS SUPPORT THIS TREND NICELY...AS STEADY RAIN CONTINUES TO WORK NORTHWEST FROM VA INTO WESTERN PA WITH LITTLE IF RAIN EVIDENT TO THE EAST. AS THIS MOISTURE ATTEMPTS TO PIVOT EAST IT WILL ENCOUNTER INCREASING HIGH PRESSURE AND MID LEVEL DRYING. STILL...SOME LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL PRODUCED BY THE EASTERLY FETCH BETWEEN HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NORTH AND LOW PRESSURE TO THE SOUTH OVER OUR SOUTHERN AREAS...AND MIGHT BE ENOUGH TO SPAWN SOME LIGHT SHOWER ACIDIFY. THIS FETCH WILL PRODUCE GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS TODAY...ESPECIALLY FROM ALBANY SOUTHWARD. BASED ON THE LATEST GUIDANCE AND TRENDS...WE LOWERED POPS EVEN MORE DOWN SOUTH AND REPLACED RAIN WITH SHOWERS (SINCE IT DOES NOT APPEAR THE REALLY GOOD MOISTURE EVER GETS INTO EVEN THIS REGION). IN FACT...THERE IS EVEN A GOOD CHANCE NO MEASURABLE RAIN WOULD FALL NORTH OF INTERSTATE 84. WENT WITH A BLEND OF THE FWC/MET AND MAV GUIDANCE TODAY WHICH KEEPS TEMPS VERY CLOSE TO WHAT THEY WERE BEFORE. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY TONIGHT...THE LOW PRESSURE AREA WILL TRACK TO OUR EAST AND OUT TO SEA. DRIER AIR ALOFT WILL EVENTUALLY ERODE THE CLOUDS AWAY FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST. IT WILL TAKE A WHILE FOR THE CLEARING TO REACH OUR SOUTHEAST ZONES...BUT BY LATE OVERNIGHT...EVEN THESE AREAS SHOULD SEE SOME CLEARING. THE GRADIENT WILL ALSO RELAX AND OUR WIND WILL DIMINISH OVERNIGHT. THEN...ANOTHER STRETCH OF FINE MAY WEATHER LOOKS TO BE IN STORE FOR BOTH TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILD IN. H850 TEMPERATURES START OFF SLIGHTLY BELOW AVERAGE (AROUND 6C BUT WARM UP TO 8C BY WEDNESDAY). WENT WITH A BLEND OF THE FWC/MET AND MAV VALUES FOR HIGH AND LOW TEMPERATURES WITH ONLY A FEW TWEAKS DUE TO LOCAL VARIATIONS. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... WE BEGIN THIS LONG TERM PORTION OF THE FORECAST WITH THE APPROACH AND PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT. THIS SEEMS TO BE A RATHER FAST MOVER AS MID LEVEL HEIGHTS SHOW SIGNS OF INCREASED NEGATIVE TILTING HEADING INTO NEW ENGLAND OVERNIGHT. CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL WITH RESPECT TO LIGHTNING LOOKS MINIMAL WITH SHOWALTER INDICES REMAINING POSITIVE...THE NOCTURNAL TIMING AND MEAGER MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES. THEREAFTER...FAIR AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GFS/ECMWF THAT WEAK SURFACE RIDGE AND COOLER CYCLONIC FLOW WILL BE OVER THE REGION FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. THIS WILL KEEP POPS LOW AND TEMPERATURES NEAR TO SLIGHTLY BELOW SEASONABLE VALUES WITH DIURNAL CU...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN. THEN ANOTHER AMPLIFICATION OCCURS ACROSS NOAM AS ANOTHER SHORT WAVE ROUNDING THE BASE OF THE HUDSON BAY LOW ASSISTS WITH A SPIN-UP A SURFACE LOW. WHILE PLACEMENT REMAINS IN QUESTION /EAST COAST STORM OR ONE THAT TRACKS FURTHER INLAND/ THE CHANCES FOR PRECIP INCREASE. WILL INCREASE POPS FOR NEXT WEEKEND AT THIS TIME BUT NOTHING MORE THAN 40 PERCENT AT THIS TIME. WITH THE ADDITIONAL CLOUD COVER EXPECTED...TEMPERATURES WILL AVERAGE BELOW NORMAL BY ABOUT 5 DEGREES OR MORE. && .AVIATION /18Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... A STORM PASSING TO OUR SOUTH WILL BRING VFR CLOUDS TO THE KGFL/KALB/KPOU TAF SITES...BUT THE MAIN RAIN SHIELD WILL REMAIN TO OUR SOUTH. MAINLY HIGH CLOUDS AT KGFL/KALB FOR THE REST OF TODAY WITH SCT-BKN CU AT KALB THROUGH ABOUT 22Z. AT KPOU THERE MAY BY MVFR CIGS UNTIL AROUND 22Z. FOR TONIGHT THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BE PULLING AWAY...SO CLOUDS WILL BE DECREASING AND BECOMING SCT BY 06Z AND SKC BY 12Z. THE ONLY REAL POTENTIAL WEATHER RELATED PROBLEM WILL BE THE GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS WHICH MAY GUST TO 20 TO 25 KTS. THE WINDS WILL BECOME MORE NORTHERLY TONIGHT AND DECREASE TO 10 KTS OR LESS AFTER MIDNIGHT. NORTHERLY WINDS WILL PICK UP AGAIN ON TUESDAY DURING THE MORNING TO 10 TO 15 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 20 KTS POSSIBLE. OUTLOOK... TUE AFTN-WED...VFR. NO SIG WX. WED NITE/THURS AM...IFR/MVFR. CIG. CHC -SHRA THU PM THROUGH FRI...VFR. NO SIG WX. && .FIRE WEATHER... ...A GUSTY NORTHEAST WIND AROUND 25 MPH TODAY... BASED ON THE LATEST WFAS MAP AND OUR USERS...MUCH OF OUR AREA HAS NOW BEEN EXPERIENCING FULL OR NEARLY FULL GREEN-UP THE ONLY EXCEPTION WOULD BE THE ADIRONDACKS WHICH ARE A WEEK OR MORE AWAY FROM GREEN-UP. A SOAKING RAIN FROM THE LATEST STORM LOOK TO MISS MOST (IF NOT ALL OF OUR REGION TODAY) AS IT SLIPS TO OUR SOUTH. SOME LIGHT RAIN MIGHT FALL IN OUR SOUTHERN ZONES...BUT ANY RAIN WOULD BE UNDER A TENTH OF AN INCH. IT WILL BE CLOUDY COOL DAY WITH RH VALUES BOTTOMING OUT IN THE 30-40 PERCENT RANGE...EXCEPT 40S OVER HIGHER TERRAIN AND THE HUDSON VALLEY SOUTH OF HUDSON (WHICH STILL MIGHT GET A LITTLE RAIN). A GUSTY NORTHEAST WIND WILL AVERAGE AROUND 15 MPH...WITH GUSTS AVERAGING NEAR 25 MPH...BUT LOCALLY AS HIGH AS 35 MPH...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN. THE WIND WILL DIMINISH TONIGHT TO UNDER 10 MPH AS HIGH PRESSURE SETTLES IN. EXPECT A GOOD RECOVERY AS RH VALUES INCREASE TO BETWEEN 80 TO 100 PERCENT. EXPECT A DRY DAY TOMORROW...WITH AFTERNOON RH VALUES DROPPING TO BETWEEN 25 AND 32 PERCENT AND A NORTH WIND AVERAGING 5 TO 15 MPH. THE NEXT CHANCE OF RAIN WILL BE WEDNESDAY NIGHT. && .HYDROLOGY... A STRONG EASTERLY FETCH MIGHT PRODUCE SOME MINOR TIDAL FLOODING ON THE HUDSON DOWN NEAR POUGHKEEPSIE SOMETIME TODAY. OTHERWISE...NO HYDRO PROBLEMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY THROUGH THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. THE STORM THAT ORIGINALLY LOOKED TO BRING A SOAKING RAIN TO MUCH OF OUR HSA WILL STAY JUST FAR ENOUGH SOUTH TO KEEP ALL SIGNIFICANT RAIN SOUTH OF OUR REGION. ANY RAIN THAT FALLS SOUTH OF ALBANY WILL LIKELY BE UNDER A TENTH OF AN INCH AND HAVE VIRTUALLY NO AFFECT ON WATERSHEDS. THEN...DRY WEATHER IS ON TAP TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY. THE NEXT CHANCE OF RAIN WILL BE WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY THURSDAY. AT THIS VANTAGE POINT...AVERAGE RIVER BASIN QPF LOOKS TO BE A QUARTER INCH OR LESS AND AGAIN HAVE NO AFFECT ON WATERSHEDS. && .ALY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CT...NONE. NY...NONE. MA...NONE. VT...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...HWJIV NEAR TERM...HWJIV SHORT TERM...HWJIV LONG TERM...BGM AVIATION...HWJIV FIRE WEATHER...HWJIV HYDROLOGY...HWJIV
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 607 AM EDT MON MAY 12 2008 CTZ001-013-MAZ001-025-NYZ032-033-038>043-047>054-058>061-063>066- 082>084-VTZ013>015-131100- NORTHERN LITCHFIELD-SOUTHERN LITCHFIELD-NORTHERN BERKSHIRE- SOUTHERN BERKSHIRE-NORTHERN HERKIMER-HAMILTON-SOUTHERN HERKIMER- SOUTHERN FULTON-MONTGOMERY-NORTHERN SARATOGA-NORTHERN WARREN- NORTHERN WASHINGTON-SCHOHARIE-WESTERN SCHENECTADY- EASTERN SCHENECTADY-SOUTHERN SARATOGA-WESTERN ALBANY-EASTERN ALBANY- WESTERN RENSSELAER-EASTERN RENSSELAER-WESTERN GREENE-EASTERN GREENE- WESTERN COLUMBIA-EASTERN COLUMBIA-WESTERN ULSTER-EASTERN ULSTER- WESTERN DUTCHESS-EASTERN DUTCHESS-NORTHERN FULTON-SOUTHEAST WARREN- SOUTHERN WASHINGTON-BENNINGTON-WESTERN WINDHAM-EASTERN WINDHAM- 607 AM EDT MON MAY 12 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWESTERN CONNECTICUT...WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK AND SOUTHERN VERMONT. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A downed tree was reported on Strattford Avenue in Pittsfield during Monday May 12th, due to strong winds.
Minor damage was reported to a house and car parked in the driveway where the tree landed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Massachusetts in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Massachusetts, May 2008
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: 102897.