The passage of an upper level disturbance, combined with an unstable air mass in place, led to the development of isolated thunderstorms across portions of mid Hudson Valley during Saturday afternoon on August 16th.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 passage of an upper level disturbance, combined with an unstable air mass in place, led to the development of isolated thunderstorms across portions of mid Hudson Valley during Saturday afternoon on August 16th.
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 Aug 16, 12:55 PM EST, 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 155 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 .SYNOPSIS... THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE THAT HAS INFLUENCED OUR WEATHER MUCH OF THE WEEK WILL FINALLY MOVE EAST OF OUR AREA TODAY...BUT NOT BEFORE IT KICKS OFF SOME MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...ESPECIALLY FROM THE CATSKILLS NORTH. A WEAK DISTURBANCE ALONG THE CANADIAN BORDER MAY BRING A SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM TO THE NORTHERN HALF OF OUR AREA ON SUNDAY. FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON INTO MONDAY EVENING...A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH FROM CANADA BRINGING A CHANCE FOR A SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM TO THE NORTHERN AREAS. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE POPPED UP OVER ALL THE FORECAST AREA EXCEPT FOR OUR SOUTHERNMOST THREE COUNTIES...SO HAVE RAISED POPS TO 50 PERCENT AND CHANGED THE WORDING TO SCATTERED RATHER THAN CHANCE. A NUMBER OF THESE STORMS HAVE ELEVATED CORES OF OVER 60 DBZ WHICH ALONG WITH THE COLD TEMPERATURES ALOFT SUGGEST SMALL HAIL. MAX TEMPS STILL LOOK REASONABLE ALTHOUGH MAY BE A DEGREE OR TWO WARM IN A FEW PLACES. WITH UPPER LOW STILL SPINNING ACROSS NORTHERN NEW YORK... BEST CHANCE FOR AFTERNOON CONVECTION WILL BE FROM THE THE NORTHERN CATSKILLS AND MASS/CT BORDER NORTH. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... WHILE SUNDAY INITIALLY LOOKED TO BE DRY...A TROUGH AXIS WITH ASSOCIATED VORT MAX SHOULD PRODUCE WIDELY SCATTERED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE NORTHERN PORTION OF OUR AREA. SB CAPES GENERALLY LESS THAN 500 J/KG...BUT VALUES COULD ACTUALLY BE SLIGHTLY HIGHER AS DEW POINTS START TO INCREASE ALONG WITH TEMPS 3 TO 5 DEGREES HIGHER THAN TODAY. SUNDAY NIGHT LOOKS MOSTLY CLEAR WITH TEMPS A FEW DEGREES WARMER THAN TONIGHT. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... MODELS HAVE TRENDED TOWARDS SLOWING DOWN THE PROGRESSION OF A COLD FRONT DROPPING SOUTHWARD FROM CANADA LATE MON INTO MON NIGHT. STRONG HEATING ON MONDAY AND STRENGTHENING WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL ALLOW FOR AN INCREASINGLY FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP...ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. THE MAIN COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO STILL BE WELL NORTH OF THE REGION...HOWEVER ALONG WITH PLENTY OF INSTABILITY THERE SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT FORCING /COURTESY OF AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVING THROUGH/ TO RESULT IN FAIRLY ROBUST T-STORM DEVELOPMENT. EXTENT OF ORGANIZATION STILL IN QUESTION...ALTHOUGH WITH POSSIBLE SB CAPE VALUES OF 1000-2000 J/KG AND INCREASING LOW TO MID LEVEL WINDS...SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE. MAX TEMPS SHOULD WARM WELL INTO THE 80S IN MOST VALLEY LOCATIONS...ESPECIALLY IN THE MID HUDSON VALLEY WHERE WESTERLY FLOW AND DOWN SLOPING OFF THE CATSKILLS SHOULD HELP BOOST TEMPS INTO THE 85-90 RANGE. THE COLD FRONT WILL SAG SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE REGION MON NIGHT INTO EARLY TUE MORNING. WILL CONTINUE TO MENTION CHANCE OF THUNDER THROUGH THE NIGHT. WILL ONLY KEEP SLIGHT CHANCE POPS EARLY TUE AS FRONT CLEARS SOUTHERN AREAS BY LATE MORNING...HOWEVER THE BEST INSTABILITY AND HIGHER PWATS SHOULD BE CONFINED TO AREAS SOUTH OF OUR REGION. THE REST OF THE WEEK SHOULD FEATURE TRANQUIL CONDITIONS AND WARMING TEMPERATURES. TUE NIGHT INTO WED...AN AREA OF SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN FROM THE GREAT LAKES WITH INITIALLY PLEASANT TEMPS AND FAIRLY COMFORTABLE HUMIDITY LEVELS. THEN THUR INTO FRI A RIDGE ALOFT WILL STRENGTHEN...WHICH WILL ALLOW TEMPS TO WARM FURTHER BUT SHOULD ALSO SUPPRESS THE CHANCES FOR CONVECTION. SO WILL KEEP DRY FORECAST THROUGH THE REST OF THE WORK WEEK...WITH TEMPS WARMING A BIT EACH DAY AND HUMIDITY INCREASING. AFTER VIEWING LATEST ECMWF AND GFS...IT APPEARS ANY TROPICAL MOISTURE WILL STAY WELL TO OUR SOUTH THROUGH NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... VFR FLIGHT CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...BUT THERE WILL BE AREAS OF MVFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY IN SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...ESPECIALLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. THE STORMS WILL BEGIN TO DIMINISH ONCE THE SUN GETS LOW ON THE HORIZON. CLOUDS...SHOWERS...AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LESS LIKELY OVER ULSTER...DUTCHESS...AND LITCHFIELD COUNTIES. WE WILL HANDLE THE CONVECTION ISSUE BY APPENDING CB TO THE CLOUD GROUP. SKIES WILL CLEAR THIS EVENING. WINDS WILL BE WEST TO NORTHWEST THIS AFTERNOON 10 KNOTS OR LESS...AND WILL BECOME NEAR CALM THIS EVENING. ALONG WITH THE CLEAR SKIES...THIS WILL BRING ABOUT FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR RADIATIONAL COOLING...WHICH WILL RESULT IN FOG FORMING OVERNIGHT. THE FOG WILL RESULT IN MVFR/IFR VISIBILITY AND/OR LOW STRATUS...ESPECIALLY AT KGFL AND KPOU WHERE THESE CONDITIONS ARE ENHANCED BY THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN. OUTLOOK... SUN...VFR. ISOLD -TSRA. MON...VFR/MVFR...CHC -TSRA TUE...VFR...SIGHT CHC -TSRA. WED...VFR...NO SIG WX. && .FIRE WEATHER... IT WILL BE A FEW MORE DAYS BEFORE DRY WEATHER RETURNS AS WIDELY SCATTERED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TODAY AND SUNDAY WITH MORE NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ON MONDAY WITH A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT. RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL DROP TO 40 TO 60 PERCENT THIS AFTERNOON...RECOVER TO 85 TO 100 PERCENT TONIGHT AND FALL TO 35 TO 65 PERCENT ON SUNDAY. WINDS WILL BE FROM THE NORTHWEST OR WEST AT 5 TO 10 MPH TODAY... NEAR CALM TONIGHT AND SOUTHWEST TO WEST AT 5 TO 15 MPH ON SUNDAY. && .HYDROLOGY... NO HYDRO PROBLEMS ANTICIPATED FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL ONCE AGAIN OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON. BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE POSSIBLE...WHICH MIGHT CAUSE SOME PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS AND PARKING AREAS. ALSO IT IS POSSIBLE THAT IN A FEW AREAS STORMS MAY TRAIN OR FOLLOW ONE ANOTHER OVER THE SAME AREA...WHICH COULD CAUSE SHARP RISES TO NEAR BANKFULL ON SMALL STREAMS IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL HAVE MUCH LESS OF AN EFFECT ON LARGER STREAMS AND RIVERS WHICH WILL SHOW LITTLE CHANGE IN FLOW. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY AS WELL. DRIER WEATHER IS EXPECTED FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE COMING WEEK. && .ALY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CT...NONE. NY...NONE. MA...NONE. VT...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...RCK NEAR TERM...RCK SHORT TERM...11 LONG TERM...JPV AVIATION...RCK FIRE WEATHER...11 HYDROLOGY...RCK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 132 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 MAZ001-025-NYZ032-033-038>043-047>054-058>061-082>084-VTZ013>015- 171100- 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-NORTHERN FULTON-SOUTHEAST WARREN- SOUTHERN WASHINGTON-BENNINGTON-WESTERN WINDHAM-EASTERN WINDHAM- 132 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK AND SOUTHERN VERMONT. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING. THE STORMS WLL MOVE FROM THE NORTHWEST TO THE SOUTHEAST AROUND 25 MPH. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY CONTAIN HAIL UP TO A HALF INCH IN DIAMETER. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. MORE NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED MONDAY AFTERNOON INTO MONDAY EVENING AND SOME OF THEM MAY BE SEVERE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. CTZ001-013-NYZ063>066-171100- NORTHERN LITCHFIELD-SOUTHERN LITCHFIELD-WESTERN ULSTER- EASTERN ULSTER-WESTERN DUTCHESS-EASTERN DUTCHESS- 132 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWESTERN CONNECTICUT AND THE MID HUDSON REGION OF NEW YORK. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING. STORMS MAY CONTAIN HAIL UP TO A HALF INCH IN DIAMETER. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. MORE NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED MONDAY AFTERNOON INTO MONDAY EVENING AND SOME OF THEM MAY BE SEVERE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 1217 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 MAZ001-NYZ053-054-059>061-161645- EASTERN COLUMBIA NY-WESTERN COLUMBIA NY-EASTERN GREENE NY- WESTERN RENSSELAER NY-EASTERN RENSSELAER NY-NORTHERN BERKSHIRE MA- 1217 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN COLUMBIA...GREENE...RENSSELAER AND BERKSHIRE COUNTIES... AT 1210 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...AROUND HALF INCH HAIL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAIN. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR NASSAU...OR ABOUT OVER NASSAU...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 13 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... NASSAU AND VALATIE BY 1225 PM EDT 6 MILES NORTH OF CHATHAM AND 9 MILES WEST OF NEW LEBANON BY 1245 PM EDT IN ADDITION TO HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURES NUMBER ONE KILLERS. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. RCK
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 1230 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 VTZ014-015-161700- EASTERN WINDHAM VT-WESTERN WINDHAM VT- 1230 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN WINDHAM COUNTY... AT 1225 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND A BRIEF PERIOD OF HEAVY RAIN. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR BRATTLEBORO...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 11 MPH. OTHER LOCATIONS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO VERNON AND GUILFORD CENTER. SND
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 1238 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 VTZ014-015-161715- EASTERN WINDHAM VT-WESTERN WINDHAM VT- 1238 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN WINDHAM COUNTY... AT 1230 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL UP TO A HALF INCH IN DIAMETER. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR NEWFANE...OR ABOUT 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TOWNSHEND...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 13 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PUTNEY BY 105 PM EDT BRATTLEBORO...7 MILES NORTHEAST OF GUILFORD CENTER AND 7 MILES NORTH OF VERNON BY 115 PM EDT
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 1257 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 NYZ059>061-161730- EASTERN COLUMBIA NY-WESTERN COLUMBIA NY-EASTERN GREENE NY- 1257 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN COLUMBIA AND GREENE COUNTIES... AT 1250 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL... LOCATED NEAR HIGH FALLS...OR JUST SOUTH OF CATSKILL...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 14 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... CLERMONT BY 115 PM EDT LIVINGSTON BY 120 PM EDT 7 MILES WEST OF ANCRAM BY 130 PM EDT
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 136 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 NYZ060-061-065-066-161800- EASTERN COLUMBIA NY-WESTERN COLUMBIA NY-WESTERN DUTCHESS NY- EASTERN DUTCHESS NY- 136 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN COLUMBIA AND DUTCHESS COUNTIES... AT 129 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL UP TO A HALF INCH IN DIAMETER...LOCATED NEAR PINE PLAINS...OR ABOUT 11 MILES NORTHEAST OF RHINEBECK. THE STORM IS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH. THE STORM WILL BE NEAR... PINE PLAINS BY 150 PM EDT MILLERTON AND 9 MILES NORTHWEST OF AMENIA BY 200 PM EDT LIGHTNING IS THE THUNDERSTORMS WORST KILLER. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. RCK
The Albany radar (KENX), 66 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:59 UTC.
3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Quarter size hail was reported in Barrytown, near Red Hook, during a thunderstorm.
Hail up to penny size fell during a thunderstorm approximately 1 mile southeast of Barrytown.
Penny size hail was reported in Lagrangeville during a thunderstorm.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New York in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, August 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: 130545, 130547, 130548.