A hot, humid and unstable air mass contributed to the development of isolated severe thunderstorms across portions of eastern New York during Saturday afternoon on July 19th.
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.
A hot, humid and unstable air mass contributed to the development of isolated severe thunderstorms across portions of eastern New York during Saturday afternoon on July 19th.
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 19, 4:30 PM EST, 57 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED TYPOS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 530 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAKENING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO OUR REGION AND BECOME NEARLY STATIONARY TONIGHT. A WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE EASTWARD ALONG BOUNDARY...PASSING OVER THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED WITH STORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM SUNDAY MORNING/... HAVE SCATTERED CONVECTION ACROSS FORECAST AREA WITH SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH #702 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM. SOME STORMS HAVE BECOME STRONG THIS AFTERNOON...HOWEVER MOST STORMS HAVE NOT HAD GOOD VERTICAL EXTENT. EVEN THOUGH INSTABILITY AND WIND FIELD NOT AS NOT AS STRONG YESTERDAY...THE THERMODYNAMIC ENVIRONMENT REMAINS SUFFICIENT FOR A THREAT OF ISOLATED DAMAGING WIND AND HAIL WITH THE STRONGER CORES INTO EARLY THIS EVENING. WILL KEEP CHANCE/SCATTERED THROUGH THIS EVENING AS FRONTAL BOUNDARY APPROACHES AND HAVE FOCUS FOR CONVECTION...REDUCED POPS TO SLIGHT CHANCE AFTER MIDNIGHT. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... FRONTAL BOUNDARY BECOME NEARLY STATIONARY ACROSS FORECAST AREA AND A WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE FROM THE GREAT LAKES REGION MOVES EASTWARD ALONG THE BOUNDARY. THE GFS IS DEEPER AND SLOWER WITH THE LOW THAN THE NAM. THE 12Z/SAT ECMWF INITIALLY IS SIMILAR TO THE GFS BUT IS QUICKER HAVING THE LOW DEPART THE REGION MONDAY. LOOKING AT A WET PERIOD WITH WIDESPREAD CONVECTION DEVELOPING BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUING THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES ARE EXPECTED TO RISE TO AROUND 2 INCHES SUNDAY AND REMAIN HIGH SUNDAY NIGHT...SO VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS EXPECTED WITH STORMS. BASED ON CSTAR II RESEARCH PROJECTS...THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A PRE-EVENT ...HEAVY RAINFALL EVENTS PRECEDING TROPICAL SYSTEMS...AS TROPICAL STORM CRISTOBAL HEADS NORTHEAST SUNDAY. REFER TO THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER PRODUCTS FOR DETAILS ABOUT CRISTOBAL. THE HEAVY RAINFALL IS DEPENDENT ON THE POSITION OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH AT THIS TIME TO ISSUE ANY TYPE OF FLOOD WATCH. THERE IS ALSO A THREAT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY...SPC HAS AREA IN SLIGHT RISK. THERE WILL BE MODEST UNIDIRECTIONAL WESTERLY FLOW. LOW LEVEL JET WILL INCREASE AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING LOW AND UPPER LEVEL JET DYNAMICS WILL BE FAVORABLE. PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE FOR DAMAGING WIND. LONGWAVE TROUGH WILL MOVE IN WITH AN UPPER LOW CUTTING OFF OVER EASTERN CANADA MONDAY THEN SLOWING MOVING NORTHEAST THROUGH TUESDAY. THIS WILL KEEP US UNSETTLED WITH THE CONTINUED THREAT FOR SCATTERED CONVECTION TO START TO THE WEEK. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... OVERALL UNSETTLED WEATHER WITH UPPER LEVEL TROUGH/LOW OVER THE REGION. MODELS ARE IN BETTER AGREEMENT WILL LARGE SCALE FLOW WITH STRONG RIDGE OVER CENTRAL NORTH AMERICA AND LONGWAVE TROUGH OVER THE PACIFIC/NORTHWESTERN AMERICA AND CLOSED OFF UPPER LOW OVER EASTERN CANADA AND THE GREAT LAKES REGION/NORTHEAST. THE ECMWF CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN LONGWAVE TROUGH OVER REGION. THE GFS HAD BEEN MORE PROGRESSIVE BEGINNING TO LIFT THE TROUGH NORTHWARD....HOWEVER THE 12Z/SAT RUN INDICATES RIDGING GETS DAMPENED AND LONGWAVE TROUGH REMAINS IN PLACE BUT ITS LESS AMPLIFIED THAN THE ECMWF. AGAIN FOLLOWED HPC LEAD FOR EXTENDED MAINTAINING CONSISTENCY IN THE FORECAST. SURFACE FRONTAL BOUNDARY BECOMING NEARLY STATIONARY ALONG/JUST OFF THE MID ATLANTIC/NEW ENGLAND COAST WITH TEMPS AT OR JUST BELOW SEASONABLE LEVELS. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... SOME AREAS OF A LITTLE HAZE AROUND THE REGION...BUT NO REAL RESTRICTIONS TO VISIBILITY THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ACROSS THE REGION...AND THERE WILL BE SOME THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AT GFL...ALB AND POU...BUT THE TIMING IS IN QUESTION AS THE SCENARIO IS STILL DEVELOPING. FOR NOW...SUGGESTING SOME MVFR IN THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN 19Z-22Z. WHEN THUNDERSTORMS DO AFFECT THE AIRPORTS...THERE WILL BE SOME 30-60 MINUTE PERIODS OF MVFR...PERHAPS 15-30 MINUTES OF POTENTIAL IFR...BUT NOT PUTTING IFR INTO THE TAFS UNTIL MORE DEFINITIVE CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT AND MOVEMENT TAKES PLACE. ONCE RAIN ENDS THIS EVENING...MIXED MID AND HIGH CLOUDS...AND SOME AREAS OF FOG THROUGH SUNRISE. AFTER SUNRISE...SOME SCATTERED SHOWER ACTIVITY AND MVFR CEILINGS POSSIBLE AROUND GFL AND ALB AS THE COLD FRONT MAKES MORE DEFINITIVE PROGRESS THROUGH THE REGION...BUT FOR NOW PUTTING VCSH WITH CB IN CLOUD GROUP TOMORROW MORNING. OUTLOOK... SUN-MON NIGHT...VFR LOWERING TO MVFR SUNDAY AND POSSIBILITY IFR AT TIMES IN SHRA/TSRA. MON NIGHT- WED ...VFR- MVFR WITH SCT SHRA/TSRA. THU...VFR. && .FIRE WEATHER... A WEAKENING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO OUR REGION AND BECOME NEARLY STATIONARY TONIGHT. A WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE EASTWARD ALONG BOUNDARY...PASSING OVER THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED WITH STORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL RECOVER TO NEAR 100 PERCENT TONIGHT...THEN ONLY DROP TO 60 TO 70 PERCENT SUNDAY AFTERNOON WITH 50 TO 60 PERCENT ACROSS THE MID HUDSON VALLEY. && .HYDROLOGY... RIVER LEVELS AND FLOWS ARE LOW WHICH IS TYPICAL OF MID TO LATE SUMMER. WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL MOVE ACROSS AREA TODAY AND WILL BECOME NEARLY STATIONARY THEN A LOW OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE ALONG BOUNDARY BRINGING MORE WIDESPREAD CONVECTION TO AREA SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES ARE EXPECTED TO RISE TO AROUND 2 INCHES SUNDAY AND REMAIN HIGH SUNDAY NIGHT...SO VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS EXPECTED WITH SOME STORMS. BASED ON CSTAR II RESEARCH PROJECTS... THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A PRE-EVENT ...HEAVY RAINFALL EVENTS PRECEDING TROPICAL SYSTEMS...AS TROPICAL STORM CRISTOBAL HEADS NORTHEAST SUNDAY. REFER TO THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER PRODUCTS FOR DETAILS ABOUT CRISTOBAL. THE HEAVY RAINFALL IS DEPENDENT ON THE POSITION OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH AT THIS TIME TO ISSUE ANY TYPE OF FLOOD WATCH. && .ALY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CT...NONE. NY...NONE. MA...NONE. VT...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...IAA NEAR TERM...IAA SHORT TERM...IAA LONG TERM...IAA AVIATION...NAS FIRE WEATHER...IAA HYDROLOGY...IAA
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 149 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008 CTZ001-013-MAZ001-025-NYZ032-033-038>043-047>054-058>061-063>066- 082>084-VTZ013>015-201100- 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- 149 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 702 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWESTERN CONNECTICUT...WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK AND SOUTHERN VERMONT. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FROM SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY ARE EXPECTED TO PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING. IF THE THREAT OF FLOODING BECOMES MORE CERTAIN A FLOOD WATCH WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...ALBANY...HERKIMER...SARATOGA...WARREN...FULTON... MONTGOMERY...SCHENECTADY...WASHINGTON...HAMILTON...RENSSELAER... SCHOHARIE...GREENE...COLUMBIA...ULSTER...DUTCHESS...BERKSHIRE... LITCHFIELD...BENNINGTON AND WINDHAM.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 418 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008 MAZ001-025-NYZ061-192115- EASTERN COLUMBIA NY-SOUTHERN BERKSHIRE MA-NORTHERN BERKSHIRE MA- 418 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT NORTHEAST COLUMBIA AND CENTRAL BERKSHIRE COUNTIES THROUGH 515 PM EDT... AT 417 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...UP TO ONE HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...AND HEAVY RAIN. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 8 MILES WEST OF LENOX...OR ABOUT 8 MILES EAST OF CHATHAM...AND MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... LENOX BY 435 PM EDT... LEE BY 440 PM EDT... LEE BY 445 PM EDT... BECKET BY 505 PM EDT. WINDS OF THIS MAGNITUDE MAY BE STRONG ENOUGH TO DOWN TREE LIMBS...AND PROPEL LOOSE OUTDOOR OBJECTS. KL
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 434 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008 VTZ013>015-192130- BENNINGTON VT-EASTERN WINDHAM VT-WESTERN WINDHAM VT- 434 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT CENTRAL BENNINGTON AND WINDHAM COUNTIES THROUGH 530 PM EDT... AT 430 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...AND HEAVY RAIN. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 9 MILES NORTHWEST OF WILMINGTON...OR ABOUT 9 MILES EAST OF BENNINGTON...AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... WILMINGTON AND 7 MILES SOUTH OF WEST WARDSBORO BY 445 PM EDT... 8 MILES SOUTH OF TOWNSHEND BY 500 PM EDT... NEWFANE BY 505 PM EDT... BRATTLEBORO BY 510 PM EDT... PUTNEY BY 515 PM EDT. WINDS OF THIS MAGNITUDE MAY BE STRONG ENOUGH TO DOWN TREE LIMBS...AND PROPEL LOOSE OUTDOOR OBJECTS. KL
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
504 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0435 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 S PITTSFIELD 42.40N 73.26W
07/19/2008 BERKSHIRE MA TRAINED SPOTTER
SEVERAL TREE LIMBS DOWN.
0435 PM HAIL 4 S PITTSFIELD 42.40N 73.26W
07/19/2008 E0.75 INCH BERKSHIRE MA TRAINED SPOTTER
HALF INCH TO PENNY SIZED HAIL.
&&
FRUGISPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
519 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0420 PM TSTM WND DMG 5 WNW LENOX 42.39N 73.37W
07/19/2008 BERKSHIRE MA LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES DOWN ON ROUTE 295.
0450 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 NNW BECKET 42.38N 73.10W
07/19/2008 BERKSHIRE MA LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES DOWN ON SUMMIT HILL RD.
&&
FRUGISSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 535 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008 VTZ014-015-192200- EASTERN WINDHAM VT-WESTERN WINDHAM VT- 535 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT EXTREME NORTHEAST WINDHAM COUNTY THROUGH 6 PM EDT... AT 531 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...AND HEAVY RAIN. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 8 MILES NORTH OF SAXTONS RIVER TO 9 MILES EAST OF LONDONDERRY...AND MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR... SAXTONS RIVER BY 540 PM EDT... WESTMINSTER...BELLOWS FALLS AND ROCKINGHAM BY 545 PM EDT. WINDS OF THIS MAGNITUDE MAY BE STRONG ENOUGH TO DOWN TREE LIMBS...AND PROPEL LOOSE OUTDOOR OBJECTS. KL
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 620 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008 NYZ053-054-192300- WESTERN RENSSELAER NY-EASTERN RENSSELAER NY- 620 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN RENSSELAER COUNTY THROUGH 7 PM EDT... AT 617 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...HAIL UP TO ONE HALF OF AN INCH IN DIAMETER...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...AND HEAVY RAIN. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR NASSAU...AND MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... STEPHENTOWN BY 645 PM EDT. WINDS OF THIS MAGNITUDE MAY BE STRONG ENOUGH TO DOWN TREE LIMBS...AND PROPEL LOOSE OUTDOOR OBJECTS.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees, along with wires were reported down in East Schodack due to strong thunderstorm winds.
Several trees were reported down on Hy Drive, another tree fell on Hillview Street, and another large tree snapped and fell across power lines at the intersection of Brookside Drive and Route 150.
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, July 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: 122739.