The passage of a cold front, along with very warm and moist air in place, led to the development of scattered thunderstorms across portions of east central New York during Wednesday afternoon on July 9th. Localized flash flooding was reported in Rensselaer County due to thunderstorms containing very heavy rainfall.
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 a cold front, along with very warm and moist air in place, led to the development of scattered thunderstorms across portions of east central New York during Wednesday afternoon on July 9th.
Localized flash flooding was reported in Rensselaer County due to thunderstorms containing very heavy rainfall.
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 9, 2:45 PM EST, 2 hours 39 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 345 PM EDT WED JUL 9 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT...MOVING INTO WESTERN NEW YORK STATE...WILL WORK ACROSS THE REGION OVERNIGHT. SLIGHTLY COOLER AND MUCH DRIER AIR WILL TAKE HOLD ON THURSDAY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM THURSDAY MORNING/... WATCHING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS POP UP AND MOVE ACROSS OUR REGION. ONE ROGUE STORM OVER IN BRATTLEBORO PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT WIND DAMAGE DESPITE THE FACT THE CELL WAS WELL BELOW SEVERE THRESHOLD...WITH ELEVATED CORE OF MAX WINDS NO HIGHER THAN 46 KTS AT 8000 FEET AND VILS IN THE 40S (AS OPPOSED TO THE VIL OF THE DAY BEING CLOSER TO 60). WE ARE ACTUALLY SEEING SOME SUBSIDENCE IN THE WAKE OF A PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH WHICH HAS ALLOWED FOR SOME BREAKS OF SUNSHINE...WHICH IS LIKELY FURTHER DESTABILIZING THE ATMOSPHERE. CERTAINLY NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET...AND THE THREAT OF SEVERE REMAINS SLIGHT. FOR NOW...WILL CONTINUE WITH IDEA THAT THUNDERSTORMS COULD CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. LAPSE RATES REMAIN MODEST AT BEST (GENERALLY AT OR BELOW 6.0 C/KM). HOWEVER...MSAS ANALYSIS SCBAPES RANGE FROM 1000-2000 J/KG FROM ALBANY SOUTH AND EAST. IF A WATCH IS NEEDED...WILL BEEF UP WORDING. IT LOOKS AS IF THE REAL COLD FRONT WILL NOT CROSS OUR REGION UNTIL AFTER 00Z. SHOWERS COULD LINGER UNTIL AROUND MIDNIGHT...BUT THE THREAT OF SEVERE SHOULD DIMINISH AFTER SUNDOWN. UPSTREAM TEMPS INDICATE LOW TEMPERATURES IN THE 50S NW OF ALBANY...60-65 FROM ALBANY SOUTH AND EAST. A BLEND OF MODEL GUIDANCES ARE ACCEPTED AND APPEAR TO CAPTURE THIS TREND. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... UPSTREAM DEWPOINTS IN THE LOWER 50S SHOULD BE MOVING INTO OUR REGION ON THURSDAY ALONG WITH GUSTY WEST BREEZE. A MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE FEELING DAY WITH LOTS OF SUNSHINE. SCATTERED CU SHOULD BE MAINLY CONFINED TO THE HIGHER TERRAIN. GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN...25 VALLEY LOCATIONS. WENT WITH A BLEND OF ALL MACHINE GUIDANCE FOR HIGH TEMPERATURES. A GOOD NIGHT FOR SLEEPING FOLLOWS ON THURSDAY NIGHT AS HIGH PRESSURE CRESTS JUST TO THE SOUTH. WITH A MAINLY CLEAR AND SLACKENING WINDS...GOOD RADIATIONAL COOLING IN OUR SHELTERED VALLEYS...TEMPERATURES COULD FALL AS LOW AS THE UPPER 40S...WHILE MOST AREAS WILL BE IN THE 50S. WENT WITH A BLEND OF MODEL GUIDANCE...BUT TWEAKED A FEW OF OUR USUAL COOLER PLACES. ON FRIDAY...WHILE STARTING OUT MAINLY SUNNY AND DRY...BOTH THE GFS AND NAM ELUDE TO SOME DYING MCS TRYING TO MOVE ACROSS AT LEAST THE NORTHERN FRINGES OF OUR REGION. THIS WOULD FORM ALONG AN UPPER LEVEL WARM FRONT...MOVING ACROSS THE REGION. HAVE INTRODUCED SLIGHT POPS BY AFTERNOON EVERYWHERE...LOW CHANCES NW. H850 TEMPERATURES WARM FROM ABOUT 12C TO 15C...SO KEPT TEMPERATURES ABOUT THE SAME AS THURSDAY SINCE THERE COULD BE A BIT MORE CLOUDS COVER...AND A COOLER MORNING TO START OFF. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... THE WEEKEND STARTS OFF WITH INCREASING HEAT AND HUMIDITY AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES OUT OVER THE NORTH ATLANTIC...AND A MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW ENSUES. A COLD FRONT PASSES THROUGH DURING THE DAY ON SUNDAY...WITH A WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPING ALONG IT AS IT PASSES OFF THE DELMARVA. THUS...POPS REMAIN IN THE CHANCE CATEGORY UNTIL TUESDAY. THEN...HIGH PRESSURE FINALLY BUILDS IN. WENT WITH THE MOS GUIDANCE...WHICH STICKS CLOSE TO THE MEX...EXCEPT FOR THE SUNDAY MORNING LOWS...WENT COOLER. THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK WILL FEATURE SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES. && .AVIATION /19Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... WE ARE STILL IN SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS CONTINUE ON THE RADAR SCREEN. THE BIG QUESTION REMAINS WHETHER OR NOT COVERAGE WILL INCREASE AND BECOME BETTER ORGANIZED. LOTS OF CLOUDS UPSTREAM ARE A MITIGATING FACTOR. A PRE-FRONTAL BOUNDARY ALREADY SLIPPED TO OUR EAST...BUT ALL IT DID WAS SHIFT THE WIND BUT THE DEWPOINTS REMAINS HIGH. THE SKY HOWEVER...AS BRIEFLY CLEARED OUT WHICH WILL ALLOW FOR FURTHER DESTABILIZATION. ANOTHER TROUGH MIGHT STILL MOVE THROUGH LATE IN THE AFTERNOON...AND THE REAL COLD FRONT TONIGHT. EXPECT AT LEAST A SMATTERING OF SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE STORMS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON...BRIEFLY DROPPING CONDITIONS TO IFR. THERE IS AN OUTSIDE CHANCE OF ANY STORM TO BECOME BRIEFLY STRONG TO SEVERE...PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS. FOR NOW...CONTINUE THE CB PHILOSOPHY WITH TEMPO SHOWERS. THE NEXT BIG CHALLENGE IS WHETHER OR NOT THERE WILL FOG OVERNIGHT. GOOD PRESSURE RISES UPSTREAM INDICATE THAT WE MIGHT KEEP ENOUGH OF BREEZE TO MINIMIZE FOG FORMATION. THATS HOW WE ARE PLAYING IT NOW...OF COURSE THAT THINKING COULD CHANGE. STILL HAVE MVFR FOG AT KGFL AND KPOU OVERNIGHT AND THIS FOG POTENTIAL WILL CONTINUE TO BE MONITORED. VFR WITH UNRESTRICTED VISIBILITIES EXPECTED ON THURSDAY. THERE WILL BE A GUSTY WNW BREEZE...ESPECIALLY AT ALBANY WHERE IT COULD GUST PAST 20KTS AT TIMES. OUTLOOK... FRIDAY...VFR...SLGHT CHC PM -TSRA. SAT...VFR...POSS MAINLY ISOLD -SHRA. SUN AND MON...VFR/MVFR...CHC -SHRA/TSRA. TUE AND WED...VFR. NO SIG WX. && .FIRE WEATHER... EXPECT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS THROUGH THIS EVENING...BECOMING ISOLATED THEN ENDING OVERNIGHT. MUCH DRIER WEATHER ON TAP FOR THURSDAY ALONG WITH A GUSTY W OR NW WIND. RH NEAR 100 PERCENT TONIGHT...DROPPING TO 30-40 PERCENT THURSDAY AFTERNOON...EXCEPT 40-50 PERCENT ACROSS THE ADIRONDACKS. A FULL RECOVERY WITH DEW EXPECTED THURSDAY OVERNIGHT AND RH VALUES DROPPING TO SIMILAR VALUES ON FRIDAY. AN ISOLATED SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM POSSIBLE ON FRIDAY...MAINLY NORTH AND WEST OF ALBANY. && .HYDROLOGY... SOME OF THE STORMS TODAY HAVE BEEN RAINERS PRODUCING WELL OVER AN INCH IN A FEW SPOTS. MORE RAINERS CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH THIS EVENING...WITH LOCALIZED AREAS RECEIVING AN ADDITIONAL INCH OR TWO...WHILE RIVER BASIN AVERAGES WILL BE CLOSE TO A QUARTER OF AN INCH. MOST WATERSHEDS WILL NOT SEE ANY RESPONSES...BUT IF A SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORM WERE TO MOVE A CRITICAL LOCATION OF A STREAM OR EVEN A SMALL RIVER...SHARP WITHIN BANK RISES ARE POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION...LOCALIZED HEAVY RAIN WILL PRODUCE LOCALIZED PONDING ON ROADWAYS AND AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE. AFTER THIS EVENING...OUR WEATHER WILL TURN DRY AND REMAIN THAT DAY AT LEAST IN FRIDAY. ON FRIDAY...A WARM FRONT MIGHT TOUCH OFF SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS...OR PERHAPS AN MCS. HOWEVER...THE AIR WILL BE DRY AND ANY MCS WILL LIKELY NOT PRODUCE ENOUGH RAINFALL TO PRODUCE ANY RESPONSES. MORE DRY WEATHER SATURDAY...WITH THE NEXT CHANCE OF SHOWERS ON SUNDAY. && .ALY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CT...NONE. NY...NONE. MA...NONE. VT...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...HWJIV NEAR TERM...HWJIV SHORT TERM...HWJIV LONG TERM...HELLER AVIATION...HWJIV FIRE WEATHER...HWJIV HYDROLOGY...HWJIV
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 551 PM EDT WED JUL 9 2008 CTZ001-013-MAZ001-025-NYZ032-033-038>043-047>054-058>061-063>066- 082>084-VTZ013>015-101100- 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- 551 PM EDT WED JUL 9 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWESTERN CONNECTICUT...WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK AND SOUTHERN VERMONT. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SCATTERED NON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL ABOUT MIDNIGHT. THE STORMS WILL MOVE WEST TO EAST ABOUT 25 MPH. A FEW OF THESE COULD PRODUCE LOCALIZED RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF TWO INCHES. THIS TYPE OF RAINFALL COULD PRODUCE ADDITIONAL PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ON FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 155 PM EDT WED JUL 9 2008 VTZ013-014-091900- BENNINGTON VT-WESTERN WINDHAM VT- 155 PM EDT WED JUL 9 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN BENNINGTON AND WESTERN WINDHAM COUNTIES... AT 153 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...WINDS AROUND 50 MPH... FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAIN. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM DORSET TO 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SHAFTSBURY...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DANBY TO HOOSICK FALLS...AND MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR... HIDDEN VALLEY...SHAFTSBURY AND ARLINGTON BY 200 PM EDT MANCHESTER CENTER AND MANCHESTER BY 205 PM EDT STRATTON AND LONDONDERRY BY 235 PM EDT RAINFALL AMOUNTS MAY APPROACH AN INCH AN HOUR FROM THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS. WASULA
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 205 PM EDT WED JUL 9 2008 MAZ001-NYZ053-054-VTZ013-091900- WESTERN RENSSELAER NY-EASTERN RENSSELAER NY-BENNINGTON VT- NORTHERN BERKSHIRE MA- 205 PM EDT WED JUL 9 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN WESTERN BENNINGTON...NORTHERN RENSSELAER AND NORTHERN BERKSHIRE COUNTIES... AT 202 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...WINDS AROUND 50 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAIN. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR GRAFTON...OR ABOUT 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF HOOSICK FALLS...AND MOVING EAST AT 16 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... HOOSICK FALLS BY 220 PM EDT POWNAL BY 240 PM EDT BENNINGTON BY 250 PM EDT 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF STAMFORD BY 300 PM EDT RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL RANGE FROM A QUARTER OF AN INCH TO AN INCH FROM THIS THUNDERSTORM. WASULA
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 253 PM EDT WED JUL 9 2008 CTZ001-013-NYZ065-066-091945- WESTERN DUTCHESS NY-EASTERN DUTCHESS NY-NORTHERN LITCHFIELD CT- SOUTHERN LITCHFIELD CT- 253 PM EDT WED JUL 9 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHEASTERN DUTCHESS AND IN LITCHFIELD COUNTIES... AT 248 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...WINDS AROUND 50 MPH... FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAIN. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM CORNWALL BRIDGE TO KENT TO PAWLING...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 13 MILES WEST OF TORRINGTON TO 13 MILES NORTH OF NEW MILFORD TO PAWLING...AND MOVING EAST AT 24 MPH. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF UP TO ONE INCH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR... GAYLORDSVILLE BY 300 PM EDT NEW PRESTON BY 310 PM EDT NEW MILFORD BY 315 PM EDT TORRINGTON...LITCHFIELD AND LITCHFIELD GREEN BY 320 PM EDT WOODBURY CENTER...WOODBURY AND THOMASTON BY 340 PM EDT TERRYVILLE BY 345 PM EDT ELH/TAW
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
304 PM EDT WED JUL 09 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0100 PM TSTM WND DMG BRATTLEBORO 42.86N 72.57W
07/09/2008 WINDHAM VT DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
NUMEROUS TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN. ROUTE 5 WAS PARTIALLY
CLOSED BETWEEN BRATTLEBORO AND GUILFORD.
&&
BGMSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 340 PM EDT WED JUL 9 2008 CTZ001-013-092030- NORTHERN LITCHFIELD CT-SOUTHERN LITCHFIELD CT- 340 PM EDT WED JUL 9 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN LITCHFIELD COUNTY... AT 339 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...WINDS AROUND 50 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAIN. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR NEW PRESTON...OR ABOUT 9 MILES NORTHEAST OF NEW MILFORD...AND MOVING EAST AT 23 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... LITCHFIELD AND LITCHFIELD GREEN BY 355 PM EDT THOMASTON BY 405 PM EDT 6 MILES SOUTH OF TORRINGTON BY 410 PM EDT 6 MILES NORTH OF TERRYVILLE BY 415 PM EDT 6 MILES SOUTH OF NEW HARTFORD BY 430 PM EDT RAINFALL AMOUNTS MAY REACH AN INCH AN HOUR FROM THIS THUNDERSTORM. WASULA
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 345 PM EDT WED JUL 9 2008 MAZ001-NYZ054-VTZ013-092030- EASTERN RENSSELAER NY-BENNINGTON VT-NORTHERN BERKSHIRE MA- 345 PM EDT WED JUL 9 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN NORTHERN RENSSELAER COUNTY MOVING INTO SOUTHERN BENNINGTON AND NORTHERN BERKSHIRE COUNTIES... AT 344 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...WINDS AROUND 50 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAIN. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR BERLIN...OR ABOUT 11 MILES WEST OF NORTH ADAMS...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF NEW ASHFORD BY 350 PM EDT WESTON FIELD...WILLIAMSTOWN AND POWNAL BY 400 PM EDT 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF ADAMS BY 405 PM EDT NORTH ADAMS BY 410 PM EDT STAMFORD AND 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF FLORIDA BY 420 PM EDT READSBORO BY 430 PM EDT RAINFALL RATES MAY APPROACH AN INCH AN HOUR FROM THIS THUNDERSTORM. WASULA
The Albany radar (KENX), 53 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:22 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Plank Road near County Route 41 was washed out due to torrential rainfall from 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, 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: 122701.