The passage of a strong upper level disturbance, combined with a moist and unstable air mass in place, led to the development of numerous thunderstorms across southern Vermont during Thursday afternoon on August 7th, some of which contained large hail. In addition, locally very heavy rainfall led to flash flooding in some areas.
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 strong upper level disturbance, combined with a moist and unstable air mass in place, led to the development of numerous thunderstorms across southern Vermont during Thursday afternoon on August 7th, some of which contained large hail. In addition, locally very heavy rainfall led to flash flooding in some areas.
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 7, 12:21 PM EST, 9 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 121 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A LARGE UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL PERSIST FROM EASTERN CANADA INTO THE NORTHEAST THROUGH AT LEAST THE NEXT FEW DAYS. SEVERAL DISTURBANCES WILL PASS THROUGH THE OUR REGION DURING THIS TIME. THIS WILL RESULT IN SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...AND SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 8 PM THIS EVENING/... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ERUPTED ACROSS THE REGION. OUR ENTIRE AREA (SAVE HERKIMER COUNTY) HAS BEEN PLACED INTO A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. HEATING OF THE DAY...OROGRAPHIC FORCING AND WEAK SURFACE FEATURES PROVIDING LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE HAVE BEEN MORE THAN ENOUGH TO PRODUCE IMPRESSIVE UPDRAFTS THAT ALREADY HAVE BEEN LARGE HAIL ACROSS WASHINGTON COUNTY. TURNS OUT OF VIL DE JOUR IS ACTUALLY LOWER THAN 43...MORE LIKE 37 ALSO...ONE STORM IN WINDHAM COUNTY IS NOT MOVING...DUE TO ENHANCED UPSLOPE CIRCULATION...PROBABLY PRODUCING A STEADY STATE INFLOW INTO THE STORM WHICH IS LIKELY ALLOWING TO PERPETUATE ITSELF. EXPECT COVERAGE TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS...AND THEREFORE JUST CALL IT NUMEROUS (POP 60) ACROSS THE BOARD. UPDATED THE FORECAST TO INCLUDE THE WATCH. && .SHORT TERM /8 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... UPPER TROF STUBBORNLY REMAINS OVER THE REGION DURING THIS PERIOD...SO LOOKS LIKE MORE OF THE SAME...A MIX OF CLOUDS AND SUN WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...MOSTLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. WENT WITH A BLEND OF MAV/FWC AND MET GUIDANCE THROUGHOUT THIS PERIOD...EXCEPT THE MET VALUES WERE TOO COOL FOR THE MAX TEMPERATURE ON FRIDAY SO FAVORED THE MAV/FWC VALUES. COOL TEMPERATURES CONTINUE ALOFT SO AGAIN HAVE INCLUDED THE POSSIBILITY OF SMALL HAIL WITH THUNDERSTORMS. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... FRIDAY THE NAM AND GFS BEGAN DIVERGING IN THEIR HANDLING OF 500HPA CUT OFF...AND ALL THAT FOLLOWS. BY 12UTC SAT THE GFS HAS A 552 HPA CUT OFF CENTERED OVER N NYS...SLOWLY LIFTING NE UP THE ST. LAWRENCE VLY REACHING YQB BY 12UTC SUNDAY. MEANWHILE THE NAM AND GEM HAVE SWUNG A 500 HPA TROF EAST OF RGN BY 12UTC SAT...AND HOLD THE MAIN CUTOFF UP OVER JAMES BAY. THE RESULT IS A MUCH SUNNIER AND WARMER SAT AND SUN. SAT IN THIS SCENARIO WOULD FEATURE SCT AFTN -SHRA/TSTMS...SUNDAY AS THE CUTOFF APPROACHES A SFC LOW DRAGS A CDFNT AND PRODUCES A RATHER SIGNIFICANT CONVECTIVE LINE DURING THE AFTN. LOOKING AT IPV ANOMALIES...BOTH MODELS START WITH THE SAME PV AREAS...AND DEVELOP THEM DIFFERENTLY. GIVEN THE NAM/GEM ALIGNMENT...IN THE WEEKEND PERIOD WILL LEAN TWRD NAM. MONDAY THE GFS HAS THIS FIRST CUTOFF IS SOMEWHERE IN NE QUEBEC...AND DUMBELLING AROUND ANOTHER CUTOFF CENTER IN N HUDSONS BAY. WHILE THE GFS SHOWS FCA GETTING A REPRIEVE MONDAY FROM THE DAILY BOUTS OF -SHRA/TSTMS...WITH FCST BUILT ON NAM/GEM ASSUMPTION THAT MAIN CUT OFF IS CENTERED OVER N NYS MONDAY MORNING...WILL KEEP HIGHER CHC POPS MONDAY PARTICULARLY N. BY TUESDAY AS THE DUMBELLING CUTOFFS ROTATE DOWN FROM QUEBEC ACROSS NE USA...THEY DRAG YET ANOTHER CDFNT DOWN ACROSS THE REGION WITH ITS ATTENDANT AREA OF SHRA/TSTMS. IT LOOKS LIKE IN THIS SCENARIO THAT BY MIDWEEK THE CUTOFF MOVIE COMES TO AN END AND THEY FINALLY EXIT WEDNESDAY. 500 HPA RIDGE BUILDS FM ONTARIO INTO NY AND NEW ENG....ALONG WITH SFC HIGH PRESSURE. DUE TO THE TRAJECTORY OF THE AIRMASS...GFS ALLUDES TO THE UNIQUE AUGUST SITUATION WE GET SOME YEARS...MAJOR WAA FROM CANADA. && .AVIATION /17Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... A WIDE UPPER TROF OVER EASTERN CANADA WILL CONTINUE TO DOMINATE THE WEATHER OVER THE REGION WITH COLD AIR ALOFT OVER FAIRLY WARM AND MOIST AIR AT THE SURFACE. FOG...WHICH HAS RESULTED IN LOCALIZED MVFR/IFR VISIBILITY...WILL MIX OUT AND DISSIPATE BETWEEN 11Z AND 13Z...WITH VFR FLIGHT CONDITIONS PREVAILING THE REST OF THE DAY. HIGH AND MID LEVEL CLOUDS WERE STREAMING INTO THE REGION AHEAD OF A WAVE DEVELOPING ON THE FRONTAL SYSTEM IN THE OHIO VALLEY. ONCE THE SUN BEGINS HEATING THE AIRMASS WE CAN EXPECT CU TO FORM AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AS THE DAY GOES ON. LOCALIZED MVFR/IFR MAY BE ENCOUNTERED IN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AND SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTAIN SMALL HAIL. WINDS TODAY WILL GENERALLY BE FROM THE WEST 4 TO 8 KNOTS. THE CU WILL START TO DIMINISH AS THE SUN GETS LOW WHILE THE MIDLEVEL CLOUDS AHEAD OF THE FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL THICKEN AND EVENTUALLY LOWER. WINDS WILL DIMINISH TONIGHT. A FEW POCKETS OF FOG MAY FORM IN VALLEYS OR NEAR BODIES OF WATER...BUT CLOUDS SHOULD PRETTY MUCH INHIBIT RADIATIONAL COOLING. OUTLOOK... FRI...SOME LIGHT FOG POSSIBLE IN ERY AM...THEN CHC SHRA/TSRA SAT...VFR/MVFR...CHC SHRA/TSRA. SUN...VFR...CHC SHRA/TSRA MON...VFR...NO SIG WX. && .FIRE WEATHER... WITH THREAT OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON...MORE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS FRIDAY....AND SCATTERED SHOWERS EACH DAY INTO NEXT WEEK...FREQUENT WET FLAG CONDITIONS WILL RESULT. WHILE NOT ALL AREAS WILL GET PRECIPITATION EACH DAY...ALL AREAS OVER 7 DAYS WILL HAVE SEVERAL PERIODS OF SHOWERS. && .HYDROLOGY... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS BROUGHT SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL TO THE CENTRAL ADIRONDACKS AND SOUTHERN VERMONT RESULTING IN RISES OF AROUND TWO FEET ON THE HUDSON...MOOSE...WILLIAMS...AND SAXTONS RIVERS. THESE RIVERS HAVE LEVELED OFF AND WILL RECEDE THIS MORNING. THERE WILL BE A BRIEF PAUSE THIS MORNING BEFORE MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FIRE UP THIS AFTERNOON. BASIN WIDE RAINFALL WILL... FOR THE MOST PART...BE LESS THAN HALF AN INCH. HOWEVER...ANY THUNDERSTORM COULD LOCALLY PUT DOWN AN INCH OR MORE OF RAINFALL IN A SHORT TIME WHICH COULD SHARP RISES ON SMALLER RIVERS AND MOMENTARY FLOODING ON ROADS AND PARKING AREAS. MORE OF THE SAME EXPECTED FOR FRIDAY...PERHAPS A BRIEF PAUSE SATURDAY...THEN MORE AGAIN SUNDAY...AS A PERSISTENT UPPER LOW WILL BRING ABOUT UNSETTLED WEATHER CONDITIONS OVER THE REGION. && .ALY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 8 PM EDT NY...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH (EXCEPT HERKIMER) UNTIL 8 PM EDT. MA...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 8 PM EDT. VT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 8 PM EDT. && NEAR TERM...HWJIV
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 103 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2008 CTZ001-013-MAZ001-025-NYZ033-039>043-047>054-058>061-063>066-082>084- VTZ013>015-081100- NORTHERN LITCHFIELD-SOUTHERN LITCHFIELD-NORTHERN BERKSHIRE- SOUTHERN BERKSHIRE-HAMILTON-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- 103 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2008 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 813 IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWESTERN CONNECTICUT...WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK...EXCEPT HERKIMER COUNTY...AS WELL AS 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...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TUESDAY...MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON EVENING AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. SKYWARN ACTIVATION HAS BEEN REQUEST FOR ALL OF EASTERN NEW YORK EXCEPT HERKIMER COUNTY...AS WELL AS ALL OF ADJACENT EASTERN NEW ENGLAND. NYZ032-038-081100- NORTHERN HERKIMER-SOUTHERN HERKIMER- 103 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR HERKIMER COUNTY OF EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THERE IS A LIKELIHOOD OF THUNDERSTORMS. WHILE THESE ARE NOT EXPECTED TO REACH SEVERE LIMITS...THEY COULD GET STRONG ENOUGH TO PRODUCE SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS TO 50 MPH. THE CELLS WILL MOVE EAST 10 TO 20 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TUESDAY...MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON EVENING AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 1212 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2008 VTZ014-015-071700- EASTERN WINDHAM VT-WESTERN WINDHAM VT- 1212 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN WINDHAM COUNTY... AT 1210 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...AROUND HALF INCH HAIL...WINDS AROUND 45 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND A PERIOD OF HEAVY RAIN. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR NEWFANE...OR ABOUT OVER TOWNSHEND...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... NEWFANE BY 1220 PM EDT PUTNEY BY 1255 PM EDT BRATTLEBORO BY 100 PM EDT THIS IS A SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORM THAT COULD PRODUCE ONE HALF TO ONE INCH OF RAIN IN LESS THAN ONE HOUR. THIS COULD LEAD TO PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS AND POOR DRAINAGE LOCATIONS. JPV
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 1235 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2008 NYZ041>043-050-083-084-071715- SOUTHERN SARATOGA NY-NORTHERN SARATOGA NY-NORTHERN WARREN NY- SOUTHEAST WARREN NY-NORTHERN WASHINGTON NY-SOUTHERN WASHINGTON NY- 1235 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN SARATOGA...WARREN AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES... AT 1233 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...AROUND HALF INCH HAIL...WINDS AROUND 45 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAIN. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 10 MILES WEST OF COMSTOCK TO HUDSON FALLS TO 9 MILES WEST OF GREENWICH...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF LAKE GEORGE VILLAGE TO HUDSON FALLS TO 6 MILES EAST OF SARATOGA SPRINGS...AND MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR... GREENWICH...HARTFORD...COMSTOCK AND 8 MILES WEST OF SALEM BY 115 PM EDT THESE ARE SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS THAT COULD PRODUCE ONE HALF TO ONE INCH OF RAIN IN LESS THAN ONE HOUR. THIS COULD LEAD TO PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS AND POOR DRAINAGE LOCATIONS. JPV
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 1239 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2008 VTZ014-015-071730- EASTERN WINDHAM VT-WESTERN WINDHAM VT- 1239 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN WINDHAM COUNTY... AT 1237 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...AROUND HALF INCH HAIL...WINDS AROUND 45 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAIN. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR GUILFORD CENTER...OR ABOUT OVER BRATTLEBORO...AND MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... BRATTLEBORO BY 1245 PM EDT NORTH VERNON AND VERNON BY 105 PM EDT THIS IS A SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORM THAT COULD PRODUCE ONE HALF TO ONE INCH OF RAIN IN LESS THAN ONE HOUR. THIS COULD LEAD TO PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS AND POOR DRAINAGE LOCATIONS. JPV
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
117 PM EDT THU AUG 07 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1228 PM HAIL HUDSON FALLS 43.30N 73.58W
08/07/2008 E0.50 INCH WASHINGTON NY TRAINED SPOTTER
1230 PM HAIL HUDSON FALLS 43.30N 73.58W
08/07/2008 M0.88 INCH WASHINGTON NY TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
KOLECISPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 122 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2008 NYZ032-038-071800- NORTHERN HERKIMER NY-SOUTHERN HERKIMER NY- 122 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN HERKIMER COUNTY... AT 119 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...AROUND HALF INCH HAIL... WINDS AROUND 45 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND A PERIOD OF HEAVY RAIN. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM MCKEEVER TO OHIO TO MOHAWK...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF OLD FORGE TO 11 MILES EAST OF HINCKLEY TO ILION...AND MOVING EAST AT 17 MPH. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR... NICKS LAKE CAMPGROUND BY 145 PM EDT LITTLE FALLS BY 150 PM EDT JPV
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
125 PM EDT THU AUG 07 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0105 PM HAIL HUDSON FALLS 43.30N 73.58W
08/07/2008 E0.75 INCH WASHINGTON NY LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&
KOLECIThe Albany radar (KENX), 145 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:28 UTC.
3 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall resulted in the closure of a portion of Pleasant Valley Road near Bellows Falls.
Golf ball size hail fell during a thunderstorm near Bellows Falls, and covered the ground. In addition, downed trees were reported on Route 121 due to strong thunderstorm winds.
Trees were reported down along Route 121 near Bellows Falls during a thunderstorm. In addition, hail up to golf ball size was reported during this thunderstorm.
Several trees were knocked down by strong thunderstorm winds in and near Saxtons River. One tree fell in front of a dormitory at Vermont Academy, with three additional trees knocked over nearby. Another tree fell near the Post Office.
Penny size hail was reported near Saxtons River during a thunderstorm.
Nickel size hail was reported near Bellows Falls during a thunderstorm.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Vermont in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Vermont, 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: 130487, 130488, 130491, 130655, 130489, 130490.