A cold, unstable upper atmospheric low slowly moved across the eastern Great Lakes during the afternoon of July 24th. Meanwhile, a surface low slowly traveled north along a cold front which moved into an moisture laden atmosphere across New York and Vermont.
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 BTV wrote it up.
A cold, unstable upper atmospheric low slowly moved across the eastern Great Lakes during the afternoon of July 24th. Meanwhile, a surface low slowly traveled north along a cold front which moved into an moisture laden atmosphere across New York and Vermont. Numerous showers and embedded thunderstorms with localized heavy rainfall moved across portions of Vermont, already saturated by previous rainfall events, during the afternoon and evening hours.
Much of central and northern Vermont had saturated antecedent conditions due to very significant severe weather and heavy rainfall events of July 18th and July 21st-22nd.
Widespread rainfall of 1 to 2 inches occurred during the afternoon and evening of July 24th with localized amounts that exceeded 3 inches. This heavy rainfall caused flood problems across central and north central Vermont, especially portions of Washington, Lamoille, Orleans and Caledonia counties.
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 Burlington, VT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 24, 12:39 PM EST, 46 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT 139 PM EDT THU JUL 24 2008 .SYNOPSIS... THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY ACROSS A GOOD DEAL OF THE NORTH COUNTRY. THIS WILL BE IN RESPONSE TO A SLOW MOVING UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE OVER THE OHIO VALLEY INTERACTING WITH TROPICAL MOISTURE FLOWING NORTHWARD INTO NEW ENGLAND. THE POTENTIAL FOR MORE HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... AS OF 1100 AM EDT THURSDAY...WIDESPREAD 1 TO 3 INCH RAIN TOTALS LAST NIGHT IN VERMONT...A BIT LESS IN NORTHERN NY. MUCH OF THE AREA SAW A LULL IN THE PCPN EARLIER THIS MORNING...BUT RAIN HAS RETURNED TO MUCH OF THE REGION AS OF LATE THIS MORNING...AS ADVERTISED IN DISCUSSION BELOW. EXPECT THE RAIN TO CONTINUE THROUGH FIRST PART OF THE AFTERNOON...AFTER WHICH TIME SOME BREAKS IN COVERAGE EXPECTED AS LATEST RADAR INDICATING A BIT OF A DRY SLOT LIFTING MOVING INTO SRN VT. BUT MORE CONVECTIVE TYPE PCPN EVIDENT FURTHER SOUTH AND WEST...SO OVERALL THE FCST OF RAIN FOR THIS PM LOOKS GOOD...AND THE RAIN MAY BE MODERATE TO PSBLY HEAVY AT TIMES. CANT RULE OUT AN EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORM OR TWO AS WELL. RAINFALL RATES IN PCPN THIS MORNING ARE GENERALLY A TENTH TO A QUARTER INCH AN HOUR...WITH LOCALLY HIR AMOUNTS. EXPECT THIS TO REMAIN THE CASE THIS PM...WITH AXIS OF HEAVIER RAIN SLOWLY SHIFTING TO THE EAST IN RESPONSE TO APRCH OF DEEP UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AND ASSOCD SFC BOUNDARY. NO CHANGE TO CURRENT FLOOD WATCH THAT IS IN EFFECT. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL HAS MOVED OUT OF THE AREA EARLY THIS MORNING AND THERE WILL BE A SHORT BREAK IN THE PERSISTENT PRECIPITATION...THEN MORE RAIN LATER THIS MORNING AND THROUGH THE DAY. DEEP SOUTHERLY FETCH WITH TROPICAL ORIGINS FLOWING UP AHEAD OF A PRONOUNCED UPPER TROUGH OVER THE OHIO VALLEY WILL CONTINUE TO BE MAIN FORCING FEATURE FOR AXIS OF HEAVIEST RAINFALL WHICH WILL SET UP ALONG CHAMPLAIN VALLEY BEFORE SLIDING EAST LATER TODAY AS UPPER LEVEL TROF AND SURFACE BOUNDARY ALSO PUSH EAST. SYNOPTIC SCALE PATTERN CONTINUES TO BE CONDUCIVE TO HEAVY PRECIPITATION AND THUS FLOOD WATCH WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT AS UPPER TROUGH MOVES EAST AND DEEP MOISTURE FLOWS NORTHWARD. SHOULD SEE SMALLER STREAMS AND CREEKS RISING RAPIDLY...PONDING ON ROADWAYS...THEN A TREND TOWARD RAPID RISES ON LARGER MAINSTEM RIVERS LATER TODAY. CAN SEE A LOT OF 1 TO 3 INCH RAIN AMOUNTS FROM THIS EVENT WITH AN AXIS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ACROSS PARTS OF WESTERN VERMONT WITH SOME ISOLATED 5 INCH READINGS. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 500 AM EDT THURSDAY...RAIN WILL SLOWLY EXIT TO THE EAST TONIGHT AND DRIER AIR WILL BEGIN TO WRAP AROUND THE SOUTHEAST SIDE OF THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM. GFS CONTINUES TO SHOW THE PRECIP ENDING ABOUT 6 HOURS SOONER THAN THE NAM. RAINFALL TOTALS WITH THE EVENT STILL EXPECT TO AVERAGE 2 TO 4 INCHES IN THE WATCH AREA...WITH LOCALIZED AMOUNTS OF 5+ INCHES. LINGERING SHWRS FRIDAY...MAINLY IN THE MORNING...THEN MAINLY DRY FOR LATER FRI/FRI NIGHT AS WEAK AND TEMPORARY RIDGING DEVELOP OVER THE AREA. BY SATURDAY NEXT LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM ON DECK TO AFFECT THE AREA WILL BE TAKING SHAPE OVER CANADA...BECOMING VERY VERTICALLY STACKED. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 500 AM EDT THURSDAY...THE LOW WILL BEGIN TO DROP SOUTH OVER THE GREAT LAKES REGION ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON. SURFACE LOW DEPARTS TO THE NORTHEAST WITH LARGE FRONTAL SYSTEM TRAILING. UPPER LOW REMAINS JUST NORTH OF THE GREAT LAKES. SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL BEGIN TO MOVE ESE ACROSS THE CWA ON SUNDAY. 850 TEMPS IN THE LOWER TEENS SHOULD PROVIDE ENOUGH INSTABILITY FOR SOME AFTERNOON BOOMERS AHEAD OF THE FROPA. AS FRONT MAKES ITS WAY ACROSS THE AREA WILL JUST HAVE RW...AND THE SYSTEM WILL EXIT ON SUNDAY NIGHT. MODELS ARE SHOWING SOME DIFFERENCES WITH THE TIMING OF THIS SYSTEM...BUT THERE IS QUITE A BIT OF UNCERTAINTY BEING SO FAR OUT IN THE FORECAST. SLOW MOVING UPPER TROF WHICH LAGS BEHIND THIS SYSTEM WILL BE THE MAIN PLAYER FOR THE NEXT PART OF THE EXTENDED FORECAST. MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT THERE WILL BE ANOTHER CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AS SHORTWAVE RIDES ALONG THE BASE OF THIS TROF. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BEGIN TO BUILD ACROSS THE REGION FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE EXTENDED. && .AVIATION /18Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY...MAINLY MVFR/IFR RAINFALL THRU 00Z FRIDAY AS SYSTEM WORKS THRU THE REGION. VSBY DOWN TO 2-3SM AT TIMES...WITH CEILINGS OVC015-030. AFT 00Z FRI...MAINLY MVFR FG W/ OCNL IFR FG ESPECIALLY AT SLK/MPV WHERE VSBY COULD LWR DOWN TO 1SM AT TIMES. AFT 12Z-13Z VFR COND AT ALL SITESWITH SCT LOW CLDS 020-040. SOUTHERLY WINDS AROUND 10-15KTS WILL GO LGT/VAR AT TIMES AFT 00Z FRI...BECM WSW 5-10KTS AFT 12Z-13Z FRI. HIR TRRN OBSCD AT TIMES. 18Z FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY...UPPER LOW LIFTS OUT OF REGION DURING DAY FRIDAY...WITH SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE MOVING ACROSS TAF SITES. FRIDAY IS ABOUT THE ONLY DRY DAY FORECAST DURING THIS TIME PERIOD...WITH VFR CIGS/VIS. MORE RAIN EXPECTED FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY ESPECIALLY IN THE AFTERNOON...THEN DEEPENING LOW PRESSURE MONDAY INCREASES RAIN CHANCES. VFR CONDITIONS WITH OCCASIONAL MVFR IN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...THEN MVFR IN RAIN AND CIGS MONDAY. && .HYDROLOGY... AFTER A LULL IN THE PCPN EARLIER THIS MORNING...RAIN HAS RETURNED TO MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREAS AS OF LATE THIS MORNING. DYNAMIC FORCING ASSOCIATED WITH A VERY SLOW MOVING UPPER TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES MOVES INTO THE AREA TODAY. THIS IS A FAVORABLE SYNOPTIC PATTERN FOR HEAVY RAIN AND GIVEN THE ALREADY SATURATED ENVIRONMENT...IT WILL NOT TAKE MUCH TO CAUSE ADDITIONAL FLOODING. LOOK FOR TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS ACROSS EASTERN NEW YORK AND VERMONT IN THE 2 TO 4 INCH RANGE WITH LOCALIZED AMOUNTS TO 5 INCHES. GIVEN TROPICAL CONNECTION TO THIS EVENT...FAVORABLE SYNOPTIC SCALE PATTERN...ALREADY WET CONDITIONS...AND LOW FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE VALUES IT WILL NOT TAKE MUCH TO HAVE POTENTIALLY SERIOUS FLOOD CONCERNS. THUS THIS SITUATION WILL CONTINUE TO BE CLOSELY MONITORED. FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO NOW END ON FRIDAY MORNING ALLOWING FOR SOME OF THE SLOWER RESPONDING RIVERS AND CREEKS TO HAVE A LULL BEHIND END OF PRECIP. && .BTV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VT...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING FOR VTZ001>012-016>019. NY...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING FOR NYZ028-030-031-034-035. && SYNOPSIS...JAN NEAR TERM...RJS/JAN SHORT TERM...JAN LONG TERM...JAN AVIATION...JN/HANSON HYDROLOGY...BTV
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT 428 AM EDT THU JUL 24 2008 NYZ028-030-031-034-035-VTZ001>012-016>019-250830- EASTERN CLINTON-SOUTHERN FRANKLIN-WESTERN CLINTON-WESTERN ESSEX- EASTERN ESSEX-GRAND ISLE-WESTERN FRANKLIN-ORLEANS-ESSEX- WESTERN CHITTENDEN-LAMOILLE-CALEDONIA-WASHINGTON-WESTERN ADDISON- ORANGE-WESTERN RUTLAND-WINDSOR-EASTERN FRANKLIN-EASTERN CHITTENDEN- EASTERN ADDISON-EASTERN RUTLAND- 428 AM EDT THU JUL 24 2008 ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHERN NEW YORK...CENTRAL VERMONT...NORTHEAST VERMONT...NORTHWEST VERMONT AND SOUTHERN VERMONT. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. FLOOD WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NYZ026-027-029-087-250830- NORTHERN ST. LAWRENCE-NORTHERN FRANKLIN-SOUTHEASTERN ST. LAWRENCE- SOUTHWESTERN ST. LAWRENCE- 428 AM EDT THU JUL 24 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHERN NEW YORK. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT PERIODS OF RAIN ALONG WITH A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE SAINT LAWRENCE VALLEY AND NORTHERN PORTIONS OF FRANKLIN COUNTY NEW YORK THROUGH TONIGHT. RAINFALL MAY BE BRIEFLY HEAVY AT TIMES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. 49
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT 1006 AM EDT THU JUL 24 2008 NYZ026>031-034-035-087-VTZ001>012-016>019-241615- NORTHERN ST. LAWRENCE-NORTHERN FRANKLIN-EASTERN CLINTON- SOUTHEASTERN ST. LAWRENCE-SOUTHERN FRANKLIN-WESTERN CLINTON- WESTERN ESSEX-EASTERN ESSEX-SOUTHWESTERN ST. LAWRENCE-GRAND ISLE- WESTERN FRANKLIN-ORLEANS-ESSEX-WESTERN CHITTENDEN-LAMOILLE- CALEDONIA-WASHINGTON-WESTERN ADDISON-ORANGE-WESTERN RUTLAND- WINDSOR-EASTERN FRANKLIN-EASTERN CHITTENDEN-EASTERN ADDISON- EASTERN RUTLAND- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MASSENA...MALONE...PLATTSBURGH... STAR LAKE...SARANAC LAKE...TUPPER LAKE...DANNEMORA... LAKE PLACID...PORT HENRY...TICONDEROGA...OGDENSBURG...POTSDAM... GOUVERNEUR...ALBURGH...SOUTH HERO...ST. ALBANS...NEWPORT... ISLAND POND...BURLINGTON...JOHNSON...STOWE...ST. JOHNSBURY... MONTPELIER...MIDDLEBURY...VERGENNES...BRADFORD...RANDOLPH... RUTLAND...SPRINGFIELD...WHITE RIVER JUNCTION...ENOSBURG FALLS... RICHFORD...UNDERHILL...BRISTOL...RIPTON...EAST WALLINGFORD... KILLINGTON 1006 AM EDT THU JUL 24 2008 ...MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN OVERSPREADING THE NORTH COUNTRY... AT 10 AM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LARGE AREA OF RAIN SOUTH OF A LINE EXTENDING FROM SARANAC LAKE NEW YORK TO ST. JOHNSBURY VERMONT. THIS RAIN WILL OVERSPREAD THE REST OF NORTHERN VERMONT AND NEW YORK THROUGH 11 AM. THE RAIN WILL BE MODERATE TO HEAVY AT TIMES...WITH RAINFALL RATES OF ONE QUARTER TO ONE HALF INCH AN HOUR EXPECTED. A RUMBLE OF THUNDER IS POSSIBLE AS WELL. THE RAIN...HEAVY AT TIMES...WILL CONTINUE INTO THE AFTERNOON HOURS. THIS WILL RESULT IN RISES ON LOCAL RIVERS AND STREAMS AND FLOODING IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS WILL ALSO OCCUR.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Nearly 150 Boy Scouts and supervisors stranded by flood waters that washed out access road/bridge at Mount Norris Scout Camp near Route 100 along Lake Eden. Vehicles and other property damaged or destroyed as well.
Water flowing and closed portion of Route 14 in East Montpelier.
Water covering Route 100 in Waterbury Center.
Route 100 between Lowell and Westfield flooded and closed as well as several other roads in Lowell.
Route 122 and Stevens Loop closed due to high water on roadways.
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, 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: 127892, 127893, 127894, 127895, 127896.