Isolated severe thunderstorms developed over Saratoga County during Sunday evening, 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.
Isolated severe thunderstorms developed over Saratoga County during Sunday evening, 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, 6:13 PM EST, 56 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 713 PM EDT SUN AUG 16 2009 .SYNOPSIS... A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE AND ALOFT WILL DOMINATE THE WEATHER ACROSS NEW YORK AND NEW ENGLAND THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY...WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR MID AUGUST AND MAINLY DRY WEATHER. THE NEXT CHANCE OF WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ASSOCIATED WITH A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL BE LATE TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM MONDAY MORNING/... AS OF 625 PM...MICROSCALE EFFECT JUST NORTHEAST OF ALBANY WITH THUNDERSTORM NEARLY STATIONARY ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHERN SARATOGA COUNTY. WITH LIGHT STEERING FLOW...RAINFALL RATES PER THE RADAR QPE WAS 1-2 INCHES. SINCE THIS HAS OCCURRED A VERY SMALL BASIN...HAVE ISSUED AN FLS AT THE PRESENT TIME. IF OUTFLOW PERSISTS WITH ADDITIONAL CONVECTION /WHICH SEEMS UNLIKELY AT THE PRESENT TIME DUE TO LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING AND AN INCREASING COLD POOL/...WE MIGHT UPGRADE THIS ADVISORY. WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR POPUP CONVECTION ACROSS THE DACKS AND WESTERN MOHAWK VALLEY BUT CROSS SECTIONS REVEAL THE VERTICAL EXTENT IS LESS THAN THOSE OBSERVED DOWNSTREAM. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... ISOLATED SHOWERS AND STORMS IN FORECAST FOR ALL AREAS OF TERRAIN...THE CATSKILLS...ADIRONDACKS...SOUTHERN GREENS AND BERKSHIRES...EXTENDING INTO NW CT AS SOME CONVECTION HAS BROKEN THROUGH THE CAP. THESE SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL DISSIPATE WITH WANING DIURNAL HEATING AS THE SUN SETS. OTHERWISE...THE BERMUDA HIGH AT THE SFC AND ALOFT CONTINUES TO DOMINATE THE SENSIBLE WEATHER OVER THE NORTHEAST. CLEARING SKIES OVERNIGHT WILL ONCE AGAIN ALLOW FOR RADIATIONAL COOLING AND BR/FG DEVELOPMENT AFTER MIDNIGHT. TEMPS SHOULD CLIMB QUICKLY AFTER THE PATCHY RADIATIONAL FOG NEAR THE MAJOR RIVER VALLEYS DISSIPATES AFTER SUNRISE. MIN TEMPS OVERNIGHT WILL BE IN THE LOW TO MID 60S IN THE VALLEYS AND MID TO UPPER 50S IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN. USED A BLEND OF MAV/MET...AND TWEAKED TEMPS IN ADIRONDACKS A LITTLE WARMER BASED ON RECENT OVERNIGHT LOWS. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... MONDAY...GUIDANCE INDICATES H850 TEMPS AT 18C-19C FOR MOST OF THE AREA...LEADING TO ANOTHER DAY ABOUT 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL AT THE SFC. MODEL SOUNDINGS STILL SHOW THE MID LEVEL CAP IN THE 700-650 HPA LAYER. THERE IS NO CLEAR FOCUS FOR CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT... BUT CANNOT RULE OUT AN ISLD SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM. ONCE AGAIN...LESS THAN 15 PERCENT CHC FOR SHRA/TSRA...SO HAVE KEPT MONDAY DRY. WSW FLOW WILL CAUSE SOME DOWNSLOPING/COMPRESSIONAL WARMING WHICH COULD CAUSE MONDAY TO BE THE WARMEST DAY SO FAR WITH WIDESPREAD L90S IN THE VALLEYS...AND LOWER TO UPPER 80S ACROSS THE MTNS. MONDAY NIGHT...MIN TEMPS WILL RUN A LITTLE HIGHER WITH MID AND U60S IN THE VALLEYS AND U50S TO L60S ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN WITH A LIGHT SOUTHERLY BREEZE AHEAD OF A SLOW MOVING COOL FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE GREAT LAKES REGION. THERE MAY ALSO BE SOME HIGH CLOUDS MOVING IN FROM THE NORTHWEST KEEPING MINS UP A LITTLE BIT MORE FROM PREVIOUS NIGHTS. TUE-WED...DURING THE DAY TUESDAY...SOME SHOWERS AND TSTORMS MAY DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE COOL FRONT MOSTLY IN THE NW PORTIONS OF THE CWA. GFS SOMEWHAT FASTER WITH THIS FRONT...MOVING THE PRECIP AS A NARROW BAND...OUT OF OUR AREA LATE WEDNESDAY WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN BEHIND THE FRONT...ALLOWING FOR DRYING. ECMWF KEEPS PRECIP AROUND MOST OF THE CWA FOR ALL OF WEDNESDAY. WITH HGTS BECOMING MORE PARALLEL...HAVE KEPT POPS 20-30 PERCENT FOR SOUTHERN TIER THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. AS FOR TEMPERATURES ON WEDNESDAY...COOLER H850 TEMPS FILTERING IN LATE TUE NIGHT INTO WED...WITH MAX TEMPS IN THE M80S IN THE VALLEYS AND M70S IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN. TEMPS WILL STILL BE ABOUT 5 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... THE TREND THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS CONTINUES TO FOCUS NOT ONLY ON THE TROPICS BUT A RATHER STRONG SHORT WAVE DIVING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES AND CARVING OUT ANOTHER TROUGH ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND UPPER PLAINS. THE INTERACTION OF THIS DEVELOPING TROUGH AND TROPICAL ACTIVITY IN THE GULF AND APPROACHING THE ATLANTIC SEABOARD WILL BE INTERESTING TO WATCH /AND MODEL/. DESPITE LITTLE CHANGE IN THE HEIGHT FIELD ALOFT FROM THE FRONTAL PASSAGE DURING WEDNESDAY...STILL FIND IT HARD TO ACCEPT THE DRY SOLUTION AS DEPICTED IN THE GFS/DGEX. THE HIRES ECMWF AND GGEM SLOW THE FRONTAL PROGRESSION SIGNIFICANTLY AS THE AFOREMENTIONED HEIGHT FIELD ALOFT BECOMES NEARLY PARALLEL TO THE SURFACE FLOW WITH A SLIGHT TREND TOWARD RISING HEIGHTS IN ADVANCE OF THE DEVELOPING TROUGH UPSTREAM. PREFER TO KEEP CHANCE POPS FOR THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE CWA AT THIS TIME. THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL LIFT BACK NORTH AS A STRENGTHENING WARM FRONT ON THURSDAY WITH AN INCREASED CHANCE FOR CONVECTION. THIS COULD PROVE TO BE AN INTERESTING DAY DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH INSOLATION WE RECEIVE AS LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE RATHER QUICKLY WITH FORECAST SHOWALTER VALUES QUITE LOW. THIS WARM FRONT LIFTS NORTH AS WE ONCE AGAIN FIND THE CWA EMBEDDED IN THE WARM AND MOIST SECTOR FOR THE END OF THE WEEK. GULF OF MEXICO FEED IS EXPECTED TO BE WIDE OPEN AS...WHAT IS EXPECTED TO BE A MAJOR HURRICANE APPROACHING THE EASTERN SEABOARD /BUT STILL WELL OFFSHORE BY FRIDAY PER THE NHC FORECAST/. THIS WILL LIKELY SLOW THE FORWARD PROGRESSION OF THE UPSTREAM TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE FRONT FOR THE WEEKEND. CONFIDENCE IS RATHER LOW ON THE SENSIBLE WEATHER THIS WEEKEND AND WILL RETAIN THE LOW PROBABILITIES AT THIS TIME. && .AVIATION /00Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... WIDELY SCATTERED CONVECTION CONTINUES THROUGH THE MOHAWK VALLEY AND PORTIONS OF THE DACKS. THIS MAY IMPACT KALB-KGFL BUT IT SEEM KPOU WILL BE BYPASSED. FOR THIS EVENING...WE WILL PLACE VCSH AND CIG-CB AND AMEND IF THESE UPSTREAM CELLS REMAIN IN PLACE AND HOLD TOGETHER. OTHERWISE...OVERNIGHT...MAIN PROBLEM WILL BE FOG FORMATION AS SURFACE DEWPOINTS ARE ALREADY SHOWING A REBOUND /GREATER THAN 70F/. WILL PLACE A TEMPO GROUP FOR NOW WITH LOW END MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS AS WINDS WILL RELAX TO NEAR CALM. CONDITIONS QUICKLY IMPROVE ON MONDAY WITH ADDITIONAL CU/CB DEVELOPMENT EXPECTED. OUTLOOK... MON NT...VFR...NO WX. MVFR/IFR FOG POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT MAINLY GFL AND POU. TUE...VFR...WITH CHC PM -SHRA/TSRA. WED...VFR...WITH MVFR POSSIBLE IN -SHRA/TSRA. THU...VFR...WITH A CHC -SHRA/-TSRA IN THE AFTN. && .FIRE WEATHER... IN MANY AREAS OUTSIDE OF HIGHER TERRAIN...IT HAS BEEN MORE THAN 8 DAYS SINCE WE HAVE HAD A WIDESPREAD QUARTER INCH OF RAIN OR MORE. SO...SOME LOW LEVEL DRYING CONDITIONS HAVE OCCURRED AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST TUESDAY. HAINES INDICES WILL APPROACH 6 IN EASTERN NEW YORK AND WESTERN NEW ENGLAND MONDAY AND TUESDAY. A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE AND ALOFT WILL DOMINATE THE WEATHER ACROSS NEW YORK AND NEW ENGLAND THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR MID AUGUST AND MAINLY DRY WEATHER. THE NEXT CHANCE OF WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ASSOCIATED WITH A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL BE LATE TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY. RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL RECOVER TO 85 TO 100 PERCENT TONIGHT...AND DROP TO 35 TO 50 PERCENT DURING THE TOMORROW AFTERNOON. RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL RECOVER TO 85 TO 100 PERCENT TOMORROW NIGHT TONIGHT...AND DROP TO 40 TO 55 PERCENT TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THE WINDS WILL BE LIGHT TO CALM OVERNIGHT...AND BECOME WEST OR SOUTHWEST AT 10 TO 15 MPH TOMORROW. THE WINDS WILL BE LIGHT TO CALM TOMORROW NIGHT...AND BECOME SOUTHWEST AT 10 TO 20 MPH TUESDAY. && .HYDROLOGY... NO HYDRO PROBLEMS ARE ANTICIPATED THE NEXT 5 DAYS WITH MAINLY HOT AND DRY WEATHER EXPECTED PRIOR TO TUESDAY. THERE IS A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS BY THE MID WEEK AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT...WITH LESS THAN A HALF OF AN INCH OF RAINFALL EXPECTED TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...EXCEPT LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS WITH ANY CONVECTION. RIVER FLOWS WILL CONTINUE AT NORMAL TO BELOW NORMAL LEVELS FOR MID AUGUST. FOR DETAILS ON SPECIFIC AREA RIVERS AND LAKES...INCLUDING OBSERVED AND FORECAST RIVER STAGES AND LAKE ELEVATIONS...PLEASE VISIT THE ADVANCED HYDROLOGIC PREDICTION SERVICE /AHPS/ GRAPHS ON OUR WEBSITE. && .ALY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CT...NONE. NY...NONE. MA...NONE. VT...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...KGS/NAS NEAR TERM...BGM/KGS SHORT TERM...KGS LONG TERM...BGM AVIATION...BGM FIRE WEATHER...NAS HYDROLOGY...TAW/KGS WWW.WEATHER.GOV/ALBANY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 715 PM EDT SUN AUG 16 2009 CTZ001-013-MAZ001-025-NYZ032-033-038>043-047>054-058>061-063>066- 082>084-VTZ013>015-171100- 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- 715 PM EDT SUN AUG 16 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWESTERN CONNECTICUT...WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK AND SOUTHERN VERMONT. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF THE MOHAWK VALLEY...ADIRONDACKS...CAPITAL REGION AND ADJACENT WESTERN NEW ENGLAND THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING. MAIN HAZARD WILL BE FROM HEAVY RAINFALL AND CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO SUBSIDE THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. WWW.WEATHER.GOV/ALBANY
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 506 PM EDT SUN AUG 16 2009 NYZ050-052>054-162200- WESTERN RENSSELAER NY-EASTERN RENSSELAER NY-EASTERN ALBANY NY- SOUTHERN SARATOGA NY- 506 PM EDT SUN AUG 16 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN EXTREME NORTHEASTERN ALBANY COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK... THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...WATERVLIET...LATHAM...COHOES... CENTRAL RENSSELAER COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK... THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF TROY... SOUTHEASTERN SARATOGA COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK... THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF MECHANICVILLE... AT 505 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAINFALL. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR WATERFORD...OR ABOUT OVER COHOES...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... LATHAM BY 515 PM EDT WATERFORD AND COHOES BY 525 PM EDT GREEN ISLAND AND WATERVLIET BY 535 PM EDT TROY BY 545 PM EDT CENTER BRUNSWICK BY 555 PM EDT WYANTSKILL AND WYNANTSKILL BY 600 PM EDT THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER... PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 548 PM EDT SUN AUG 16 2009 NYZ050-052>054-162245- WESTERN RENSSELAER NY-EASTERN RENSSELAER NY-EASTERN ALBANY NY- SOUTHERN SARATOGA NY- 548 PM EDT SUN AUG 16 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN EXTREME NORTHEASTERN ALBANY COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK... THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF COHOES... CENTRAL RENSSELAER COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK... SOUTH CENTRAL SARATOGA COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK... THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF CLIFTON PARK... AT 547 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 COHOES...OR ABOUT OVER COHOES...AND MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... COHOES BY 620 PM EDT WATERFORD BY 630 PM EDT CENTER BRUNSWICK BY 645 PM EDT THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER... PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 614 PM EDT SUN AUG 16 2009 NYZ053-054-162245- WESTERN RENSSELAER NY-EASTERN RENSSELAER NY- 614 PM EDT SUN AUG 16 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN CENTRAL RENSSELAER COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK... AT 614 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 10 MILES EAST OF TROY...AND MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... GRAFTON BY 625 PM EDT BERLIN BY 645 PM EDT THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER... PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 738 PM EDT SUN AUG 16 2009 NYZ039-040-048>050-170030- WESTERN SCHENECTADY NY-EASTERN SCHENECTADY NY-SOUTHERN SARATOGA NY- MONTGOMERY NY-SOUTHERN FULTON NY- 738 PM EDT SUN AUG 16 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHWESTERN SARATOGA COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK... SCHENECTADY COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK... THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...SCOTIA...SCHENECTADY...ROTTERDAM... EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN FULTON COUNTY IN EASTERN NEW YORK... NORTHEASTERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN EASTERN NEW YORK... AT 737 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 GLENVILLE TO 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ROTTERDAM JUNCTION...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM AMSTERDAM TO 9 MILES SOUTH OF AMSTERDAM...AND MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR... GLENVILLE BY 755 PM EDT ROTTERDAM JUNCTION BY 800 PM EDT SCOTIA BY 820 PM EDT SCHENECTADY...ROTTERDAM...EAST GLENVILLE AND BURNT HILLS BY 825 PM ALPLAUS AND NISKAYUNA BY 830 PM EDT THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER... PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT AWAY FROM WINDOWS. BGM
The Albany radar (KENX), 40 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:10 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was reported down due to strong thunderstorm winds and partially blocked a roadway approximately 5 miles east southeast of Clifton Park.
Damage to a construction site occurred at Clifton Park Center in Clifton Park due to strong thunderstorm winds.
A tree was reported down due to strong thunderstorm winds and partially covered a roadway approximately 4 miles north northeast of Mechanicville.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New York in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, August 2009
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: 186686, 186685, 186688.