A frontal boundary and strong upper level disturbance approached and crossed the region on Tuesday, May 4th, triggering thunderstorms.
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 frontal boundary and strong upper level disturbance approached and crossed the region on Tuesday, May 4th, triggering thunderstorms.
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 May 4, 10:40 AM EST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 1140 AM EDT TUE MAY 4 2010 .SYNOPSIS... AN APPROACHING FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BRING SHOWERS AND SOME THUNDERSTORMS TO THE REGION TODAY. IN THE WAKE OF THIS FRONTAL BOUNDARY...WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL CROSS THE AREA TONIGHT. A WARM FRONT WILL LIFT NORTHWARD ON WEDNESDAY WITH AN INCREASINGLY SOUTHERLY WIND. MORE SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS RETURN OVERNIGHT WEDNESDAY INTO EARLY THURSDAY AS A COLD FRONT TRACKS ACROSS NEW ENGLAND. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... AS OF 1145 AM EDT...SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS HAVE DEVELOPED ACROSS MUCH OF THE WESTERN AND SOUTHERN ADIRONDACKS...WITH MUCH MORE ISOLATED SHOWERS OCCURRING FURTHER S. A SMALL CLUSTER OF SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALSO WAS OCCURRING ACROSS CENTRAL NYS...JUST AHEAD OF SHORTWAVE TROUGH AXIS APPROACHING FROM THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES. OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS...WE EXPECT NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS TO DEVELOP/PERSIST ACROSS THE SOUTHERN DACKS...AND SHOULD EXPAND E INTO SOUTHERN VT. FURTHER S...ADDITIONAL ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS SHOULD ALSO DEVELOP. GIVEN LOW WBZ HEIGHTS DROPPING TO 7000-8000 FT AGL THIS AFTERNOON...ANY TALLER SHOWERS/TSTMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL/GRAUPEL...ALONG WITH GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 35 MPH. HOWEVER...THE ABUNDANCE OF CLOUD COVER SHOULD LIMIT THE OVERALL INSTABILITY TO PREVENT STORMS FROM BECOMING SEVERE. ADDITIONALLY...OUR REGION WILL INCREASINGLY BECOME LOCATED WITHIN THE LEFT ENTRANCE REGION OF STRONG JET MAX...WHICH WILL TRANSLATE FURTHER S/E THIS AFTERNOON. THIS MAY ALLOW FOR SOME ENHANCED SUBSIDENCE/STRENGTHENING MID LEVEL CAP TO PREVENT SHOWERS/TSTMS FROM BECOMING SEVERE AS WELL. OVERALL...ONLY MINOR TWEAKS TO ONGOING FORECAST TO ACCOUNT FOR RECENT TEMP/DEWPOINT TRENDS. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... AS OF 4 AM...SHORT WAVE TROUGH AXIS WAS TRACKING ACROSS THE CENTRAL GREAT LAKES REGION WITH A SOMEWHAT DIFFLUENT PATTERN DOWNSTREAM AS 150KT 300MB JET WAS WITHIN THIS DOWNSTREAM SOUTHWEST FLOW REGIME. RADAR MOSAIC REVEALS A LINE OF SCT SHOWERS EXTENDING FROM WESTERN NY SOUTHWEST INTO THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY AND WHEN EXTRAPOLATING THE TIME OF ARRIVAL...OUR WESTERN CWA AROUND 15Z...HUDSON RIVER VALLEY AROUND 16Z AND ADJACENT WESTERN NEW ENGLAND 17-18Z. WITH SOME INSOLATION EXPECTED...TEMPERATURES SHOULD QUICKLY REBOUND THROUGH THE 60S THIS MORNING. HOWEVER...DEWPOINTS APPEAR RATHER LOW WITH VALUES INTO THE MIDDLE 40S TO AROUND 50F. MODIFIED FORECAST PROFILES REVEAL CAPES LESS THAN 1K J/KG AND RATHER SKINNY CAPE DENSITY. A CLOSE EXAMINATION DOES REVEAL STEEPENING LAPSE RATES WITH -20 TO -24C AT 500MB THROUGH THE DAY WITH INVERTED-V SIGNATURES TO WARRANT THE CONTINUED THREAT FOR SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS. AS SEEN UPSTREAM WITH SEVERE REPORTS...CAN NOT RULE OUT 1-2 MORE ROBUST UPDRAFTS TO PRODUCE A SEVERE EVENT. AFTER COLLABORATION WITH SPC THIS MORNING...FEEL THREAT IS RATHER LOW TO PRECLUDE SLIGHT RISK MENTION AND KEEP THE REGION WITHIN A "SEE TEXT". THERE WILL BE A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY THIS AFTERNOON FOR ANOTHER EPISODE OF STRONG WINDS AS MIXING LAYER HEIGHT FORECASTS WE MAY TAP INTO 30KT WINDS AGAIN WITH FROPA. COMPARED TO THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS...HIGH TEMPS WILL RANGE FROM LOWER-MID 70S FOR THE HUDSON RIVER VALLEY INTO NW CT WITH MID TO UPPER 60S ELSEWHERE. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY/... SURFACE AND UPPER LEVEL TROUGH EXITS RATHER QUICKLY TO THE EAST EARLY THIS EVENING BEING REPLACED WITH A ANTICYCLONIC FLOW PATTERN. A TRANQUIL NIGHT WITH MOCLR SKIES AS TEMPERATURES DROP BACK INTO THE 40S...30S FOR THE ADIRONDACKS. A POWERFUL PACIFIC JET HAS COME ASHORE AND WILL EJECT OUT INTO THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PLAINS. BY WEDNESDAY...THIS WILL ALLOW FOR THAT COLD FRONT TO RETURN BACK AS A WARM FRONT AND LIFT NORTH THROUGH THE DAY. THIS WILL BRING ABOUT WARM ADVECTION AND THOSE WARMER SURFACE TEMPERATURES BACK THROUGH THE 70S. QUESTION WILL BE IF SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP WITHIN THE REGION OF STRONGER WARM ADVECTION AS DEPICTED BY THE NAM12. FOR NOW...WE WILL REFRAIN FROM MENTIONING OF PRECIP AND AWAIT FOR TRENDS TO BECOME MORE SOLIDIFIED. THIS PACIFIC SYSTEM WILL APPROACH WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND HERE IS WHERE THE MODELS BEGIN TO SHOW SOME TIMING DIFFERENCES. THE NAM IS THE SLOWEST PER THE NCEP MODEL SUITE WITH OTHER VARIOUS GLOBAL MODELS REVEALING A FASTER AND MORE PROGRESSIVE FEATURES. FEEL THIS IS MORE PRUDENT PER HPC DISCUSSION AND UPSTREAM TRENDS. THIS WILL BRING A RATHER STRONG COLD FRONT ACROSS THE REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SHOWALTER INDICES DEPICT VALUES AOA 0C WITH FAVORABLE ENTRANCE REGION DYNAMICS OF UPPER JET COINCIDING WITH 40-50KT LOW LEVEL JET. AT THIS TIME...WILL INCREASE POPS BUT NOT TO THE EXTENT OF LIKELY VALUES SINCE TIMING OF FEATURES IS NOT COMPLETELY SOLIDIFIED. COLD ADVECTION WILL BE IN FULL SWING THURSDAY AS THOSE 850MB TEMPS DROP BACK DOWN INTO THE LOWER SINGLE DIGITS BY DAYS END WITH HIGH TEMPS A GOOD 5 TO 10 DEGREES COOLER WEST OF THE HUDSON RIVER /FURTHER EAST SOME ASSISTANCE OF DOWNSLOPING WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES INTO THE MIDDLE 70S FOR THE VALLEY AND PORTIONS OF NW CT/. FURTHERMORE...STRONG WEST- NORTHWEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED AS EFFECTIVE MIXING LAYER HEIGHTS SUGGEST AT LEAST 30KTS...PERHAPS EVEN HIGHER. LASTLY...WITH THE COLD ADVECTION OVER THE WARM WATERS OF LAKE ONTARIO...POTENTIAL FOR SOME LAKE EFFECT RAIN SHOWERS DOWNWIND INTO PORTIONS OF THE ADIRONDACKS AND WILL PLACE SLIGHT CHANCE POPS AT THIS TIME. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... PER NCEP MODEL DISCUSSION...ELECTED TO INITIALIZE THE GRIDS FOR MOST OF THIS PERIOD WITH HPC GUIDANCE. FRONTAL SYSTEM THAT MOVES THRU THE REGION THURSDAY STALLS OVER THE MID ATLANTIC REGION AS A WEAK RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WEDGES ITS WAY SOUTHEAST FROM CENTRAL CANADA INTO THE REGION THURSDAY NIGHT WITH DRY WEATHER AND SEASONABLE LOWS. ON FRIDAY ANOTHER OF A SERIES OF DISTURBANCES MOVES FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS TO THE CENTRAL GREAT LAKES REGION...SPREADING CLOUDS AND PRECIP NORTH AND EAST INTO THE REGION...AS AN UPPER TROF PROGRESSES EAST INTO THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES. THE LOW BECOMES VERTICALLY STACKED AS THE TROF AND CUTOFF SHIFT EAST TO LAKE ONTARIO BY MIDDAY SATURDAY AND THE CUTOFF LIFTS OUT TO THE NORTHEAST DOWN THE ST. LAWRENCE VALLEY...OPENING THE WAY FOR MUCH COLDER AIR TO FLOW INTO THE REGION FROM NORTHEASTERN CANADA AROUND THE WEST SIDE OF THE UPPER LOW. ON FRIDAY NIGHT WE WILL BE LOOKING AT A CHANCE FOR SOME CONVECTION IN OUR SOUTHERN COUNTIES WITH SOME LOW VALUES OF CAPE. BEING IN DAY 4/5 WE HAVE KEPT POPS IN THE CHANCE CATEGORY. HIGHS FRIDAY...LOW 50S TO LOW 70S...LOWS FRIDAY NIGHT IN THE 40S AND 50S...WITH HIGHS SATURDAY FROM THE UPPER 40S TO NEAR 70. ON SATURDAY NIGHT LOWS DIP INTO THE UPPER 20S ACROSS THE ADIRONDACKS...WITH LOWS NEAR 40 IN THE WARMER HUDSON AND HOUSATONIC VALLEYS. SUNDAY WILL BE CLOUDY...BLUSTERY...AND COLD...WITH HIGHS FROM THE MID 40S NORTH TO THE UPPER 50S SOUTH. LOWS SUNDAY NIGHT WILL BE FROM THE UPPER 20S TO THE MID 30S... WHICH WOULD BE MORE TYPICAL OF MID APRIL. WITH PARTIAL SUNSHINE TEMPERATURES WILL REBOUND SOME ON MONDAY WITH HIGHS FROM THE LOWER 50S ACROSS THE ADIRONDACKS AND SOUTHERN VERMONT TO THE LOW 60S IN THE HUDSON VALLEY FROM ALBANY SOUTH. BOTH THE GFS AND THE ECMWF SHOW THE AREA OF MAXIMUM PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL ADIRONDACKS WITH TOTALS OF 1.5 TO 2.5 INCHES...SOME OF WHICH COULD POSSIBLY COME AS WET SNOW ON SATURDAY NIGHT ESPECIALLY TO AREAS ABOVE ELEVATIONS OF 2000 FEET. && .AVIATION /16Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... LOCALIZED MVFR/IFR DUE TO RADIATION FOG WILL DISSIPATE BETWEEN 11Z AND 13Z. FOLLOWING THIS VFR FLIGHT CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH TONIGHT. A SMALL AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WAS OVER THE REGION EARLY THIS MORNING WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES BETWEEN THE FINGER LAKES AND THE NEW ENGLAND COAST. WINDS EARLY THIS MORNING WERE CALM...OR NEARLY SO. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND SURFACE FRONT WHICH WAS OVER WESTERN NEW YORK EARLY THIS MORNING WILL MAKE ITS WAY INTO THE REGION AND PASS THROUGH THE REGION LATE THIS MORNING AND EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. IT WILL BRING SHOWERS WITH SOME EMBEDDED THUNDER STORMS. LAPSE RATES WILL BE STEEP...SO GUSTY WINDS AND/OR SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE WITH THE STORMS. CONDITIONS MAY BRIEFLY DETERIORATE TO MVFR/IFR IN THE STORMS. WE HAVE INDICATED THIS WITH A VCSH AND CB CLOUD GROUP IN THE TAFS ALONG WITH A TEMPO GROUP FOR LOWER CIGS AND REDUCED VISIBILITY. WINDS TODAY WILL BECOME W/SW AND INCREASE TO BETWEEN 10 AND 15 KTS WITH GUSTS APPROACHING 25 KNOTS. THE WINDS WILL VEER AROUND TO THE NORTHWEST FOLLOWING THE PASSAGE OF THE FRONT AND WILL THEN DIMINISH TO LESS THAN 10 KNOTS AFTER 00Z WEDNESDAY WITH SKIES CLEARING IN THE EARLY EVENING. OUTLOOK... TUE NT-WED...VFR. NO SIG WX. THU..VFR...CHC MVFR ASSOC WITH SCT -SHRA/-TSRA. FRI...VFR/MVFR. CHC AFTERNOON -RA FRI NT-SAT...MVFR/IFR...CHC -RA. && .FIRE WEATHER... SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR TODAY AS A FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND ASSOCIATED UPPER AIR DISTURBANCE CROSS THE REGION. WITH CLOUD COVER...EXPECTED MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL RANGE BETWEEN 35 AND 55 PERCENT. THE LOWER VALUES ARE EXPECTED INTO PORTIONS OF THE MID HUDSON RIVER VALLEY AND NORTHWEST CONNECTICUT. WESTERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE LATER TODAY WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 30 MPH EXPECTED. IMPROVING CONDITIONS TONIGHT WITH A WEAK RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE. WITH SOME EARLIER RAINFALL CAUSING WET GROUNDS...RELATIVE HUMIDITIES TONIGHT SHOULD RANGE BETWEEN 80 AND 100 PERCENT. WARM FRONT LIFTS NORTH ON WEDNESDAY WITH WARMER TEMPERATURES AND LOWER HUMIDITY VALUES...GENERALLY BETWEEN 20 AND 40 PERCENT. && .HYDROLOGY... NO PROBLEMS ARE ANTICIPATED ON THE RIVERS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS WITH STREAM AND RIVER FLOWS REMAINING BELOW TO WELL BELOW NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. THE MOST RECENT STORM BROUGHT RAINFALL OF A QUARTER INCH TO HALF INCH TO OUR SOUTHERN COUNTIES WHICH RESULTED IN A VERY MINOR RESPONSE ON THE RIVERS. FARTHER NORTH RAINFALL WAS VERY LIGHT WITH VERY LITTLE EFFECT ON THE RIVERS. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON BUT MOISTURE IS LIMITED AND RAINFALL SHOULD AMOUNT TO LESS THAN A QUARTER INCH...AND THUS IT WILL HAVE VERY LITTLE EFFECT ON THE RIVERS. A MORE WIDESPREAD RAINFALL EVENT IS POSSIBLE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY WHICH MAY PRODUCE OVER AN INCH OR RAIN AND CAUSE SOME RISES ON AREA STREAMS AND RIVERS. 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...BGM NEAR TERM...KL/BGM SHORT TERM...BGM LONG TERM...RCK AVIATION...RCK FIRE WEATHER...BGM HYDROLOGY...RCK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 411 AM EDT TUE MAY 4 2010 CTZ001-013-MAZ001-025-NYZ032-033-038>043-047>054-058>061-063>066- 082>084-VTZ013>015-051100- 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- 411 AM EDT TUE MAY 4 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWESTERN CONNECTICUT...WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK AND SOUTHERN VERMONT. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY INTO EARLY THIS EVENING AS A COLD FRONT MOVES FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE REGION. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTAIN SMALL HAIL AND OR GUSTY WINDS AS THEY TRACK TO THE EAST AROUND 20 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING. A COLDER AIR MASS IS SET TO FILTER INTO THE REGION THIS WEEKEND. WITH THE GROWING SEASON AHEAD OF SCHEDULE IN MANY LOCATIONS...THE POTENTIAL FOR FROST OR FREEZING CONDITIONS APPEARS TO BE ON THE INCREASE. STAY TUNED FOR THE LATEST FORECAST INFORMATION FROM YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. FOR THE LATEST UPDATES...PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBPAGE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/ALBANY
The Albany radar (KENX), 93 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:10 UTC.
30 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A measured wind gust of 60 mph was reported in Ilion.
Trees were reported down in Ilion due to strong thunderstorm winds.
One tree was reported down in Caroga Lake due to strong thunderstorm winds.
Trees and wires were reported down in the city of Amsterdam due to strong thunderstorm winds.
Two trees were reported down in Richmondville due to strong thunderstorm winds.
A tree was reported down in Middleburgh due to strong thunderstorm winds.
Numerous tree limbs were reported down on various roads in Scotia due to strong thunderstorm winds. Some of the tree limbs took wires down and set off a couple of minor fires. Also, it was reported that one fallen tree ruptured a gas line, resulting in gas service being turned off to Vley Road in Glenville.
An estimated wind gust of 60 mph was reported at the Lisha Kill Middle School in Colonie.
A house on Sherman Road in Providence was struck by lightning.
One tree was reported down in West Crescent due to strong thunderstorm winds.
Penny size hail was reported in Middleburgh during a thunderstorm.
Trees and wires were reported down on Lapp Road in Clifton Park due to strong thunderstorm winds.
Two trees were reported down in Guilderland due to strong thunderstorm winds.
A large tree limb was reported down near Route 146 in Clifton Park due to strong thunderstorm winds.
A tree was reported down on Plank Road in Clifton Park at the interesction of Innisbrook Drive due to strong thunderstorm winds.
State Route 32 was reported closed between routes 405 and 81 in Westerlo due to a downed tree from strong thunderstorm winds.
A tree and wires were reported down in Snyders Corner due to strong thunderstorm winds.
A tree and wires were reported down in Stillwater due to strong thunderstorm winds.
Several trees were reported down in the Delmar and Bethlehem areas due to strong thunderstorm winds.
Trees and wires were reported down in downtown Albany due to strong thunderstorm winds. Roofing material was also reported blown down on Pearl Street.
A huge tree was reported down near a home, and an old pine tree fell into another house on Krumkill Road in Albany due to strong thunderstorm winds.
Several trees were reported down on some roads in the Luther section of East Greenbush due to strong thunderstorm winds.
Shingles were reported sheared off the roof of a four story building at the corner of River Street and First Street in Troy due to strong thunderstorm winds.
A large tree fell onto a house on 109th Street in Troy due to strong thunderstorm winds. Also, wires were reported down.
Wires were reported down in Schodack Center due to strong thunderstorm winds.
Two large pine trees were reported snapped off 20 feet from the ground in Hannacroix due to strong thunderstorm winds.
Trees were reported down in Stuyvesant due to strong thunderstorm winds.
A large tree was reported down near Mansion Street in Coxsackie due to strong thunderstorm winds.
Trees were reported down in Ghent due to strong thunderstorm winds.
Trees were reported down in Chatham due to strong thunderstorm winds.
Two large trees were reported down in Saugerties due to strong thunderstorm winds.
Two trees along with wires were reported down across Route 213 in Olivebridge.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New York in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, May 2010
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: 227013, 227000, 227002, 227003, 227005, 227006, 227008, 227012, 227014, 227114, 226993, 227121, 227115, 227116, 227117, 227118, 227266, 227267, 227123, 227124, 227127, 227268, 227270, 227271, 227269, 227272, 227274, 227275, 227276, 227277, 227278, 227281.