An approaching cold front and decaying Mesoscale Convective Complex moved across northern New York into Vermont during the late evening and nighttime hours of July 17th with an isolated report of wind damage.
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.
An approaching cold front and decaying Mesoscale Convective Complex moved across northern New York into Vermont during the late evening and nighttime hours of July 17th with an isolated report of wind damage.
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 17, 7:25 PM EST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT 825 PM EDT SUN JUL 17 2011 .SYNOPSIS... WARM AND MUGGY TONIGHT WITH A THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS AS A COLD FRONT SLOWLY APPROACHES THE NORTH COUNTRY OVERNIGHT. THE COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO SLOWLY PUSH ACROSS ON MONDAY WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AND STILL RATHER HUMID. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE MOVES ACROSS ON TUESDAY WITH MORE SEASONABLE HEAT AND LOWER HUMIDITY. THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY RETURN MID WEEK WITH ANOTHER THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS LATE WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 8 AM MONDAY MORNING/... AS OF 815 PM EDT SUNDAY...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 05Z FOR ALL BUT RUTLAND AND WINDSOR COUNTIES. LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING RAPIDLY SOUTHEAST ACROSS ONTARIO NOW ENTERING ST LWR VLY. ATMOSPHERE OVER BTV CWA NOT AS UNSTABLE AS THE ENVIRONMENT WHERE THESE STORMS DEVELOPED. IN FACT...RATHER STRONG CAP IN PLACE FOR THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THEREFORE...IT IS DIFFICULT TO SAY HOW FAR SOUTHEAST THE STORMS WILL ADVANCE BEFORE WEAKENING. THUS...THE WATCH FOR MUCH OF THE AREA. PRIMARY THREAT IS STRONG WINDS. OTTAWA EXPERIENCED A GUST TO 60 MPH. FURTHER NORTH A LITTLE EARLIER...PETAWAWA SAW A GUST TO 75 MPH. NOT EXPECTING WINDS OF THAT MAGNITUDE IN OUR CWA...BUT 60 MPH CERTAINLY POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IN THE ST LWR VLY THIS EVENING. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... WARM/HOT HUMID LATE THIS AFTN WITH MAX T IN U80S/90 AND DEWPOINTS CREEPING INTO 60S IN VT AND M60S/70 IN NRN NY. CAPES ARE APPROACHING 1500 J/KG IN ST LWRNC VLY AND >1000 J/KG IN CHMPL VLY. THERE ARE A FEW AREAS OF CONCERN FOR TSRA AND PSBL SVR WX TNGT/OVRNGT AND SPC HAS PLACED NRN FA INTO SLGT RISK...SEE SWODY1. THE FIRST AND NOT MENTIONED IN SWODY1 IS AN ELEVATED MIXED LAYER INDUCED MCS COMPLEX THAT FIRST STARTED IN ERN MONTANA FRI NGT AND HAS BEEN RELATIVELY HEALTHY ACRS NRN ONTARIO...N OF GRT LAKES IS MVG DOWNRIDGE ESE INTO QUEBEC AND WL THREATEN MONTREAL...SRN QUEBEC AND POSSIBLY VT THIS EVENING. HRRR-3KM HAS MODELED THIS QUITE WELL AND WILL FOLLOW CLOSELY FOR SOME POTENTIAL SEVERE. THE SECOND AS MENTIONED IN SWODY1 IS ASSOCIATED WITH PRONOUNCED SHORTWAVE ACRS NW ONTARIO AND SHOWN NICELY ON WTR VAPOR. THIS IS THE TRIGGER FOR THE EVENTUAL MOVEMENT AND APPROACH OF CD FNT FOR FA DRG MON. HOWEVER...MOISTURE POOLING AND DESTABILIZATION AHEAD OF THIS FEATURE AS WELL AS SOME EML COMPONENTS AND PSBL BOUNDAIRES FROM 1ST CONVECTION WILL LIKELY INITIATE ADDTNL CONVECTION AND PSBL MCS IN SE ONTARIO/SRN QUEBEC INTO NRN NY OVRNGT. A POTENTIAL THIRD AREA THAT MAY AFFECT ST LWRNC VLY TOWARD MORNING IS ANOTHER DEVELOPING MCS IN N DAKOTA WHERE SPC HAS A MOD RISK IS ALIGNED WITH A GREATER EML LAYER THAT MOVES E INTO GRT LAKES. ALL OF THESE FEATURES ARE BEING SUPPORTED...ESP OVRNGT INTO MON ON LEFT FRONT EXIT REGION OF 100+ KTS H25 JET. IT WILL BE WARM/MUGGY WITH CLD COVER PREVENTING TEMPS FROM DROPPING TOO FAR THUS SOME L70S FOR MIN T OVRNGT. && .SHORT TERM /8 AM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 312 PM EDT SUNDAY...THERE MAY STILL BE SOME ON-GOING CONVECTION IN THE MRNG WITH SFC COLD FRONT STL N OF CANADIAN BORDER. CONVECTIVE DEBRIS MAY INHIBIT SFC HEATING FROM VERY UNSTABLE CAPES BUT STILL SOME TSRA LIKELY. I/M STILL THINKING SRN FA MOST SUSCEPTIBLE FOR GREATEST INSTABILITY AND BEST POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE. FROPA COMES IN PIECES AS PERHAPS A PRE-FNTL TROF IN THE MRNG THEN CD FNT DRG AFTN BUT STL DEWPOINTS IN THE M-U60S DURING THE AFTN ON NW WINDS AND SOME S/W ENERGY STL RIDING ALG WNW FLOW INTO FA WITH DRIER DEWPOINTS NOT ADVECTING INTO FA TIL AFT 00-03Z TUE THUS STL A THREAT OF SHRA/TSRA TUE EVENING BFR MIDNIGHT. SFC HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO FA ON TUE...SOMEWHAT WEAK BUT ENUF TO MAKE MORE COMFORTABLE WITH MAX T AOA NORMAL (U70S-L80S) AND DEWPOINTS IN THE 50S. A BRIEF REPREIVE BEFORE MORE HEAT/HUMIDITY AND STORMS MID TO LATE WEEK. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... AS OF 311 PM EDT SUNDAY...THIS MORNING'S MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCE MAINTAINS OVERALL CONSISTENCY WITH PRIOR IDEAS AND AS A RESULT HAVE GENERALLY MAINTAINED A PERSISTENCE FORECAST DURING MID TO LATE WEEK TIME FRAME. THIS WILL FEATURE WARM TO HOT TEMPERATURES AND MODERATE TO OCCASIONALLY HIGHER LEVELS OF HUMIDITY AS THE NORTHEAST REMAINS ON THE NORTHEAST PERIPHERY OF LARGE-SCALE HEAT RIDGE ACROSS THE MIDWEST. THUS AREA WILL REMAIN IN MID TO UPPER LEVEL NORTHWEST FLOW WITH OCCASIONAL NORTHERN STREAM IMPUSES OR WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARIES DROPPING SOUTHEASTERLY PROVIDING FOCUS FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. I'VE MADE A POINT NOT TO FOCUS ON ANY PARTICULAR DETERMINISTIC MODEL SOLUTION IN REGARD TO PCPN THREAT...OFFERING GENERALLY SLIGHT TO LOW CHC POPS (20-40%) FROM LATER WEDNESDAY NIGHT ONWARD OWING TO INHERENT DIFFICULTY IN PREDICTING THE TIMING AND STRENGTH OF THESE FEATURES BEYOND A FEW DAYS. SO ALL AND ALL...MID-SUMMER CONDITIONS EXPECTED AND NOT ALL THAT UNUSUAL FOR LATE JULY WITH HIGHS GENERALLY 85 TO 90 AND OVERNIGHT LOWS 65 TO 70. && .AVIATION /00Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY...A FAST MOVING LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS APPROACHING THE FORECAST AREA...THESE STORMS HAVE PRODUCED 70MPH WINDS IN CANADA WITH VERY LITTLE DIMINISHMENT OVER THE LAST FEW HOURS. MSS AND SLK WILL BE IMPACTED FROM 00-02Z...PBG AND BTV FROM 0130-03Z...MPV FROM 03-05Z. EXPECT HIGH WINDS WITH 50 KNOTS FROM THE NORTHWEST POSSIBLE IN THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF NORTHERN NEW YORK AND SOME SLIGHT SLOWING AS IT PROGRESSES EASTWARD TO AROUND 35 KNOTS IN THE BTV AREA. IFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES WILL BE EXPERIENCED DURING INTENSE RAIN PERIODS. ANOTHER ROUND OF STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AS THE FRONT ITSELF APPROACHES THE REGION AROUND 12Z...THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE TEMPORARY IFR/MVFR CONDITIONS AND WILL OCCUR UNTIL FRONTAL PASSAGE AROUND 20Z. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY BECOME VERY STRONG WITH FAVORABLE ATMOSPHERIC DYNAMICS IN PLACE. THE MORE FAVORABLE AREAS FOR STRONGER STORMS WILL BE PREDOMINANTLY IN SOUTHERN VERMONT AND OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE ADIRONDACKS. OUTLOOK 00Z TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... 00-06Z TUESDAY...SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH LOCALIZED MVFR/IFR AS SFC FRONT DROPS THROUGH THE AREA. A FEW STRONG STORMS POSSIBLE WITH GUSTY WINDS/HAIL AND MODERATE TO LOCALLY SEVERE TURBULENCE. 06Z TUESDAY THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY...MAINLY VFR WITH HIGH PRESSURE. PATCHY EARLY MORNING BR/FG AND ASSOCIATED IFR POSSIBLE AT KMPV/KSLK. 12Z THURSDAY ONWARD...VFR WITH SCT MVFR/IFR IN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AS ADDITIONAL FRONTAL ENERGY DROPS SOUTH. && .BTV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VT...NONE. NY...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...SLW NEAR TERM...RJS/SLW SHORT TERM...SLW LONG TERM...JMG AVIATION...BOYD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT 755 PM EDT SUN JUL 17 2011 NYZ026>031-034-035-087-VTZ001>010-016>018-190000- 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-EASTERN FRANKLIN- EASTERN CHITTENDEN-EASTERN ADDISON- 755 PM EDT SUN JUL 17 2011 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 654 IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EDT MONDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHERN NEW YORK...CENTRAL VERMONT...NORTHEAST VERMONT AND NORTHWEST VERMONT. .DAY ONE...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...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS THE NORTH COUNTRY ON MONDAY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES SOUTH OUT OF CANADA. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BE STRONG TO SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND SMALL HAIL. VERY HEAVY RAINFALL MAY ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS AS WELL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED. VTZ011-012-019-190000- WESTERN RUTLAND-WINDSOR-EASTERN RUTLAND- 755 PM EDT SUN JUL 17 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN VERMONT. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AFTER MIDNIGHT. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BE STRONG TO SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL. DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL MAY ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS AS WELL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS THE NORTH COUNTRY ON MONDAY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES SOUTH OUT OF CANADA. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BE STRONG TO SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND SMALL HAIL. VERY HEAVY RAINFALL MAY ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS AS WELL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
937 PM EDT SUN JUL 17 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0820 PM TSTM WND DMG RENSSELAER FALLS 44.59N 75.32W
07/17/2011 ST. LAWRENCE NY LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN
&&
EVENT NUMBER BTV1100416
MABPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
943 PM EDT SUN JUL 17 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0935 PM TSTM WND GST UPPER ST. REGIS 44.40N 74.27W
07/17/2011 M60 MPH FRANKLIN NY PUBLIC
REPORTED BY PUBLIC
&&
EVENT NUMBER BTV1100417
MABPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
951 PM EDT SUN JUL 17 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0901 PM TSTM WND GST CHATEAUGAY 44.93N 74.08W
07/17/2011 M67 MPH FRANKLIN NY PUBLIC
PUBLIC
0901 PM HAIL CHATEAUGAY 44.93N 74.08W
07/17/2011 M0.25 INCH FRANKLIN NY PUBLIC
PUBLIC
&&
EVENT NUMBER BTV1100418
EVENT NUMBER BTV1100419
MABPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
956 PM EDT SUN JUL 17 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0908 PM TSTM WND DMG ST. REGIS FALLS 44.67N 74.54W
07/17/2011 FRANKLIN NY PUBLIC
LIGHTNING HIT POWER LINES AND THEY ARE ON FIRE... TREE
LIMBS DOWN
&&
EVENT NUMBER BTV1100420
MABPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
1002 PM EDT SUN JUL 17 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0835 PM TSTM WND GST OGDENSBURG 44.69N 75.49W
07/17/2011 E65 MPH ST. LAWRENCE NY PUBLIC
TREES AND FENCE BLOWN DOWN IN YARD... STORAGE SHED
RUINED
&&
EVENT NUMBER BTV1100421
MABPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
1006 PM EDT SUN JUL 17 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0820 PM TSTM WND DMG OGDENSBURG 44.69N 75.49W
07/17/2011 ST. LAWRENCE NY PUBLIC
100-FT TALL PINE DOWN ON A TRUCK
&&
EVENT NUMBER BTV1100422
MABThe Burlington radar (KCXX), 21 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:09 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several large branches down as well as barn roof partially torn off.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Vermont in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Vermont, July 2011
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: 319778.