A warm and very humid air mass was in place across northwestern Connecticut. As a strong cold front approached, a severe thunderstorm developed across Litchfield County.
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 warm and very humid air mass was in place across northwestern Connecticut. As a strong cold front approached, a severe thunderstorm developed across Litchfield County. This thunderstorm produced damaging wind gusts, with trees and wires down, causing a road to be closed.
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 29, 4:59 PM EST, 1 hour 31 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 559 PM EDT TUE MAY 29 2012 .SYNOPSIS... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR ACROSS THE LOCAL THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SEVERE AND PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL. A SECONDARY COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION WEDNESDAY WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AHEAD OF IT MAINLY FROM THE GREATER CAPITAL DISTRICT AND SCHOHARIE VALLEY SOUTH AND EAST. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING/... HAVE ADDED LITCHFIELD COUNTY TO TORNADO WATCH #313 WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM. HAVE CLEARED HERKIMER...HAMILTON...FULTON... MONTGOMERY...WARREN...SARATOGA...WASHINGTON...SCHOHARIE AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES. AS OF 4 PM...HAVE ADDED ULSTER AND DUTCHESS COUNTIES TO THE CURRENT TORNADO WATCH #313 UNTIL 9 PM. MINOR ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE BASED ON OBSERVATIONAL DATA. HAIL FROM AROUND AN INCH UP TO 3.5 INCHES HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH TODAY SEVERE STORMS. PLEASE SEND YOUR REPORTS OF HAIL AND WIND DAMAGE TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. AS OF 130 PM...TORNADO WATCH #313 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM FOR THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA EXCEPT ULSTER...DUTCHESS AND LITCHFIELD. IN COORDINATION WITH THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER MUCH OF THE FORECAST WAS UPGRADED TO MODERATE RISK. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY/... THERE WILL STILL BE A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY EVENING MAINLY FROM THE GREATER CAPITAL DISTRICT AND SCHOHARIE VALLEY SOUTH AND EAST AHEAD OF A SECONDARY COLD FRONT. ANOTHER SHORT WAVE MOVING THROUGH THE UPPER TROUGH WILL PROVIDE FARTHER SUPPORT. WHILE NOT EXPECTING SEVERE SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE AS WET BULB ZERO HEIGHTS FALL. EXPECT HIGHS ON WEDNESDAY IN THE MID 70S TO MID 80S. EXPECTING DRY WEATHER AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN AT THE SURFACE WITH RIDGING BUILDING IN ALOFT BY LATE IN WEEK. TEMPERATURES WILL BE SEASONABLE. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... LOOKING AT A WET WEEKEND AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH. CLOSED LOW FORMS OVER THE UPPER MID WEST THEN LIFTS NORTHWARD ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES. LOW WILL PASS TO OUR WEST. AT THIS TIME...BEST CHANCES FOR SHOWERS ARE SATURDAY DURING THE DAY. && .AVIATION /22Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR ACROSS THE LOCAL THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SEVERE AND PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL. A SECONDARY COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION WEDNESDAY WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AHEAD OF IT MAINLY FROM THE GREATER CAPITAL DISTRICT AND SCHOHARIE VALLEY SOUTH AND EAST. MVFR CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR WITH BRIEF IFR EXPECTED WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM ALONG WITH HEAVY RAINFALL. OVERNIGHT WITH WET GROUND MVFR ARE EXPECTED WITH IFR POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY AT KGFL. AN IMPROVEMENT TO VFR EXPECTED AFTER SUNRISE WITH VFR PERSISTING THROUGH THE MORNING. SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL SHIFT TO WESTERLY WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE COLD FRONT. OUTLOOK... WED...IMPROVING TO VFR. SLIGHT CHC SHRA/TSRA KALB AND CHC AT KPOU. THU-FRI...VFR...NO SIG WX. FRI NIGHT...VFR/MVFR. CHC SHRA SAT...MVFR WITH IFR POSSIBLE. SHOWERS LIKELY. && .FIRE WEATHER... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR ACROSS THE LOCAL THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SEVERE AND PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL. A SECONDARY COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION WEDNESDAY WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AHEAD OF IT MAINLY FROM THE GREATER CAPITAL DISTRICT AND SCHOHARIE VALLEY SOUTH AND EAST. && .HYDROLOGY... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR ACROSS THE LOCAL THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SEVERE AND PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL. A SECONDARY COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION WEDNESDAY WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AHEAD OF IT MAINLY FROM THE GREATER CAPITAL DISTRICT AND SCHOHARIE VALLEY SOUTH AND EAST. VERY UNSTABLE AND HUMID AIRMASS OVER REGION WITH HIGH PERCEPTIBLE WATER VALUES. SOME STORMS WILL PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL. IF STORM TRAINING OR BACK BUILD FLASH FLOODING COULD BE A MAJOR CONCERN. THREAT OS NOT WIDESPREAD ENOUGH FOR A FLASH FLOOD WATCH. 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...IAA/SNYDER NEAR TERM...IAA/SNYDER SHORT TERM...IAA LONG TERM...IAA AVIATION...IAA/KL FIRE WEATHER...IAA/11 HYDROLOGY...IAA/11
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 610 PM EDT TUE MAY 29 2012 CTZ001-013-MAZ001-025-NYZ051>054-058>061-063>066-VTZ013>015-301100- NORTHERN LITCHFIELD-SOUTHERN LITCHFIELD-NORTHERN BERKSHIRE- SOUTHERN BERKSHIRE-WESTERN ALBANY-EASTERN ALBANY-WESTERN RENSSELAER- EASTERN RENSSELAER-WESTERN GREENE-EASTERN GREENE-WESTERN COLUMBIA- EASTERN COLUMBIA-WESTERN ULSTER-EASTERN ULSTER-WESTERN DUTCHESS- EASTERN DUTCHESS-BENNINGTON-WESTERN WINDHAM-EASTERN WINDHAM- 610 PM EDT TUE MAY 29 2012 ...TORNADO WATCH 313 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ALBANY...RENSSELAER... GREENE...ULSTER...COLUMBIA...DUTCHESS...BERKSHIRE...LITCHFIELD ...BENNINGTON AND WINDHAM COUNTIES. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. TORNADO WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THERE IS A CHANCE OF NON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING MAINLY FROM THE GREATER CAPITAL DISTRICT AND SCHOHARIE VALLEY SOUTH AND EAST ALONG AND AHEAD OF A SECONDARY COLD FRONT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION HAS BEEN REQUESTED FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES... IN EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK...ALBANY...COLUMBIA...DUTCHESS...GREENE... RENSSELAER AND ULSTER. IN SOUTHERN VERMONT...BENNINGTON AND WINDHAM. IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...BERKSHIRE. IN CONNECTICUT...LITCHFIELD. NYZ032-033-038>043-047>050-082>084-301100- NORTHERN HERKIMER-HAMILTON-SOUTHERN HERKIMER-SOUTHERN FULTON- MONTGOMERY-NORTHERN SARATOGA-NORTHERN WARREN-NORTHERN WASHINGTON- SCHOHARIE-WESTERN SCHENECTADY-EASTERN SCHENECTADY-SOUTHERN SARATOGA- NORTHERN FULTON-SOUTHEAST WARREN-SOUTHERN WASHINGTON- 610 PM EDT TUE MAY 29 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR HERKIMER...HAMILTON...FULTON... MONTGOMERY...WARREN...SARATOGA...SCHENECTADY AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THERE IS A CHANCE OF NON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING MAINLY FROM THE GREATER CAPITAL DISTRICT AND SCHOHARIE VALLEY SOUTH AND EAST ALONG AND AHEAD OF A SECONDARY COLD FRONT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
639 PM EDT TUE MAY 29 2012
NYZ058>061-063>066-292315-
EASTERN GREENE NY-WESTERN GREENE NY-WESTERN ULSTER NY-
EASTERN ULSTER NY-WESTERN DUTCHESS NY-EASTERN DUTCHESS NY-
WESTERN COLUMBIA NY-EASTERN COLUMBIA NY-
639 PM EDT TUE MAY 29 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN
GREENE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK...
ULSTER COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK...
DUTCHESS COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK...
COLUMBIA COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK...
AT 637 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...AROUND HALF INCH HAIL...
WINDS AROUND 50 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAIN. THESE
STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM NORTH-SOUTH LAKE
CAMPGROUND TO HURLEY TO 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF WALLKILL...OR ALONG A
LINE EXTENDING FROM 7 MILES WEST OF CATSKILL TO KINGSTON TO
ELLENVILLE...AND MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
SAUGERTIES AND PORT EWEN BY 645 PM EDT
WALLKILL...RHINEBECK...RED HOOK AND NEW PALTZ BY 650 PM EDT
HUDSON...ATHENS...PLATTEKILL AND MODENA BY 655 PM EDT
LAT...LON 4145 7401 4152 7401 4158 7396 4158 7405
4161 7412 4158 7412 4159 7419 4160 7425
4162 7426 4160 7433 4233 7411 4227 7350
4200 7387 4184 7380 4185 7366 4151 7368
4149 7392 4144 7397
TIME...MOT...LOC 2239Z 270DEG 28KT 4223 7397 4191 7401
4168 7426
NAS/JPVPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
644 PM EDT TUE MAY 29 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0345 PM HAIL BELLOWS FALLS 43.14N 72.45W
05/29/2012 E1.75 INCH WINDHAM VT PUBLIC
0605 PM HAIL 1 S GREAT BARRINGTON 42.19N 73.36W
05/29/2012 E1.00 INCH BERKSHIRE MA TRAINED SPOTTER
0632 PM HAIL WESTMINSTER 43.08N 72.46W
05/29/2012 E1.00 INCH WINDHAM VT PUBLIC
0639 PM HAIL PUTNEY 42.97N 72.52W
05/29/2012 E1.00 INCH WINDHAM VT PUBLIC
&&
EVENT NUMBER ALY1200064
EVENT NUMBER ALY1200065
EVENT NUMBER ALY1200066
EVENT NUMBER ALY1200067
OKEEFEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
656 PM EDT TUE MAY 29 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0632 PM HAIL LAFAYETTEVILLE 41.96N 73.75W
05/29/2012 E1.00 INCH DUTCHESS NY PUBLIC
&&
EVENT NUMBER ALY1200068
OKEEFEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
707 PM EDT TUE MAY 29 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0702 PM HAIL PINE PLAINS 41.98N 73.66W
05/29/2012 E1.50 INCH DUTCHESS NY PUBLIC
&&
EVENT NUMBER ALY1200069
OKEEFEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
712 PM EDT TUE MAY 29 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0610 PM HAIL GREAT BARRINGTON 42.19N 73.36W
05/29/2012 M1.00 INCH BERKSHIRE MA PUBLIC
&&
EVENT NUMBER ALY1200070
OKEEFESPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
725 PM EDT TUE MAY 29 2012
CTZ001-013-NYZ066-300030-
NORTHERN LITCHFIELD CT-SOUTHERN LITCHFIELD CT-EASTERN DUTCHESS NY-
725 PM EDT TUE MAY 29 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN
LITCHFIELD COUNTY IN NORTHERN CONNECTICUT...
DUTCHESS COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK...
AT 721 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...AROUND HALF INCH HAIL...
WINDS AROUND 50 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAIN. THESE
STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM AMENIA TO 6 MILES
WEST OF WINGDALE...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 15 MILES SOUTHEAST
OF RHINEBECK TO 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF PAWLING...AND MOVING EAST AT 30
MPH.
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
AMENIA...WINGDALE...PAWLING AND DOVER PLAINS BY 730 PM EDT
KENT...GAYLORDSVILLE AND MERWINSVILLE BY 740 PM EDT
NEW MILFORD BY 745 PM EDT
CORNWALL BRIDGE AND NEW PRESTON BY 750 PM EDT
LAT...LON 4166 7351 4152 7353 4150 7375 4186 7369
4192 7290 4186 7295 4184 7293 4182 7294
4179 7301 4164 7298 4156 7310 4155 7315
4151 7316 4149 7345
TIME...MOT...LOC 2325Z 270DEG 28KT 4184 7360 4165 7364
NAS/JPVThe Albany radar (KENX), 94 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:30 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees and wires were reported down due to strong thunderstorm winds, which closed a portion of Route 272, about 2 miles north-northwest of Norfolk.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Connecticut in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Connecticut, May 2012
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: 376738.