An isolated thunderstorm moved southeast across Litchfield County Connecticut during the late afternoon and early evening hours on Tuesday, May 27th. The thunderstorm strengthened as it reached the southern portion of the county and produced a period of gusty winds, heavy rainfall and frequent cloud to ground lightning.
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.
An isolated thunderstorm moved southeast across Litchfield County Connecticut during the late afternoon and early evening hours on Tuesday, May 27th. The thunderstorm strengthened as it reached the southern portion of the county and produced a period of gusty winds, heavy rainfall and frequent cloud to ground lightning. The storm produced wind damage to trees and homes in the town of New Milford. Several roads were closed a result of downed trees and power lines. In addition, schools in New Milford were closed on Wednesday, May 28th due to the ongoing cleanup from the storm damage.
A National Weather Service Storm Survey determined that straight line winds produced winds up to 100 MPH with damage sporadic and intermittent along a 7 mile swath. Unfortunately, one person in New Milford died due to electrocution as a result of downed wires falling on a vehicle. Up to 13,000 people throughout the area lost power as a result of the 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 27, 3:42 PM EST, 2 hours 13 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 442 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH SOUTH THROUGH THE REGION THIS EVENING...TRIGGERING A ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. LATE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE NORTHEAST WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES. FRIDAY ANOTHER COLD FRONT AND A MID LEVEL WEATHER DISTURBANCE WILL PUSH THROUGH WITH UNSETTLED WEATHER. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD BY LATE IN THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING/... FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING EXPECT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING MAY RESULT IN STRONG GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS. VEERING WINDS ALOFT CONTINUE ALONG WITH 0-6 KM BULK SHEAR BTWN 30 AND 40 KTS AS WELL AS FA BEING IN THE RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OF AN 80 TO 90 KT JET OVER NRN NEW ENGLAND. MLMUCAPES ARE GENERALLY BETWEEN 500 AND 1500 J/KG. ALSO WE HAVE A THETA E RIDGE WHICH IS FAIRLY STRONG BETWEEN H10-H8. THE NEGATING FACTORS CONTINUE TO BE THE MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES BEING NOT OVERLY IMPRESSIVE BTWN 5 AND 6.5 C/KM. WBZ HEIGHTS ARE BTWN 8 AND 10 KFT WHICH WOULD FAVOR ALT LEAST SMALL HAIL. SO FOR NOW HAVE PUT ENHANCED WORDING IN THE FORECAST FOR STRONG GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY RAINFALL AS PWATS INCREASE TO BTWN 1.25 AND 1.5 INCHES LATE THIS AFTERNOON. FOR TONIGHT...ANY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD TAPER TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AS THE COLD FRONT WORKS ITS WAY SOUTH THROUGH THE FA. EXPECT LOWS TO BE IN THE MID 50S TO LOWER 60S WITH PLENTY OF CLOUDS STILL AROUND. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY/... HAVE SHOWERS LINGERING INTO WEDNESDAY AS THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED VORT AXIS CROSS THE FA HIGHS ON WEDNESDAY TO BE MUCH COOLER WITH READINGS MAINLY IN THE 60S. WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY LOOK TO BE DRY AT THIS POINT IN TIME AS A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE SETTLES OVER OUR REGION. EXPECT LOWS WEDNESDAY NIGHT TO BE IN THE UPPER 30S TO MID 40S. WITH HIGHS ON THURSDAY IN THE UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S. SKIES SHOULD BE PARTLY CLOUDY WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND PARTLY SUNNY ON THURSDAY. LATE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY WILL BE THE NEXT ROUND OF PCPN AS A COLD FRONT DROPS SOUTHEAST FROM THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES INTO OUR REGION HAVE INCLUDED MENTION OF THUNDERSTORMS ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY FRIDAY EVENING. EXPECT LOWS THURSDAY NIGHT TO BE IN THE MID 40S TO MID 50S WITH HIGHS ON FRIDAY IN THE UPPER 60S TO MID 70S. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... AT THE START OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD...A LONGWAVE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL BE SITUATED OVER NEW ENGLAND...WITH A QUICK MOVING UPPER LEVEL LOW SWINGING THROUGH THE TROUGH. THIS SYSTEM MAY ALLOW FOR SOME ISOLATED RAIN SHOWERS FOR CENTRAL/EASTERN AREAS FOR FRI NIGHT INTO SATURDAY...BEFORE MOVING AWAY FROM THE REGION FOR THE END OF THE WEEKEND. ALTHOUGH THE WEEKEND WILL START OFF A LITTLE ON THE COOLER SIDE /MINS ON FRI NIGHT IN THE 40S AND 50S...AND HIGHS ON SAT IN THE UPPER 60S TO MID 70S/...IT WILL BECOME WARMER TOWARDS THE END OF THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...AS RIDGING OVER THE MISSISSIPPI AND OHIO VALLEY REGION STARTS TO BUILD NORTHEAST TOWARDS OUR AREA. SKIES ARE EXPECTED TO MAINLY BE PARTLY CLOUDY. WITH RISING HEIGHTS ACROSS OUR AREA...MAINLY DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED FOR SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT...WITH TEMPS WARMING UP EACH DAY. VALLEY MAX TEMPS WILL REACH THE UPPER 70S FOR SUNDAY...AND LOW 80S BY MONDAY. DESPITE THE RIDGE...IT WILL BE TOUGH FOR DRY WEATHER TO PERSIST FOR TOO LONG AS SOME SYSTEMS WILL TRY TO MOVE UP AND AROUND THE RIDGE TOWARDS OUR AREA. DEPENDING ON THE SPEED OF AN APPROACHING FRONTAL BOUNDARY...THERE MAY BE A SHOWER AS EARLY AS MON OR MONDAY NIGHT...WITH PROBABLY A BETTER CHANCE FOR A SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM WITH BE THE PASSAGE OF THE COLD FRONT ON TUESDAY. TEMPS WILL CONTINUE TO BE WARM /UPPER 70S TO LOW 80S/ ON TUESDAY AHEAD OF THE BOUNDARY...ALONG WITH MUGGY CONDITIONS. && .AVIATION /20Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... VFR FLYING CONDITIONS WILL START THE TAF PERIOD BEFORE DETERIORATING TO MVFR/IFR ASSOCIATED WITH SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...AND LOW STRATUS TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. THIS AFTERNOON...VFR FLYING CONDITIONS WILL START THE TAF PERIOD...WITH BROKEN MID AND HIGH CLOUDS ACROSS THE REGION. LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE ACROSS THE REGION AS A FRONTAL BOUNDARY APPROACHES THE REGION. THE COMBINATION OF THESE TWO FEATURES WILL HELP TO FOCUS SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON...WITH THE GREATEST THREAT BETWEEN 21Z-00Z. HAVE INDICATED A TEMPO GROUP DURING THIS TIME FOR THUNDERSTORMS AND VCSH THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON...DUE TO CONTINUED UNCERTAINTIES REGARDING THE EXACT PLACEMENT OF CONVECTION. WINDS WILL BE OUT OF THE SOUTH/SOUTHWEST BETWEEN 5-10 KNOTS. TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY...THE THUNDERSTORM THREAT SHOULD DIMINISH BY 00Z WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING. THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL CONTINUE TO LINGER ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT...PROVIDING THE FOCUS FOR WIDELY SCATTERED DRIZZLE/LIGHT SHOWERS. HAVE CONTINUED TO INDICATE VCSH IN THE TAFS THROUGH THE NIGHTTIME HOURS BUT COVERAGE IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE WIDESPREAD. ENOUGH LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE WILL ALSO BE IN PLACE TO PROMOTE MVFR LOW STRATUS FORMATION AT ALL TAF SITES...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF IFR STRATUS AT KPSF. MVFR VISIBILITIES SHOULD ALSO ACCOMPANY THE LOW STRATUS AT ALL TAF SITES EXCEPT KALB. DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH RAIN FALLS THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING...THERE IS A CHANCE FOR IFR FOG DEVELOPMENT TOWARDS DAYBREAK...AND WILL HAVE TO MONITOR THIS THREAT WITH LATER TAF ISSUANCES. MVFR STRATUS SHOULD LINGER AT THE TAF SITES INTO THE DAY WEDNESDAY WITH PATCHY DRIZZLE/LIGHT SHOWERS CONTINUING. WINDS WILL BE LIGHT AND VARIABLE TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY OUT OF THE NORTH/NORTHEAST GENERALLY LESS THAN 5 KNOTS. OUTLOOK... WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY: NO OPERATIONAL IMPACT. NO SIG WX. THURSDAY NIGHT: MODERATE OPERATIONAL IMPACT. CHANCE OF SHRA. FRIDAY: MODERATE OPERATIONAL IMPACT. CHANCE OF SHRA...TSRA. FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY: LOW OPERATIONAL IMPACT. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHRA...TSRA. SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY: NO OPERATIONAL IMPACT. NO SIG WX. && .FIRE WEATHER... A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH SOUTH THROUGH THE REGION THIS EVENING...TRIGGERING A ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. LATE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE NORTHEAST WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES. FRIDAY ANOTHER COLD FRONT AND A MID LEVEL WEATHER DISTURBANCE WILL PUSH THROUGH WITH UNSETTLED WEATHER. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD BY LATE IN THE WEEKEND. && .HYDROLOGY... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SCATTERED ACROSS OUR AREA THIS EVENING WITH MORE SCATTERED SHOWERS OVERNIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY AS THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED VORT MAX CROSS OUR FA. TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN AREAS WHICH RECEIVE RAINFALL ARE EXPECTED TO BE A QUARTER TO HALF AN INCH. WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY WILL BE DRY WITH THE NEXT CHANCE OF PCPN OCCURRING WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ON FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY EVENING. 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...11/SNYDER NEAR TERM...11 SHORT TERM...11 LONG TERM...FRUGIS AVIATION...IRL FIRE WEATHER...11 HYDROLOGY...11
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 444 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014 CTZ001-013-MAZ001-025-NYZ032-033-038>043-047>054-058>061-063>066- 082>084-VTZ013>015-281100- 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- 444 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWESTERN CONNECTICUT...WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK AND SOUTHERN VERMONT. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS AS WELL AS HAIL. IN ADDITION HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OCCUR RESULTING IN PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND FLOODING OF POORLY DRAINED LOW LYING AREAS. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST AT AROUND 25 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
558 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014
VTZ013>015-272245-
BENNINGTON VT-WESTERN WINDHAM VT-EASTERN WINDHAM VT-
558 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN
BENNINGTON COUNTY IN SOUTHERN VERMONT...
WINDHAM COUNTY IN SOUTHERN VERMONT...
AT 555 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...AROUND HALF INCH HAIL...
FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAIN. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG
A LINE EXTENDING FROM 10 MILES NORTH OF SAXTONS RIVER TO 7 MILES
NORTHWEST OF DORSET...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM SPRINGFIELD TO
10 MILES NORTHEAST OF SALEM...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
DORSET BY 605 PM EDT
LONDONDERRY BY 610 PM EDT
MANCHESTER CENTER BY 620 PM EDT
SAXTONS RIVER...MANCHESTER AND BELLOWS FALLS BY 625 PM EDT
WESTMINSTER BY 640 PM EDT
TOWNSHEND...STRATTON AND WEST WARDSBORO BY 645 PM EDT
LAT...LON 4306 7246 4300 7244 4300 7310 4322 7326
4332 7326 4331 7283 4326 7281 4323 7270
4324 7244 4315 7245 4312 7243 4308 7243
TIME...MOT...LOC 2158Z 321DEG 22KT 4327 7251 4329 7321
LFMSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
638 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014
VTZ013>015-272315-
BENNINGTON VT-WESTERN WINDHAM VT-EASTERN WINDHAM VT-
638 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN
BENNINGTON COUNTY IN SOUTHERN VERMONT...
WINDHAM COUNTY IN SOUTHERN VERMONT...
AT 635 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND
HEAVY RAIN. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM
MANCHESTER CENTER TO SAXTONS RIVER...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM
MANCHESTER TO BELLOWS FALLS...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
TOWNSHEND BY 650 PM EDT
STRATTON AND WEST WARDSBORO BY 655 PM EDT
PUTNEY AND NEWFANE BY 705 PM EDT
LAT...LON 4306 7246 4300 7244 4297 7247 4296 7252
4290 7252 4288 7255 4290 7285 4321 7319
4316 7245 4312 7243 4308 7243
TIME...MOT...LOC 2238Z 321DEG 24KT 4313 7298 4309 7249
!SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
655 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014
CTZ001-013-272330-
NORTHERN LITCHFIELD CT-SOUTHERN LITCHFIELD CT-
655 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN
LITCHFIELD COUNTY IN NORTHERN CONNECTICUT...
AT 650 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL...WINDS UP TO 50
MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAIN. THIS
STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR NEW PRESTON...OR ABOUT OVER NEW MILFORD...AND
MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
OTHER LOCATIONS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO WOODBURY CENTER AND
GAYLORDSVILLE.
IN ADDITION TO HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY!
LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURES NUMBER ONE KILLERS. REMEMBER...IF YOU
CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.
UP TO AN INCH OF RAIN IS POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM AS IT MOVES ACROSS
THE AREA.
LAT...LON 4148 7337 4151 7339 4150 7340 4158 7348
4164 7350 4175 7335 4156 7311 4155 7316
4152 7315 4151 7316 4150 7331 4147 7331
TIME...MOT...LOC 2254Z 320DEG 19KT 4162 7336
FRUGISThe Brookhaven radar (KOKX), 97 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:55 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A National Weather Service storm survey determined straight line winds produced sporadic and intermittent damage along a 7 mile swath across southern Litchfield County. Winds were estimated up to 100 MPH. The estimated path width was one mile.
Broadcast Media reported that downed power lines resulted in a man exiting a vehicle to be electrocuted. The man died as a result of the injuries.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind, Litchfield | 2014-05-27 | 49 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Connecticut in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Connecticut, May 2014
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: 509933, 509934.