A warm and humid air mass was in place on Wednesday, August 5th. As a cold front approached from the west, clusters of thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours.
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 humid air mass was in place on Wednesday, August 5th. As a cold front approached from the west, clusters of thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours.
One cluster produced wind damage and large hail around Lake George early in the afternoon.
Another slow moving thunderstorm produced locally heavy rainfall, gusty winds and hail in the immediate Capital District. As the thunderstorm drifted southward from Latham into Albany, it redeveloped over the same locations. As a result, nearly three inches of rainfall fell in less than an hour's time. This caused significant flooding of urbanized areas around Latham and Albany, which caused many travel problems, as it occurred during the evening rush hour. Several swift water rescues had to take place and many roads were closed due to high water.
Thunderstorms ended by the evening hours, as the loss of daytime heating allowed storms to weaken.
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 5, 12:38 PM EST, 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 138 PM EDT TUE AUG 5 2014 .SYNOPSIS... PARTLY SUNNY AND WARM WEATHER IS EXPECTED TODAY. A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM SOUTHERN CANADA WILL BRING A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA LATER TODAY AND WEDNESDAY BEFORE CLEARING THE REGION. COOL AND BREEZY WEATHER...WITH A CONTINUED THREAT OF AFTERNOON SHOWERS...IS FORECAST FOR THURSDAY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... AS OF 100 PM EDT...WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE BEGINNING TO POPPING UP ACROSS MUCH OF AREA. IT APPEARS OUR CAP MIGHT BE BREAKING ALREADY. THE BUF RAOB INDICATED LESS CAPPING AS THE ATMOSPHERE ALOFT BEGINS COOLING OFF AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. STORMS COULD BECOME MORE PRONOUNCED LATER ON. WE WERE FOLLOWING A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS WORKING TOWARD EXTREME SW NY. THE LATEST HRRR MODEL INDICATED THESE WOULD HOLD TOGETHER AND MAKE INTO OUR REGION AROUND 00Z-02Z...MAINLY SOUTH OF ALBANY...BUT THEN TRANSITIONING INTO A MORE SYNOPTIC RAIN EVENT. THIS IDEA WAS NOT SUPPORT BY LATEST NAM AND GFS MODELS NOR THE LOCAL HIRESWRF. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR BUT FOR NOW EXPECT CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY WILL PICK UP A LITTLE THIS AFTERNOON DUE TO DIURNAL HEATING AND COOLING ALOFT. THE CLUSTER...OR WHAT IS LEFT OF IT...WILL MAKE IT INTO A PORTION OF AREA THIS EVENING...ASSUMING IT CAN HOLD TOGETHER. THUNDERSTORMS LATER THIS AFTERNOON...COULD PRODUCE LOCALIZED WIND GUSTS AND HEAVY RAINFALL...BUT THE THREAT WAS DEEMED TOO LOW TO ADD ENHANCED WORDING TO THUNDERSTORMS AT THIS TIME. WITH STRONG DAYTIME HEATING EXPECTED...TEMPS WILL REACH INTO THE MID AND UPPER 80S ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION EXCEPT FOR UPPER 70S TO LOW 80S ACROSS THE SOUTHERN ADIRONDACKS. COMBINED WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE LOW TO MID 60S AND MARGINAL MIDLEVEL LAPSE RATES AROUND 6.0 C/KM...AROUND 500-1500 J/KG OF SBCAPE IS EXPECTED BY MID AFTERNOON. THERE WILL BE LITTLE IN THE WAY OF DYNAMIC FORCING ACROSS THE REGION...AS A COLD FRONT REMAINS FAR ENOUGH NORTH AND WEST TO ALLOW FOR LOCAL TOPOGRAPHIC/DIFFERENTIAL HEATING BOUNDARIES TO BE THE PRIMARY FOCUS FOR CONVECTION. THE HRRR DEPICTS WIDELY SCATTERED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING BETWEEN 12PM-2PM...AND PERSISTING THROUGH MUCH OF THE AFTERNOON BEFORE A DECAYING CLUSTER OF STORMS CURRENTLY ACROSS THE LOWER GREAT LAKES REACHES THE REGION BY THE LATE EVENING HOURS. ALTHOUGH THERE WILL BE MODEST INSTABILITY IN PLACE...MEAGER DYNAMIC FORCING WILL RESULT IN MAINLY GENERIC THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS CAPABLE OF BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS THAT MAY PRODUCE LOCALIZED PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AS WELL AS IN LOW LYING AND URBAN AREAS. HAVE ONLY GONE WITH SLIGHT CHANCE AND CHANCE POPS AS COVERAGE WILL BE SCATTERED AT BEST. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... ANY LINGERING SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD DISSIPATE THROUGH THE EVENING...WITH INTERVALS OF CLOUDS THE REST OF THE NIGHT. THE BETTER UPPER DYNAMICS ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER SYSTEM...AND THE BETTER LOW LEVEL FORCING ALONG A TIGHTENING AND ADVANCING BOUNDARY LAYER THERMAL GRADIENT SHOULD SUPPORT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY...MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. HIGHS WEDNESDAY IN THE MID 70S TO LOWER 80S. ONE LAST LINGERING PIECE OF UPPER ENERGY AND THE UPPER COLD POOL BRUSH JUST NORTH AND NORTHEAST OF OUR REGION THURSDAY SUPPORTING ONE LAST ROUND OF ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY IN NORTHERN AND EASTERN AREAS. COOLING CONTINUES TO TAKE PLACE ACROSS THE REGION...AND HIGHS SHOULD BE IN THE 70S TO NEAR 80. NIGHTTIME LOWS TONIGHT SHOULD BE IN THE UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S...COOLER IN HIGHER TERRAIN. FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY NIGHT LOWS IN THE 50S WITH AROUND 50 HIGHER TERRAIN. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... FRIDAY WE WILL DEALING WITH THE LAST VESTIGES OF A CYCLONIC FLOW REGIME...WITH POTENTIALLY ONE FINAL WEAK DISTURBANCE ROTATING AROUND THE WESTERN PERIPHERY OF AN UPPER LOW OVER THE CANADIAN MARITIMES. SO WILL MENTION JUST SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR WESTERN NEW ENGLAND...BEFORE TRANQUIL CONDITIONS DEVELOP FRIDAY NIGHT AS THE FLOW STARTS TO BECOME MORE ANTICYCLONIC. THE WEEKEND LOOKS TO FEATURE PLENTY OF SUNSHINE AND SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES...AS A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BOTH AT THE SURFACE AND ALOFT BECOMES ESTABLISHED ACROSS THE REGION. THE 00Z GFS IS ACTUALLY DEVELOPING SOME CONVECTION ON SUNDAY UNDERNEATH THE RIDGE...WHICH IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY LOOKS RATHER SUSPECT. WILL LEAN TOWARD THE 00Z ECMWF WHICH IS INDICATING RAIN-FREE CONDITIONS UNDER THE RIDGE. QUIET WEATHER SHOULD CONTINUE INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH THE RIDGE STILL EXPECTED TO BE IN PLACE ACROSS THE NORTHEAST CONUS. && .AVIATION /18Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... MAINLY VFR FLYING CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON HOURS WITH BRIEF PERIODS OF MVFR CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS...BEFORE MVFR/IFR FOG RETURNS TONIGHT. THIS AFTERNOON...DAYTIME HEATING HAS HELPED SPAWN SCATTERED TO BROKEN CUMULUS AROUND 5-7 KFT...AND WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE NORTHWEST. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SCATTERED IN NATURE THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON HOURS SO HAVE PLACED VCSH IN THE TAFS WITH TEMPO GROUPS TO ACCOUNT FOR BRIEF REDUCTIONS TO MVFR ASSOCIATED WITH ANY SHOWERS/STORMS. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY CONTAIN HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND GUSTY WINDS. WINDS WILL BE OUT OF THE SOUTH/SOUTHWEST AT 5-10 KNOTS. TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY...THE THUNDERSTORM THREAT WILL DIMINISH AFTER SUNSET WITH SOME LINGERING SHOWERS AT THE TAF SITES THROUGH 03Z AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. BEHIND THE FRONT...SKIES WILL CLEAR ALLOWING FOR MVFR/IFR FOG TO RETURN TO THE TAF SITES...ESPECIALLY WHERE SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL OCCURS FROM ANY CONVECTION. VFR FLYING CONDITIONS LOOK TO RETURN AFTER 12Z WEDNESDAY AS AN AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE BEGINS TO SLOWLY BUILD INTO THE REGION. WINDS TONIGHT WILL TREND CALM BEFORE BECOMING LIGHT AND VARIABLE AROUND 5 KNOTS WEDNESDAY. OUTLOOK... WEDNESDAY NIGHT: SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHRA. THURSDAY: MODERATE OPERATIONAL IMPACT. CHANCE OF SHRA...TSRA. THURSDAY NIGHT: NO OPERATIONAL IMPACT. NO SIG WX. FRIDAY: NO OPERATIONAL IMPACT. NO SIG WX. FRIDAY NIGHT: NO OPERATIONAL IMPACT. NO SIG WX. SATURDAY: NO OPERATIONAL IMPACT. NO SIG WX. SATURDAY NIGHT: NO OPERATIONAL IMPACT. NO SIG WX. SUNDAY: NO OPERATIONAL IMPACT. NO SIG WX. && .FIRE WEATHER... A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM SOUTHERN CANADA WILL BRING A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY BEFORE CLEARING THE REGION. MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES THIS AFTERNOON AND TOMORROW AFTERNOON SHOULD RANGE IN THE 40 TO 55 PERCENT RANGE. NIGHTTIME RH VALUES SHOULD BE 70 TO 100 PERCENT. WINDS WILL BE WEST TO NORTHWEST AT 15 MPH OR LESS THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .HYDROLOGY... SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY ASSOCIATED WITH AN ADVANCING COLD FRONT. THE THREAT OF ISOLATED FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AND URBAN AREAS WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY... MAINLY IF THUNDERSTORMS REPEATEDLY PASS OVER THE SAME LOCATIONS. DUE TO THE CONVECTIVE NATURE OF THE RAINFALL...MOST RIVER BASINS WILL NOT EXPERIENCE MUCH IMPACT. SOME RISES MAY OCCUR FOR AREAS THAT SEE REPEATED RAINFALL THROUGH MIDWEEK. 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...NAS NEAR TERM...SND/HWJIV/IRL SHORT TERM...NAS LONG TERM...JPV AVIATION...IRL FIRE WEATHER...NAS HYDROLOGY...NAS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 410 AM EDT TUE AUG 5 2014 CTZ001-013-MAZ001-025-NYZ032-033-038>043-047>054-058>061-063>066- 082>084-VTZ013>015-061100- 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- 410 AM EDT TUE AUG 5 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWESTERN CONNECTICUT...WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK AND SOUTHERN VERMONT. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED NON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IS POSSIBLE IN THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED NON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
213 PM EDT TUE AUG 5 2014
NYZ042-043-051845-
NORTHERN WASHINGTON NY-NORTHERN WARREN NY-
213 PM EDT TUE AUG 5 2014
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN
WASHINGTON COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK...
WARREN COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK...
AT 211 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...AROUND HALF INCH HAIL...FREQUENT
LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAIN. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR HULETTS
LANDING...OR ABOUT 7 MILES NORTH OF WHITEHALL...AND MOVING EAST AT 15
MPH.
THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
PUTNAM STATION AND 6 MILES SOUTH OF PUTNAM BY 225 PM EDT
LOW HAMPTON BY 240 PM EDT
8 MILES NORTH OF HAMPTON FLATS BY 245 PM EDT
LAT...LON 4372 7336 4369 7340 4365 7342 4362 7341
4359 7342 4358 7340 4363 7337 4363 7332
4355 7325 4356 7361 4374 7362 4377 7335
TIME...MOT...LOC 1813Z 268DEG 11KT 4366 7342The Burlington radar (KCXX), 95 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:16 UTC.
12 thunderstorm wind, 9 flash flood, 6 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Two trees were reported down at Silver Bay due to thunderstorm winds.
Multiple trees were reported down at Sabbath Day Point due to thunderstorm winds.
Nickel size hail was reported during a thunderstorm at Sabbath Bay Point.
A large number of trees were downed at the Postmaster's house in Huletts Landing due to thunderstorm winds.
Trees and wires were reported down in Dresden due to thunderstorm winds.
Quarter size hail was reported during a thunderstorm by a trained spotter one mile southeast of Boght Corners in Latham.
Trees and wires were reported down in Colonie due to thunderstorm winds. Power outages were reported in the area as a result of the downed wires.
A tree was reported down and blocking a part of the roadway at Exit 6 on Interstate 87 (The Adirondack Northway) due to thunderstorm winds. This caused a large backup of traffic on the roadway.
A tree was reported down at the Times Union office building on Albany-Shaker Road in Colonie due to thunderstorm winds.
Penny size hail was reported during a thunderstorm in the Eagle Hill section of Albany.
Heavy rainfall from a slow moving thunderstorm caused flash flooding in Latham, especially around the Latham Circle area. At least ten swift water rescues had to take place for motorists stranded in their vehicles due to high water.
Trees were reported down on both Lenox Avenue and Euclid Avenue in Albany due to thunderstorm winds.
Quarter size hail was reported during a thunderstorm in the Buckingham Pond section of Albany.
Nickel size hail was reported during a thunderstorm in Albany.
Quarter size hail was reported during a thunderstorm in Albany.
A tree and wires were reported down in the Pine Hills section of Albany due to thunderstorm winds. The tree landed on a house.
Three feet of water covered the intersection of 24th Street and 2nd Avenue in Watervliet due to heavy rain from a slow moving thunderstorm.
Heavy rain from a slow moving thunderstorm led to flash flooding in Latham. Eight people had to be rescued from a hair salon along Route 2 due to high water.
A tree was reported down on Western Avenue in the Pine Hills section of Albany due to thunderstorm winds.
Heavy rainfall from a slow moving thunderstorm led to flash flooding on Route 9 at Kunker Street in Latham. The road was impassable in both directions due to high water.
A tree was reported down on Whitehall Road and Ten Eyck Avenue in Albany due to thunderstorm winds.
A tree was reported down on Matilda Street in Albany due to thunderstorm winds.
Heavy rainfall from a slow moving thunderstorm led to flash flooding in downtown Albany. The intersection of North Pearl Street and Sheridan Avenue was inundated with water and had to closed. Water rose above the level of license plates on parked cars on North Pearl Street. Some cars were lifted off the pavement due to the force of water.
Heavy rainfall from a slow moving thunderstorm led to flash flooding in downtown Albany. A section of Orange Street between a State office building and a restaurant was flooded. Water flowing down the street contained debris.
Heavy rainfall from a slow moving thunderstorm led to flash flooding in downtown Albany. High water occurred around the Hampton Inn Hotel and the parking lot of the First Church of Albany.
Heavy rain from a slow moving thunderstorm led to flash flooding in the Whitehall section of Albany. Basements were inundated with water at the intersection of Elbel Court and Whitehall Road.
Heavy rainfall from a slow moving thunderstorm led to flash flooding in the Pine Hills section of Albany. Water was up to the windows of cars on Quail Street.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New York in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, August 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: 532365, 532363, 532366, 532367, 532368, 532371, 532373, 532390, 532413, 532379, 532393, 532381, 532383, 532384, 532385, 532387, 532395, 532398, 532418, 532400, 532416, 532388, 532401, 532404, 532408, 532403, 532405.