A cold front crossing the region during the evening hours was accompanied by showers and thunderstorms. The thunderstorms produced damaging winds that downed trees and wires in Shortsville, Clifton Springs, Newark, Phelps, Lyons, and Oswego.
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 BUF wrote it up.
A cold front crossing the region during the evening hours was accompanied by showers and thunderstorms. The thunderstorms produced damaging winds that downed trees and wires in Shortsville, Clifton Springs, Newark, Phelps, Lyons, and Oswego. Hail up to 1.5 inch in diameter fell in Minetto. The storms also brought localized heavy rains that resulted in Flash Flooding in Newark and Lyons in Wayne county.
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 Buffalo, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 13, 5:34 PM EST, 57 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY 634 PM EDT TUE MAY 13 2014 .SYNOPSIS... WARM AND INCREASINGLY HUMID AIR ACROSS THE REGION WILL MAINTAIN AN UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT WHICH WILL SUPPORT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. A COLD FRONT WILL THEN CROSS THE REGION LATER THURSDAY AND EARLY FRIDAY WITH LIKELY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF WHICH MAY BRING DOWNPOURS. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... THROUGH 530 PM...THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT INSTABILITY ACROSS INTERIOR SECTIONS SOUTH OF LAKE ONTARIO WITH LAPS SHOWING AVERAGE CAPE VALUES IN THE 1000 TO 1500 J/KG RANGE. DESPITE THIS...THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE IN THE WAY OF CONVECTION SO FAR. THIS IS LIKELY TO CHANGE SOON. A WELL DEFINED AREA OF CONVECTION ACROSS SOUTHERN ONTARIO IS MOVING GRADUALLY EASTWARD. THIS IS FORECAST TO WEAKEN AS IT MOVES AHEAD OF UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT...BUT 18Z NAM AND HRRR GUIDANCE CONTINUE TO BRING ITS REMNANTS INTO OUR REGION MID-LATE EVENING. ALSO...AS OUTFLOWS SPREAD AHEAD OF THIS...IT IS POSSIBLE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OUT AHEAD OF THIS FEATURE AS WELL...POSSIBLY REACHING WESTERN NEW YORK BY OR SHORTLY BEFORE SUNSET. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES REMAIN QUITE HIGH...AROUND 1.3 TO 15 INCHES...SO HEAVIER RAINS ARE POSSIBLE. THE UPSIDE IS THAT THE STEERING WINDS WILL BE STRONGER TONIGHT WITH ABOUT 20 KNOTS AT 5KFT AND 35 KNOTS AT 10KFT...SO STORMS WILL NOT LINGER AS LONG OVER ANY INDIVIDUAL WATERSHED. THIS SAID...AREAS WHICH RECEIVED RECENT HEAVY RAINS WILL HAVE TO BE MONITORED VERY CLOSELY AS THIS PASSES THROUGH. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BE QUITE SUMMERLIKE FOR ONE MORE NIGHT WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S FOR THE EASTERN LAKE ONTARIO REGION AND LOWER TO MID 60S ELSEWHERE. WEDNESDAY WILL SEE THE CONTINUED CHANCE OF PRECIP...THE LOWER CHANCE POPS IN THE MORNING WILL INCREASE TO LOW LIKELY POPS IN THE AFTERNOON WITH INCREASED DAYTIME INSTABILITY. AGAIN...THE STALLED FRONT ACTING AS THE FOCUS FOR CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT. HIGH TEMPS WILL BE IN THE LOWER 70S ACROSS THE WEST WHERE THERE WILL BE A WINDSHIFT TO NORTHWESTERLY...AND COOLER AIR INFILTRATING DURING THE AFTERNOON...TO THE MID TO UPPER 70S ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHERN NY WHERE COOLER AIR WILL BE DISPLACED BY A WARM ADVECTIVE PATTERN ON SOUTHERLY WINDS. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... VERY UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL REMAIN OVER OUR REGION DURING THIS PERIOD...AS A DEEP TROUGH BASED OVER THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL MAINTAIN A RICH MOISTURE PLUME THAT WILL EXTEND FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO TO QUEBEC. THIS PROLONGED FEED OF SUB TROPICAL AIR WILL CONTAIN PWAT VALUES OF 1.25 TO 1.5 INCHES...WHICH WILL KEEP THE THREAT OF EXCESSIVE RAINS IN PLACE. THE GREATEST RISK FOR WIDESPREAD SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL WILL BE DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. THE DETAILS... AN INVERTED SFC TROUGH EXTENDING FROM THE TENNESSEE VALLEY TO THE LOWER GREAT LAKES WEDNESDAY EVENING WILL BECOME ENERGIZED OVERNIGHT AS A STRONG SHORTWAVE WILL LIFT OUT OF THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY. THIS WILL ENCOURAGE A WAVE WITHIN THE TROUGH TO DEVELOP INTO A FAIRLY WELL ORGANIZED AREA OF LOW PRESSURE...WHICH IN TURN WILL INCREASE THE SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL FLOW OVER OUR FORECAST AREA AND TIGHTEN A BAROCLINIC ZONE OVER SOUTHERN ONTARIO. WHILE THERE MAY BE SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER OUR REGION AS A RESULT...THE BULK OF THE NIGHT SHOULD BE RAIN FREE WITH THE BULK OF THE PCPN STAYING WEST OF THE IAG RIVER. OTHERWISE...WE SHOULD EXPECT A VERY MILD AND SOMEWHAT HUMID NIGHT FOR MID MAY WITH MINS GENERALLY IN THE MID 60S. AS THE AXIS OF A 100KT H25 JET WITH ITS UPPER LEVEL LIFT PUSHES EAST ACROSS MICHIGAN AND OHIO ON THURSDAY...AND THE AFOREMENTIONED SFC LOW LIFTS ACROSS THE LOWER GREAT LAKES...MORE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE GENERATED. THIS WILL ESPECIALLY BE THE CASE WEST OF THE GENESEE VALLEY WHERE SOME HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE. AS THE INITIAL SFC LOW WILL LIFT NORTH OF OUR REGION ON THURSDAY NIGHT...A QUASI-STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL PUSH VERY SLOWLY TO THE EAST ACROSS OUR REGION. MEANWHILE...A 150KT JETLET IS EXPECTED TO RACE TO THE NORTH ACROSS THE UPPER GREAT LAKES. THE LIFT PROVIDED BY THIS JET...COUPLED WITH THE CONVERGENCE IN PROXIMITY OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY...WILL PRODUCE MODERATE TO HEAVY SHOWERS AND POSSIBLY SOME THUNDERSTORMS WITHIN THE SUB TROPICAL AIRMASS. WILL CONTINUE TO USE CAT POPS FOR THIS PERIOD. AVERAGE BASIN RAINFALL THURSDAY NIGHT IS FORECAST TO RANGE FROM A QUARTER INCH EAST OF LK ONTARIO TO AN INCH OR MORE ACROSS MOST OF THE WESTERN COUNTIES. LOCAL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF 1.5 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE SOUTHERN TIER. THE SLOW MOVING FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL THEN SLOWLY CROSS THE FINGER LAKES AND EASTERN LAKE ONTARIO REGIONS DURING THE DAY FRIDAY. THIS WILL KEEP THE THREAT FOR SIGNIFICANT RAINS IN PLACE FOR THE EASTERN HALF OF OUR FORECAST AREA WHERE BASIN AVERAGE RAINFALL IS FORECAST TO BE IN THE VICINITY OF ONE INCH. MEANWHILE...LIGHTER SHOWERS OVER THE FAR WESTERN COUNTIES WILL TAPER OFF DURING THE COURSE OF THE AFTERNOON. ONE LAST WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE WILL TRACK NORTH ALONG THE SLOW MOVING FRONTAL BOUNDARY FRIDAY NIGHT...AND THIS WILL FURTHER SLOW ITS EASTWARD PROGRESSION...IF NOT STALLING IT FOR SOME 6 HOURS. WHILE THE MOST UNSTABLE AIR AND DEEPEST MOISTURE FIELD AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL PUSH EAST ACROSS THE ADIRONDACKS...WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THE CHANCE FOR LEFTOVER THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN OVER THE EASTERN LAKE ONTARIO REGION. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... IT WILL BE COOLER...AND FOR THE MOST PART...DRIER THAN THE WEEK LEADING UP TO THIS PERIOD AS A DEAMPLIFICATION IN THE LONGWAVE PATTERN OVER NORTH AMERICA WILL RESULT IN OUR BOUNDARY LAYER WINDS COMING OUT OF THE EASTERN HALF OF CANADA VERSUS THE GULF OF MEXICO. THAT IS NOT TO SAY THAT THERE WILL NOT BE THE CHANCE FOR SOME NUISANCE SHOWERS THOUGH...AS THE LONGWAVE TROUGH THAT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SIGNIFICANT RAINS DURING THE WEEK WILL EVOLVE INTO A CLOSED LOW IN THE VCNTY OF NEW JERSEY. A CORRESPONDING SFC LOW ON THE EAST SIDE OF THIS CLOSED LOW IS FORECAST BY BOTH THE ECMWF AND GFS ENSEMBLE PACKAGES TO ROTATE NORTHWEST TO THE NEW ENGLAND COAST. ATLANTIC MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FEATURE WOULD THEN CIRCULATE BACK ACROSS OUR REGION...WITH SOME SHOWERS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE NORTH COUNTRY ON SUNDAY...THEN ACROSS ALL OF OUR FORECAST AREA ON MONDAY. RIDGING IS THEN EXPECTED TO BUILD ACROSS THE LOWER GREAT LAKES IN THE WAKE OF THE CLOSED LOW ON TUESDAY. THIS SHOULD PROMOTE MAINLY DRY WEATHER ACROSS WESTERN NEW YORK WHILE A LOW CHC FOR RESIDUAL SHOWERS WILL BE FOUND FURTHER EAST. && .AVIATION /00Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... VFR CONDITIONS WILL LAST THROUGH MUCH OF THE NIGHT AS LATE DAY AND NIGHTTIME CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN AWAY FROM THE TAF SITES. SOME SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE SOUTHERN TIER ON WEDNESDAY MORNING...BUT OTHERWISE MOST SENSIBLE WEATHER CAN BE COVERED WITH VCNTY QUALIFIERS. OUTLOOK... WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...VFR/MVFR WITH SCATTERED TO EVENTUALLY MORE NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS. THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY...MVFR/POSSIBLE IFR IN OCCASIONAL SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS. RAIN MAY BE HEAVY AT TIMES OVERNIGHT. SATURDAY...MAINLY VFR WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS. && .MARINE... RELATIVELY LIGHT WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY AS A NEARLY STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY REMAINS DRAPED ACROSS THE LOWER GREAT LAKES. A SLOW MOVING FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL THEN MOVE INTO THE REGION AND STALL OUT ON WEDNESDAY...WITH A MODEST INCREASE IN WINDS ACCOMPANYING ITS APPROACH. WINDS AND WAVES WILL LIKELY REMAIN BELOW SMALL CRAFT CRITERIA THROUGH FRIDAY. && .BUF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NY...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...WCH NEAR TERM...APFFEL/WCH SHORT TERM...RSH LONG TERM...RSH AVIATION...WCH MARINE...THOMAS/WCH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY 538 AM EDT TUE MAY 13 2014 NYZ001>008-010>014-019>021-085-140945- NIAGARA-ORLEANS-MONROE-WAYNE-NORTHERN CAYUGA-OSWEGO-JEFFERSON-LEWIS- NORTHERN ERIE-GENESEE-WYOMING-LIVINGSTON-ONTARIO-CHAUTAUQUA- CATTARAUGUS-ALLEGANY-SOUTHERN ERIE- 538 AM EDT TUE MAY 13 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEW YORK. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT WILL BRING THE CHANCE FOR HEAVY RAINFALL THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THERE IS STILL CONSIDERABLE UNCERTAINTY IN THE TIMING OF THE FRONTAL PASSAGE...BUT THIS PATTERN HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE FLASH FLOODING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WATCHES...WARNINGS...ADVISORIES... AND STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BUFFALO CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AT HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BUF LEZ040-041-LOZ030-042>045-062>065-SLZ022-024-140945- LAKE ERIE NEARSHORE WATERS FROM RIPLEY TO DUNKIRK- LAKE ERIE NEARSHORE WATERS FROM DUNKIRK TO BUFFALO- LOWER NIAGARA RIVER- LAKE ONTARIO NEARSHORE WATERS FROM THE NIAGARA RIVER TO HAMLIN BEACH- LAKE ONTARIO NEARSHORE WATERS FROM HAMLIN BEACH TO SODUS BAY- LAKE ONTARIO NEARSHORE WATERS FROM SODUS BAY TO MEXICO BAY- LAKE ONTARIO NEARSHORE WATERS FROM MEXICO BAY TO THE SAINT LAWRENCE RIVER- LAKE ONTARIO OPEN WATERS FROM THE NIAGARA RIVER TO HAMLIN BEACH- LAKE ONTARIO OPEN WATERS FROM HAMLIN BEACH TO SODUS BAY- LAKE ONTARIO OPEN WATERS FROM SODUS BAY TO MEXICO BAY- LAKE ONTARIO OPEN WATERS FROM MEXICO BAY TO THE SAINT LAWRENCE RIVER- SAINT LAWRENCE RIVER FROM CAPE VINCENT TO OGDENSBURG- SAINT LAWRENCE RIVER FROM OGDENSBURG TO SAINT REGIS- 538 AM EDT TUE MAY 13 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF LAKE ERIE...LAKE ONTARIO AND SAINT LAWRENCE RIVER. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WATCHES...WARNINGS...ADVISORIES... AND STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BUFFALO CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AT HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BUF
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
646 PM EDT TUE MAY 13 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0900 AM FLASH FLOOD FORESTVILLE 42.47N 79.17W
05/13/2014 CHAUTAUQUA NY BROADCAST MEDIA
TIME ESTIMATED
&&
EVENT NUMBER BUF1400037
APFFELPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
648 PM EDT TUE MAY 13 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0830 AM FLASH FLOOD SALAMANCA 42.16N 78.72W
05/13/2014 CATTARAUGUS NY BROADCAST MEDIA
TIME ESTIMATED.
&&
EVENT NUMBER BUF1400038
APFFELPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
650 PM EDT TUE MAY 13 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0900 AM FLASH FLOOD LITTLE VALLEY 42.25N 78.80W
05/13/2014 CATTARAUGUS NY BROADCAST MEDIA
FLASH FLOODING CLOSED ROUTE 242. TIME ESTIMATED.
&&
EVENT NUMBER BUF1400039
APFFELPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
651 PM EDT TUE MAY 13 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0900 AM FLASH FLOOD CATTARAUGUS 42.33N 78.87W
05/13/2014 CATTARAUGUS NY BROADCAST MEDIA
FLOODING AT ROUTE 353 AND MAPLE HILL. TIME ESTIMATED.
&&
EVENT NUMBER BUF1400040
APFFELPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
652 PM EDT TUE MAY 13 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0800 AM FLASH FLOOD DERBY 42.68N 78.98W
05/13/2014 ERIE NY BROADCAST MEDIA
TIME ESTIMATED.
&&
EVENT NUMBER BUF1400041
APFFELPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
653 PM EDT TUE MAY 13 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0800 AM FLASH FLOOD EVANS CENTER 42.65N 79.03W
05/13/2014 ERIE NY BROADCAST MEDIA
TIME ESTIMATED
&&
EVENT NUMBER BUF1400042
APFFELThe Buffalo radar (KBUF), 71 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:31 UTC.
8 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Law enforcement reported power poles and lines downed by thunderstorm winds.
Law Enforcement reported a barn blown down on Dutch street.
Law enforcement reported trees down.
Law enforcement reported trees and wires down.
Law enforcement reported trees and wires down.
Law enforcement reported trees and wires down.
Law enforcement reported trees down.
Law enforcement reported trees down.
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, 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: 522251, 522252, 522253, 522246, 522245, 522248, 522249, 522250, 522241, 522243, 522244, 522242.