A weak front moving across Vermont during the afternoon of May 19th produced some scattered thunderstorms with a few isolated storms producing hail along the Canadian border.
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.
A weak front moving across Vermont during the afternoon of May 19th produced some scattered thunderstorms with a few isolated storms producing hail along the Canadian border.
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 May 19, 12:58 PM EST, 1 hour 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT 158 PM EDT TUE MAY 19 2015 .SYNOPSIS... SHOWERS WILL SLOWLY EXIT THE REGION TO THE EAST THIS MORNING FOLLOWED BY A BRIEF BREAK IN THE PRECIPITATION. LATER THIS AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO FORM OVER THE CHAMPLAIN VALLEY AND MOVE EAST THROUGH EARLY EVENING. ANY OF THESE STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 8 PM THIS EVENING/... AS OF 132 PM EDT TUESDAY...RADAR TRENDS SHOW A LINE OF SHOWERS HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG A BOUNDARY OF INSTABILITY OVER NORTHERN NEW YORK. THE CLEARING SKIES HAVE ALLOW TEMPS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA TO WARM TO THE MID 70S UNDER THE MODERATE SOUTHERLY FLOW. THE EXCEPTION IS NEAR THE BROAD LAKE AND JUST TO THE WEST OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN AS A SLIGHT EASTERLY COMPONENT TO THE WINDS IS KEEPING THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE CHAMPLAIN VALLEY IN THE MID 60S. THE LINE OF STORMS OVER NORTHERN NEW YORK ARE BEGINNING TO BUILD WITH HEIGHT AND SO I EXPECT THIS AFTERNOON WILL STILL LIKELY SEE AND GOOD CHANCE FOR SOME STRONG STORMS TO DEVELOP OVER THE NORTH COUNTRY FROM THE ADIRONDACKS EASTWARD. THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE SOME GUSTY WINDS WITH SMALL HAIL. THE BEST INSTABILITY WILL STILL BE ALONG A NARROW AXIS WHERE THE SKIES HAVE SCATTERED OUT AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. ONCE THE COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE AREA ANY AND ALL CONVECTION WILL DROP DRAMATICALLY AS THE MOISTURE SOURCE AND INSTABILITY WILL WEAKEN QUICKLY. && .SHORT TERM /8 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 421 AM EDT TUESDAY...THE SHOWERS AND STORMS COME TO AN END BY 800 PM WITH JUST SOME SHOWERS POSSIBLE LATER TONIGHT OVER THE MOUNTAINS AS A WEAK DISTURBANCE MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT BECOMES ESTABLISHED OVER THE AREA WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY...WHICH WILL ALLOW FOR DRIER AIR TO RETURN ALONG WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES BOTH DAYS. HIGHS WILL GENERALLY BE IN THE 60S DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 132 PM EDT TUESDAY...THE GENERAL IDEA FOR THE EXTENDED HAS BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT OVER THE PREVIOUS 3-4 MODEL CYCLES FOR THE END OF THE WEEK. A BROAD UPPER LEVEL TROUGH CENTERED OVER QUEBEC WILL SLOWLY DRIFT EAST AND A PERSISTENT SURFACE RIDGE WILL BRING QUIET WEATHER THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH SEASONABLY COOL TEMPERATURES. FRIDAY DURING THE DAY THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR SOME SHOWERS TO DEVELOP AS WE WILL BE UNDER NORTHWEST FLOW AND A BRIEF BURST OF SHORTWAVE ENERGY WILL DROP DOWN ALONG THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER. THE COMBINATION OF MARGINALLY ENHANCED VORTICITY AND NORTHWEST UPSLOPE FLOW SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO BRING MEASURABLE PRECIP TO THE AREA MAINLY IN THE FAVOURED UPSLOPE REGIONS. THE ONLY LIMITING FACTOR... AND ITS A BIG ONE... WILL BE THE LACK OF MUCH MOISTURE TO WORK WITH THUS WE WILL LIKELY NEED THE OROGRAPHIC LIFT TO DEVELOP MUCH IN THE WAY OF SHOWERS. FROM THERE THE WEEKEND IS DRY AND THE NEXT BEST CHANCE FOR SHOWERS WILL BE AS A WEAK COLD FRONT FINALLY DROPS OUT OF THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH ON LATE SUNDAY EVENING/MONDAY MORNING. THE ONLY REAL WEATHER CONCERN IN THE EXTENDED WILL BE THE SEASONABLY COLD TEMPS OVERNIGHT. LOWS ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND WILL SEE AREA WIDE LOW 30S WITH UPPER 20S POSSIBLE IN THE TYPICALLY COLDER REGIONS OF THE NORTHEAST KINGDOM AND NORTHERN ADIRONDACKS AS WE WILL SEE DECENT RADIATIONAL COOLING UNDER CLEAR SKIES AND SOMEWHAT LIGHT WINDS. IF THE MODELS HOLD IN THIS PATTERN FROST ADVISORIES AND FREEZE WARNINGS WILL BE LIKELY. HOWEVER AS THE PATTERN CHANGES INTO THE WEEKEND AND WE GET INTO THE SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW TEMPS WILL WARM BACK TOWARDS MORE SEASONABLE 40S ACROSS THE REGION FOR OVERNIGHT LOWS. MAX TEMPS DURING THE PERIOD WILL WILL BE WARMING THROUGHOUT WITH LOW 60S ON FRIDAY WARMING TO THE LOW TO MID 70S BY TUESDAY. && .AVIATION /18Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY...VFR WITH SHORT-DURATION MVFR/LOCAL IFR VISBILITY ASSOCIATED WITH DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON. ASSOCIATED LIGHTNING RISK IN ANY THUNDERSTORM, THOUGH STRONG THUNDERSTORMS COULD ALSO PRODUCE SMALL HAIL AND OUTFLOW WINDS PRODUCING LOCALIZED TURBULENCE. RADAR SCATTERED TO BROKEN LINE OF HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING NEAR THE ADIRONDACKS ALONG A COLD FRONT. THESE WILL PUSH EASTWARD AND GENERALLY STRENGTHEN ACROSS MOST OF THE TAFS THROUGH 00Z WEDNESDAY. I'VE SHOWN TEMPO 2-3SM -TSRA AS STORM MOTIONS ARE PRETTY PROGRESSIVE, AND WILL APPLY AMENDMENTS AS NECESSARY FOR SPECIFIC OUTFLOW GUSTS. WINDS GRADUALLY SHIFT TO WEST-SOUTHWEST AND THEN NORTHWEST AROUND 10-12 KTS BY 00Z. LATER IN THE EVENING, LARGE BKN/OVC DECK NOW EVIDENT IN VISIBLE IMAGERY ACROSS GREAT LAKES WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE TAFS. CEILINGS TO THIN OUT INTO WEDNESDAY TO A SCT/BKN CU DECK. NORTHWEST WINDS AROUND 10 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 20-25 KTS DEVELOPING AS STRONGER MIXING TAKES PLACE. OUTLOOK 18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... 18Z WEDNESDAY - 00Z THURSDAY...MAINLY VFR WITH GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS AND ISOLATED SHOWERS. 00Z THURSDAY - 00Z FRIDAY...VFR UNDER HIGH PRESSURE. 00Z FRIDAY - 00Z SATURDAY...MAINLY VFR WITH BRIEF MVFR RAIN SHOWERS POSSIBLE. 00Z SATURDAY - 12Z SUNDAY...VFR UNDER HIGH PRESSURE. SUNDAY...MAINLY VFR THOUGH A COLD FRONT MAY TRIGGER SHOWERS ACROSS NORTHERN TAFS. && .MARINE... AS OF 943 AM EDT TUESDAY...BOTH A A LAKE WIND ADVISORY AND A LAKE THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY ARE NOW IN EFFECT FOR LAKE CHAMPLAIN. RECENT COLCHESTER REEF AND DIAMOND ISLAND OBSERVATIONS INDICATE THAT SOUTHERLY WINDS HAVE INCREASED INTO THE 15 TO 25 KT RANGE AND WILL REMAIN SO INTO THE AFTERNOON HOURS. WAVES OF 1 TO 3 FEET ARE EXPECTED, HIGHEST IN SOUTH-FACING EXPOSURES. BOATERS AND OTHER RECREATIONAL INTERESTS ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN SHOULD BE AWARE THERE IS A LINE OF SHOWERS PRODUCING OCCASIONAL THUNDER MOVING TOWARDS THE LAKE. THESE SHOWERS MAY BECOME STRONG PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL, AS WELL AS FREQUENT LIGHTNING. && .BTV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VT...NONE. NY...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...EVENSON NEAR TERM...DEAL SHORT TERM...EVENSON LONG TERM...DEAL AVIATION...LOCONTO MARINE...LOCONTO
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT 425 AM EDT TUE MAY 19 2015 NYZ026>031-034-035-087-VTZ001>012-016>019-200830- 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-WESTERN RUTLAND-WINDSOR- EASTERN FRANKLIN-EASTERN CHITTENDEN-EASTERN ADDISON-EASTERN RUTLAND- 425 AM EDT TUE MAY 19 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHERN NEW YORK...CENTRAL VERMONT...NORTHEAST VERMONT...NORTHWEST VERMONT AND SOUTHERN VERMONT. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL EXIST THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS PARTS OF THE NORTH COUNTRY. EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS TO FORM OVER THE CHAMPLAIN VALLEY AND MOVE EAST TO THE CONNECTICUT RIVER BETWEEN 300 PM AND 700 PM. ANY OF THESE STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE WIND GUSTS IN THE 40 TO 50 MPH RANGE...SMALL HAIL...AND LIGHTNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. EVENSON
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
143 PM EDT TUE MAY 19 2015
NYZ034-035-VTZ005-009-017-018-191845-
EASTERN ESSEX-WESTERN ESSEX-WESTERN CHITTENDEN-EASTERN
ADDISON-WESTERN ADDISON-EASTERN CHITTENDEN-
143 PM EDT TUE MAY 19 2015
...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE CHAMPLAIN VALLEY
...
AT 142 PM EDT...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM NEAR AUSABLE FORKS TO NEAR ELIZABETHTOWN TO 8 MILES
SOUTH OF MOUNT MARCY...AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH AND PEA SIZE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE
STORMS.
LOCATIONS TO BE IMPACTED INCLUDE...
SOUTH BURLINGTON...COLCHESTER...ESSEX JUNCTION...BRISTOL...ESSEX...
ADDISON...WILLISTON...WINOOSKI...SHELBURNE...JERICHO...HINESBURG...
RICHMOND...CHARLOTTE...UNDERHILL...FERRISBURGH...WILLSBORO...CROWN
POINT...MONKTON...HUNTINGTON AND STARKSBORO.
THESE STORMS MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND
TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
LAT...LON 4455 7281 4450 7280 4446 7284 4445 7280
4440 7284 4439 7281 4436 7283 4436 7286
4428 7291 4407 7292 4403 7274 4391 7283
4394 7415 4421 7395 4443 7385 4446 7357
4449 7350 4453 7346 4460 7288
TIME...MOT...LOC 1742Z 264DEG 30KT 4444 7362 4422 7364 4398 7394
NEILESPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
224 PM EDT TUE MAY 19 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0223 PM HAIL WEST CHAZY 44.82N 73.51W
05/19/2015 E0.25 INCH CLINTON NY POST OFFICE
&&
EVENT NUMBER BTV1500909
LOCONTOThe Burlington radar (KCXX), 48 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:20 UTC.
2 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several tree branchers downed and lawn furniture blown and damaged as well.
Quarter size hail reported with slight accumulation on the ground.
Quarter size hail reported and witnessed video from TV media.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Vermont in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Vermont, May 2015
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: 583036, 583034, 583030.