A cold front moved into a warm and humid airmass on August 18th, sparking a line of showers and thunderstorms. A couple of these storms became severe, resulting in isolated wind damage.
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 cold front moved into a warm and humid airmass on August 18th, sparking a line of showers and thunderstorms. A couple of these storms became severe, resulting in isolated wind damage.
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 18, 12:45 PM EST, 33 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Albany NY 145 PM EDT Sat Aug 18 2018 .SYNOPSIS... A cold front will move southward through the southern New York and southern New England this evening. A drier airmass will move in behind the front this evening. Sunday and Monday are expected to be mainly dry and much less humid, although a few showers are possible from time to time over far southern areas. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/... As of 145 PM EDT, showers and thunderstorms are ongoing ahead of a cold front from the Berkshires southwestward to northeast Pennsylvania. The cold front will continue to push southeast through the remainder of the forecast area later this afternoon and this evening. The front will be intersecting a still-moist airmass characterized by PWATs of 1.75 to 2.00 inches, so it will be accompanied by scattered showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms still have the potential to produce locally heavy rainfall, especially along and south of a line from the southern Berkshires to western Ulster County where more favorable frontal timing may allow for some respectable surface-based instability of 1000-2500 J/kg to develop given dewpoints in the low 70s and temperatures heating up into the upper 70s/low 80s. The front should be fairly progressive which will limit a more substantial flash flooding threat, but will have to especially watch areas that saw heavy rain on Friday for localized flooding concerns. Deep-layer shear values forecast to be 25 to 30 kts presents a marginal opportunity for storms to be organized, with several CAMs showing a broken line of convection occurring along the front. Isolated gusty winds cannot be ruled out. Main threat period for gusty winds and heavy rain appears to be roughly through 22Z. For the areas north of the frontal boundary, a drying trend is expected with breaks of sunshine towards evening in the wake of the front. High temps are a little tricky, but have sided away from the MET MOS guidance which appears to be a cool outlier. Highs are expected to range from the upper 60s to lower 80s. Tonight, we'll be in a low-level northeasterly flow regime in the wake of the front as the deeper moisture shifts south of the region. A couple of lingering showers are possible across the extreme southeast portion of the forecast area. To the north, it is a tricky call with respect to sky cover as some guidance indicates a midlevel cloud deck developing in the cold advection. Outside of this area, some patches of fog are possible across northern zones as high pressure builds from the north. It will be noticeably less humid with dewpoints in the mid 50s to mid 60s with lows in the mid 50s to mid 60s. The frontal boundary is expected to stall somewhere in the vicinity of the Delmarva Sunday, while a weak mid-level trough exists over the mid-Atlantic into the Northeast. Will retain low chance PoPs over southern portions of Ulster/Dutchess/Litchfield Sunday to account for possible further shifts northward of a wave of low pressure along the frontal boundary. For the remainder of the forecast area, dry east to northeast flow at low/mid levels should keep things dry, although we may see some high clouds. Highs Sunday mainly in the upper 60s to upper 70s. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... Sunday night, ridge of high pressure at the surface will likely allow for good radiational cooling conditions. Have gone slightly below blended guidance but still near seasonal normals. Similar story for Monday as on Sunday, although higher confidence in a dry forecast for the entire forecast area. Monday night, the baggy trough shifts east ahead of a stronger inbound trough over the western Great Lakes. Surface winds will gradually shift to southerly which may keep temps a bit warmer than Sunday night, right near normal. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... Tuesday, strong low pressure will be moving through the central Great Lakes region pushing a warm front towards the Albany Forecast Area. Clouds should increase during the day as warm advection increases on 50kt 850mb jet. However, high pressure will be holding tough over New England so precipitation may only reach our western zones late in the day. Highs on Tuesday in the 70s. Tuesday night into Wednesday...Surface low pressure progged to be just north of New York State with a cold front south moving across New York. Expect showers and thunderstorms Tuesday night across the forecast area. Lows Tuesday night in the 60s. On Wednesday, a secondary cold front moves through during the afternoon with at least a chance of showers and isolated thunderstorms. It will become breezy with highs in the upper 60s to lower 70s over the mountains north and west of the Capital Region, and 70s to lower 80s in most other locations. Wednesday night through Friday...High pressure builds in from the Midwest and Great Lakes Region and crests over the region on Friday with fair, dry and tranquil weather with temps near normal for late August. Lows in the 50s and highs in the 70s to around 80. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... A cold front will cross the area from north to south today. There is still the threat for additional showers and thunderstorms ahead of the cold front mainly for KPOU. So combination of VFR/MVFR conditions forecast. Skies will begin to clear from north to south late this afternoon and this evening with the threat of thunderstorms at KPOU ending by 22Z. Will keep a PROB30 for showers in at KPOU through 16Z Sunday with a combination of MVFR/IFR conditions in the PROB30 group and MVFR/VFR conditions in the main portion of the TAF. Winds have shifted to the north at at all of the TAF sites except for KPOU where they will shift to the north by this evening. North to northeasterly winds could gust to 15 to 25 knots at the Hudson Valley TAF sites (KGFL, KALB and KPOU). Winds will diminish overnight to 5 to 10 kts and gradually shift to the northeast by Sunday morning. Outlook... Sunday: Low Operational Impact. Slight Chance of SHRA. Sunday Night: No Operational Impact. NO SIG WX. Monday: No Operational Impact. NO SIG WX. Monday Night: No Operational Impact. NO SIG WX. Tuesday: Moderate Operational Impact. Chance of SHRA...TSRA. Tuesday Night: High Operational Impact. Definite SHRA...TSRA. Wednesday: Moderate Operational Impact. Chance of SHRA...TSRA. Wednesday Night: No Operational Impact. NO SIG WX. Thursday: No Operational Impact. NO SIG WX. && .FIRE WEATHER... After a wet day Friday, additional showers and thunderstorms are expected today as cold front slides through the region. A drying trend will occur from north to south in the afternoon and evening, setting the stage for a cooler and mainly dry period Sunday and Monday. High temperatures will be near to slightly below normal Sunday and Monday with a light east to northeast wind. RH values will bottom out mainly in the 50s. && .HYDROLOGY... Much of the region saw rainfall on Friday, with several spots receiving in excess of an inch and some areas across Columbia and Berkshire Counties seeing two to five inches of rainfall. Additional showers and thunderstorms are likely today along a cold front. The front will be intersecting a still-moist airmass characterized by PWATs of 1.75 to 2.00 inches. Some of the storms still have the potential to produce locally heavy rainfall, especially along and south of a line from Pittsfield, MA to Hunter, NY where more favorable frontal timing may allow for some respectable surface-based instability of 1000-1500 J/kg to develop given dewpoints in the low 70s and temperatures heating up into the upper 70s/low 80s. The front should be fairly progressive which will limit a more substantial flash flooding threat, but will have to especially watch areas that saw heavy rain on Friday for localized flooding concerns. Although flooding of small streams and creeks is possible, flooding on main stem rivers is not expected. Dry weather is expected to return tonight into at least Monday night, aside from perhaps a few showers across Ulster/Dutchess/Litchfield Counties on Sunday. 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/Thompson NEAR TERM...11/Thompson SHORT TERM...Thompson LONG TERM...SND AVIATION...SND/11 FIRE WEATHER...Thompson HYDROLOGY...Thompson
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Albany NY 433 AM EDT Sat Aug 18 2018 MAZ001-NYZ032-033-038>043-047>054-082>084-VTZ013>015-191200- Northern 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-Northern Fulton- Southeast Warren-Southern Washington-Bennington-Western Windham- Eastern Windham- 433 AM EDT Sat Aug 18 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northern Berkshire County in western Massachusetts, the Capital District, Schoharie Valley, Helderbergs, Mohawk Valley, southern Adirondacks, Lake George Saratoga Region, and northern Taconics in eastern New York and southern Vermont. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. There is a chance of thunderstorms today. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. There is a chance of thunderstorms Tuesday into Wednesday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions according to Standard Operating Procedures. CTZ001-013-MAZ025-NYZ058>061-063>066-191200- Northern Litchfield-Southern Litchfield-Southern Berkshire- Western Greene-Eastern Greene-Western Columbia-Eastern Columbia- Western Ulster-Eastern Ulster-Western Dutchess-Eastern Dutchess- 433 AM EDT Sat Aug 18 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwestern Connecticut, the southern Berkshires of western Massachusetts and the eastern Catskills, Mid Hudson Valley, and central and southern Taconics of east central New York. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. There is a chance of thunderstorms today. Some of the storms could produce locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds in the afternoon. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. There is a chance of thunderstorms Tuesday into Wednesday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions according to Standard Operating Procedures.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
1125 AM EDT SAT AUG 18 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0130 AM HEAVY RAIN 3 SE PITTSFIELD 42.42N 73.23W
08/18/2018 M2.75 INCH BERKSHIRE MA TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
EVENT NUMBER ALY1800596
11Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Albany NY
1227 PM EDT SAT AUG 18 2018
NYZ053-058>061-181730-
Eastern Columbia-Western Rensselaer-Eastern Greene-Western
Columbia-Western Greene-
1227 PM EDT SAT AUG 18 2018
...AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN
COLUMBIA...NORTHEASTERN GREENE AND SOUTHWESTERN RENSSELAER
COUNTIES...
At 1226 PM EDT, strong thunderstorms were clustered 8 miles west of
Coxsackie, or 9 miles northwest of Catskill, moving east at 15 mph.
Winds in excess of 30 mph are possible with this storm.
This storm will be near...
Hudson, Coxsackie, Athens and Lorenz Park around 100 PM EDT.
New Baltimore around 110 PM EDT.
Kinderhook around 125 PM EDT.
Chatham and Valatie around 130 PM EDT.
This Includes Interstate 87 between exits 21 and 21B.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may cause
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
LAT...LON 4220 7402 4236 7409 4247 7380 4246 7378
4248 7378 4255 7356 4254 7355 4249 7357
4249 7352 4235 7343
TIME...MOT...LOC 1626Z 256DEG 13KT 4232 7397
JECSpecial Weather Statement National Weather Service Albany NY 127 PM EDT SAT AUG 18 2018 NYZ060-061-064>066-181815- Eastern Dutchess-Eastern Columbia-Western Columbia-Western Dutchess-Eastern Ulster- 127 PM EDT SAT AUG 18 2018 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN ULSTER... NORTHWESTERN DUTCHESS AND SOUTHWESTERN COLUMBIA COUNTIES... At 127 PM EDT, a strong thunderstorm was located over Lake Katrine, or near Saugerties, moving east at 20 mph. Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and pea size hail are possible with this storm. This storm will be near... Rhinebeck around 135 PM EDT. Red Hook around 140 PM EDT. Clermont around 150 PM EDT. Livingston around 200 PM EDT. Pine Plains and Ancram around 215 PM EDT. This Includes Interstate 87 between exits 19 and 20. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may cause localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. LAT...LON 4194 7407 4210 7408 4217 7363 4191 7364 TIME...MOT...LOC 1727Z 266DEG 19KT 4202 7398 JEC
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Albany NY
200 PM EDT SAT AUG 18 2018
CTZ001-MAZ025-181845-
Northern Litchfield-Southern Berkshire-
200 PM EDT SAT AUG 18 2018
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN LITCHFIELD AND
SOUTHERN BERKSHIRE COUNTIES...
At 200 PM EDT, a strong thunderstorm was located near Canaan, or 11
miles south of Great Barrington, moving east at 25 mph.
Wind gusts up to 50 mph are possible with this storm.
This storm will be near...
Sheffield, Canaan and Ashley Falls around 210 PM EDT.
Norfolk around 220 PM EDT.
Sandisfield around 235 PM EDT.
Otis around 245 PM EDT.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may cause
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
LAT...LON 4188 7350 4207 7349 4223 7301 4215 7303
4215 7307 4212 7306 4211 7307 4209 7307
4204 7306 4204 7301 4197 7303 4197 7297
TIME...MOT...LOC 1800Z 256DEG 22KT 4203 7339
JECPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
205 PM EDT SAT AUG 18 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0142 PM FLASH FLOOD 1 NNW SAUGERTIES 42.08N 73.95W
08/18/2018 ULSTER NY 911 CALL CENTER
VEHICLE STUCK IN HIGH WATER WITH MOTORIST TRAPPED. FIRE
DEPARTMENT ON SCENE AND HAS CLOSED THE ROAD AT THIS
TIME.
&&
EVENT NUMBER ALY1800597
BGMSpecial Weather Statement National Weather Service Albany NY 217 PM EDT SAT AUG 18 2018 NYZ064>066-181845- Eastern Dutchess-Western Dutchess-Eastern Ulster- 217 PM EDT SAT AUG 18 2018 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EAST CENTRAL ULSTER AND CENTRAL DUTCHESS COUNTIES... At 217 PM EDT, a strong thunderstorm was located near Pleasant Valley, or 8 miles northeast of Poughkeepsie, moving east at 25 mph. Winds in excess of 30 mph are possible with this storm. This storm will be near... Stanfordville around 230 PM EDT. Millbrook around 235 PM EDT. Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. LAT...LON 4173 7403 4186 7403 4188 7358 4170 7360 TIME...MOT...LOC 1817Z 268DEG 22KT 4180 7382 JEC
The Albany radar (KENX), 91 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:17 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was downed at Millerton Road and Mudge Pond Road.
A tree was downed at Torringford East Street and Rock Creek Lane.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Connecticut in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Connecticut, August 2018
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: 780202, 780203.