A couple weak waves of low pressure moved across New York state on the 3rd. These waves produced a few severe thunderstorms over central New York which included one tornado.
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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 BGM wrote it up.
A couple weak waves of low pressure moved across New York state on the 3rd. These waves produced a few severe thunderstorms over central New York which included one tornado.
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 Binghamton, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 3, 1:32 PM EST, 38 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Binghamton NY 232 PM EDT Thu May 3 2018 .SYNOPSIS... A frontal boundary, will remain draped across the region overnight, to continue the likelihood of showers, especially for central New York. A stronger cold front, will push across the area later Friday. More showers and thunderstorms are likely, along and ahead of this feature. Saturday looks rain free, with high pressure in control. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... 2 pm update... An area of showers and thunderstorms, tied to an upper-level wave, along with a weak frontal boundary draped just to our north, will push across mainly NY's southern tier and NEPA late this afternoon into the early evening. Given ML CAPE increasing to 500-1000 j/kg, steep low-level lapse rates, and deep-layered shear, a few storms could produce strong, gusty winds. Later this evening, showers should temporarily decrease in coverage, before blossoming again in the pre-dawn period, as the above mentioned W-E oriented frontal boundary lurks near the PA/NY border, and upper-level forcing begins to increase from the west late at night. Probabilities for showers will increase into the likely range for our CNY zones, with chance/scattered values by the time you get down into the Wyoming/Lackawanna Valleys and the southern Poconos. Temperatures will be mild again tonight, with lows by daybreak only in the upper 50s-mid 60s for most locales. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... 210 pm update... The above mentioned frontal zone should move quickly northward Friday morning as a warm front, in response to strengthening SW flow, ahead of the main upper-level trough and surface cold front back to the west. Despite CNY/NEPA emerging into the warm sector during the day, instability is still somewhat in question, with diminishing mid-level lapse rates from the west during the afternoon/early evening, and uncertainty in cloud cover. Right now, areas with the best chance to see breaks of sunshine and more destabilization are NY's southern tier and NEPA. What looks very likely is a strongly sheared environment, as the wind fields significantly strengthen during the day Friday. Again, stability is the main question, and we'll monitor this situation in future updates. After showers initially diminish from S-N in the morning with the lifting warm front, convection will likely increase ahead of the main cold front by mid-late afternoon. Recent model runs have slowed the progress of the front down, with frontal passage not likely to occur until early evening across our eastern zones. Highs Friday afternoon should range from the mid 70s in our far northern and western zones, to the low-mid 80s across portions of NEPA. Later Friday night, once the cold front pushes off to our south and east, showers/storms will quickly exit. Skies are likely to clear overnight, with a fresh push of cooler and drier air nudging temperatures down into the 40s and lower 50s by daybreak Saturday. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... 230 PM Update... High pressure is expected over the region on Saturday with an abundance of sunshine and light winds. Temps from the upper 60s to low 70s look reasonable. A weak cold front enters New York later Saturday night as a wave of low pressure develops over the southeastern states. The combination of these two features will bring a chance for inclement weather for much of Sunday, with the highest probability for rain across NEPA and our SE NY zones. Once these features exit into the Atlantic on Sunday night...the model consensus suggests that much of next week will be fair and seasonable under sprawling high pressure. A cold front approaches for next Thursday with a good chance for more showers. Timing is still up for grabs with that system as models diverge a bit. && .AVIATION /19Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... 230 PM Update... Outside of thunderstorm activity, VFR conditions are expected into this evening. Convective activity is likely across the southern tier of NY from 20Z to 24Z which will affect KELM-KITH-KBGM at times with TS. Stabilization of the lower atmosphere will take place after dark with just some straggling showers through about 03Z. MVFR conditions will filter into the area during the night. A warm front will lift north into the region late tonight, increasing the risk for IFR during the early morning hours. Another round of showers will accompany this front. After 15Z...conditions should improve to SCT- BKN VFR with another, more potent, round of convective activity expected Friday afternoon. Winds west 10-20 knots this afternoon, becoming light tonight, then SW around 10 knots ahead of a cold front Friday. Outlook... Friday...Restrictions possible in showers and scattered, yet gusty thunderstorms. Saturday through Monday...VFR. Risk of some restrictions in occasional rain on Sunday. && .BGM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... PA...None. NY...None. && SYNOPSIS...MLJ NEAR TERM...MLJ SHORT TERM...MLJ LONG TERM...JAB AVIATION...JAB
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Binghamton NY 359 AM EDT Thu May 3 2018 NYZ009-015>018-022>025-036-037-044>046-055>057-062-PAZ038>040-043- 044-047-048-072-040800- Northern Oneida-Yates-Seneca-Southern Cayuga-Onondaga-Steuben- Schuyler-Chemung-Tompkins-Madison-Southern Oneida-Cortland-Chenango- Otsego-Tioga-Broome-Delaware-Sullivan-Bradford-Susquehanna- Northern Wayne-Wyoming-Lackawanna-Luzerne-Pike-Southern Wayne- 359 AM EDT Thu May 3 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central New York and northeast Pennsylvania. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Scattered thunderstorms are expected today and tonight. A few storms this afternoon and evening could become severe with damaging winds. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. Scattered thunderstorms are expected again during the day Friday. A few of the storms could become severe with damaging winds. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions according to Standard Operating Procedures.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Binghamton NY
247 PM EDT THU MAY 3 2018
NYZ022>025-044-055-031945-
Steuben NY-Chemung NY-Cortland NY-Schuyler NY-Tioga NY-Tompkins NY-
247 PM EDT THU MAY 3 2018
...A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT...SCHUYLER...
CHEMUNG...SOUTHWESTERN CORTLAND...TIOGA...SOUTHEASTERN STEUBEN AND
TOMPKINS COUNTIES UNTIL 345 PM EDT...
At 246 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from near Bath to near Addison to near Elkland.
Movement was east at 55 mph.
Winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with these storms.
Locations impacted include...
Chemung, Ithaca, Elmira, Cortland, Corning, Southport, Barton, Big
Flats, Horseheads and Bath.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Heavy rainfall is also occurring with these storms, and may lead to
minor flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.
&&
LAT...LON 4235 7746 4260 7619 4235 7614 4200 7623
4200 7743 4212 7740
TIME...MOT...LOC 1846Z 255DEG 46KT 4230 7735 4214 7731 4198 7735
DABThe Binghamton radar (KBGM), 78 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:09 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm winds blew down a large tree crushing an SUV and damaging a roof.
Thunderstorm winds blew down tree limbs and wires on Timberline Drive.
Thunderstorm winds blew down a large tree and damaged a roof to a house.
A tornado hit a barn on East Swamp road which collapsed. |The tornado then continued into several fields lifting debris |from the collapsed farm onto the fields. Along the path, |the tornado took down several trees which fell in different directions. |The tornado continued eastward to Voak road where it blew down a |fence and another tree before lifting.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New York in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for New York, 2018Warnings in New York, May 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: 759718, 759720, 759721, 759729.