Thunderstorms developed along a weak surface boundary drifting through central New York. Conditions were excessively moist, leading to several heavy rain producing thunderstorms that marched through the Central Leatherstocking Region.
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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.
Thunderstorms developed along a weak surface boundary drifting through central New York. Conditions were excessively moist, leading to several heavy rain producing thunderstorms that marched through the Central Leatherstocking Region. Rainfall rates were on the order of 2 to 4 inches per hour.
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 Aug 17, 2:44 PM EST, 17 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Binghamton NY 344 PM EDT Sat Aug 17 2019 .SYNOPSIS... A few upper level disturbances will move east across the region tonight through Sunday night with off and on showers and thunderstorms. A weak cold front will move into the region Monday with chances for more showers and thunderstorms. This unsettled weather pattern will last until late next week when a stronger cold front moves through the region. High pressure will follow this front bringing fair and cooler weather for Friday and Saturday. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... Water vapor imagery shows an upper level wave moving northeast across far southeast Ontario. This wave was leading to cooling aloft at 500 mb as per the SPC mesoanalysis. Visible satellite imagery continues to show insolation south of the convection which has fired over northern and western NY. Mixed layer CAPEs were running between 1000 and 2000 J/Kg in south central NY and northeast PA south of convection. Vertical wind shear was between 30 and 40 knots so we expect more development farther south with strong to severe thunderstorms. We will have likely POPs moving east across the forecast area of central NY/northeast PA for showers and thunderstorms. Enhanced the wording with gusty winds and lightning. Activity will wind down overnight with loss of heating and passage of short wave / warming aloft. The low-level winds will be light southerly so will have patchy valley fog again late tonight. For Sunday, models show another smaller upper wave moving east Sunday which will be the impetus for more afternoon convection. The lower atmosphere will be even moister than today with dewpoints likely into the lower 70s and hence model CAPEs exceed 2000 J/Kg. 0-6 km wind shear will be 25 to 30 knots or so and with a weaker wave believe there will be more storms but not as widespread as today. Heat indices are projected to be close to heat advisory criteria but fall just short. So no heat advisories this issuance. By Sunday night, another upper wave moves through to our north but we will be in the diurnal minimum of CAPE so have slight chance to chance POPs higher in our north and lower to the south farther away from the wave and lifting. && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... For Monday, upper level short wave trough moves northeast from eastern Ontario to central Quebec. This wave will press a cold front south into northern NY/eastern Great lakes region by Monday evening. The low-level winds will accelerate from the west-southwest ahead of this upper level wave and advect higher low-level dewpoints into central NY and northeast PA. Mixed layer CAPEs on the NAM are projected to be over 2000 J/kg especially in south central NY and northeast PA. The 0-6 km bulk vertical wind shear is between 25 and 35 knots with the highest shear farther north. We will go with scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms for Monday afternoon. POPs will be highest in north central NY and lower farther south. There will be some potential for severe thunderstorms given the instability and shear profiles. Heat indices also will be close to heat advisory criteria of 95F in parts of central NY as well. For Monday Night, high pressure builds across central NY and northeast PA as we come under a short-lived short wave ridge axis. With clearing skies, looks like an excellent night for valley fog formation by Tuesday morning. GFS holds onto some showers into the night with the Euro and NAM tapering activity down into the evening. We will have chance POPs for showers and storms mainly in the evening, tapering off overnight into Tuesday morning. For Tuesday and Tuesday night, more showers and thunderstorms will be possible as a low-level wave spins up across the Middle Atlantic States. The Euro/GFS/CMC and NAM all have this feature with associated QPF. For grids went with NBM for now given the timing uncertainities and the convective nature of the wave. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... Used NBM as a starting point for this period. All synoptic models show a large upper trough building into the northeast U.S by Friday with a large canadian high pressure following the trough. This trough will push a cold front through the region from Wednesday night to Thursday night depending on which model you look at. So used the blend to populate the POPs in this time period. All synoptic models and the NBM agree that cooler and drier air covers the region for Friday and Saturday so have POPs less than 15 percent both days. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... IFR conditions over the next hour at SYR with thunderstorms moving in, then occasional MVFR to IFR conditions will be possible across all terminals through the rest of the afternoon and evening in thunderstorms. Activity largely winds down after 0Z, with mainly VFR conditions through 6Z across all sites. Expect slight reductions in visibility beginning by 9Z with a moist environment in the wake of thunderstorm activity. Looking like mainly MVFR visibility across all sites but ELM - where ceiling and visibility may drop to ALT MIN or even airport min. Conditions gradually improve to VFR after 13Z Sunday, then additional showers and thunderstorms Sunday afternoon may lead to occasional visibility restrictions. Outlook... Sunday night...MVFR conditions possible in lingering showers. Monday to Thursday...Restrictions possible in showers and storms. && .BGM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... PA...None. NY...None. && SYNOPSIS...DJN NEAR TERM...DJN SHORT TERM...DJN LONG TERM...DJN AVIATION...HLC
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Binghamton NY 1042 AM EDT Sat Aug 17 2019 NYZ009-017-018-024-025-036-037-044>046-055>057-062-PAZ038>040-043- 044-047-048-072-181445- Northern Oneida-Southern Cayuga-Onondaga-Chemung-Tompkins-Madison- Southern Oneida-Cortland-Chenango-Otsego-Tioga-Broome-Delaware- Sullivan-Bradford-Susquehanna-Northern Wayne-Wyoming-Lackawanna- Luzerne-Pike-Southern Wayne- 1042 AM EDT Sat Aug 17 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central New York and northeast Pennsylvania. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. ...POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... A line of thunderstorms is expected to develop in western New York and move east southeast this afternoon and evening through central New York and northeast Pennsylvania. The potential exists for strong to severe thunderstorms as this line of storms moves through. The primary threat will be damaging wind gusts. Frequent lightning and locally heavy downpours will also be possible. The storms will taper off later in the evening. Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or your local media for the latest updates on this situation. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. Temperatures approaching 90 degrees on Monday will combine with high dew points to produce apparent temperatures in the mid 90s. Stay tuned for later updates on the hot temperatures forecast for Monday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed. NYZ015-016-022-023-181445- Yates-Seneca-Steuben-Schuyler- 1042 AM EDT Sat Aug 17 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central New York. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. ...POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON... A line of thunderstorms is expected to develop in western New York and move east southeast this afternoon through central New York. The potential exists for strong to severe thunderstorms as this line of storms moves through. The primary threat will be damaging wind gusts. Frequent lightning and locally heavy downpours will also be possible. The storms will taper off by this evening. Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or your local media for the latest updates on this situation. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. There is a marginal risk for severe thundertorms on Sunday afternoon. A few thunderstorms could produce strong gusty winds and heavy downpours. Temperatures approaching 90 degrees on Monday will combine with high dew points to produce apparent temperatures in the mid 90s. Stay tuned for later updates on the hot temperatures forecast for Monday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed. NICOSIA
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY
320 PM EDT SAT AUG 17 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0237 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 NNE FYLER SETTLEMENT 43.11N 75.91W
08/17/2019 MADISON NY SOCIAL MEDIA
TREE AND WIRES DOWN ON CHESTNUT RIDGE ROAD.
&&
BJGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY
325 PM EDT SAT AUG 17 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0324 PM TSTM WND DMG ORISKANY 43.16N 75.33W
08/17/2019 ONEIDA NY 911 CALL CENTER
TREE DOWN ON RD NEAR AIRPORT RD AND RT 69
&&
HLCPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY
330 PM EDT SAT AUG 17 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0315 PM TSTM WND DMG WESTMORELAND 43.12N 75.42W
08/17/2019 ONEIDA NY 911 CALL CENTER
TREE DOWN BLOCKING ROAD, DAILY RD
&&
HLCPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY
349 PM EDT SAT AUG 17 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0242 PM HAIL WILLOW RUN MOBILE HOME 43.15N 75.87W
08/17/2019 E1.00 INCH MADISON NY SOCIAL MEDIA
&&
BJGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY
352 PM EDT SAT AUG 17 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0336 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 WNW LAKEMONT 42.52N 76.93W
08/17/2019 YATES NY 911 CALL CENTER
TREES AND WIRES DOWN ALONG DUNDEE-LAKEMONT ROAD.
&&
BJGSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Binghamton NY
355 PM EDT Sat Aug 17 2019
NYZ016-023-025-172045-
Seneca NY-Schuyler NY-Tompkins NY-
355 PM EDT Sat Aug 17 2019
...STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT...SOUTHEASTERN SENECA...
NORTHEASTERN SCHUYLER AND TOMPKINS COUNTIES UNTIL 445 PM EDT...
At 354 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Perry City, or 10 miles northwest of Ithaca. Another strong
thunderstorm was located between Ithaca and Newfield. Both storms
were moving east at 30 mph.
Half inch hail and wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with this
storm.
Locations impacted include...
Ithaca, Newfield, Cayuga Heights, Lansing, Enfield, Danby, Caroline,
Groton, Covert and Dryden.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
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.
Additional statements will be issued as conditions warrant.
&&
LAT...LON 4263 7677 4262 7661 4263 7646 4262 7646
4262 7627 4241 7625 4240 7629 4238 7630
4237 7626 4235 7624 4234 7657 4244 7683
TIME...MOT...LOC 1954Z 271DEG 28KT 4251 7669
ButtsThe Ft Drum radar (KTYX), 80 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:00 UTC.
2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Several streets and basements were flooded. The Arterial Highway around Utica was completely inundated. Cars were stranded and some people needed evacuation assistance from their vehicles.
Wheaton Creek rapidly flooded and washed out a large section of Wheaton Creek Road at the bridge crossing. Heavy damage to the bridge forced closure of the road for several days.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New York in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, August 2019
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: 846924, 846927.