A shortwave trough moved though the Southern Tier of New York during the afternoon of the 24th. This sparked scattered showers and thunderstorms across the area.
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 BGM wrote it up.
A shortwave trough moved though the Southern Tier of New York during the afternoon of the 24th. This sparked scattered showers and thunderstorms across the area. One particular segment of storms in Tioga and Broome counties became severe and produced some tree and powerline 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 Binghamton, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 24, 12:56 PM EST, 1 hour 4 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Binghamton NY 156 PM EDT Mon Aug 24 2020 .SYNOPSIS... Warmth and humidity, along with passing disturbances and then a cold front, will lead to scattered showers and thunderstorms at times this afternoon through Tuesday during otherwise dry conditions. High pressure on Wednesday will briefly bring cooler and quiet weather, but things will turn more active later in the week as temperatures trend warmer again. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TUESDAY/... 950 AM Update... The forecast remains on track and minimal changes were made. SPC has upgraded the eastern half of the forecast area (mainly east of I-81) to a Marginal Risk for severe thunderstorms for this afternoon. Overall potential remains quite low, but cannot rule out a few isolated stronger storms. It is noteworthy that per the SPC Mesoscale Analysis, an area of 800-1000 J/kg of DCAPE is present, mainly east of I-81 in Central NY. Similar to yesterday, some storms may contain strong updrafts and therefore produce gusty winds and some small hail. 355 AM Update... Main concern in the near term period, is a very conditional slight risk for gusty severe thunderstorms on Tuesday. Up until then, it will be warm and humid, and there will be clusters of showers and thunderstorms at times this afternoon. Today will be a lot like Sunday. It will be quite warm and humid with highs in the 80s to near 90, and heat indices into the lower 90s at lower elevations. There will be some convective inhibition/thermal capping, yet the warmth and humidity with a trigger will be adequate to generate convective cells. What is different, is that we have one subtle shortwave on the way out this morning, and another on the way in late today. Thus, timing of convection will be skewed a few hours later compared to Sunday; indeed much of today will be dry before convection overtakes the midafternoon-early evening period. Potential for organized severe thunderstorms appears quite low, with deep shear remaining under 25 knots. However, with top-heavy Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE), there could again be pulses with brief very localized downbursts. A muggy, mostly quiet night is anticipated after convection falls apart in the evening, with lows of mid 60s to near 70. However, an embedded well-marked wave will zip through an increasing west-northwest flow towards dawn, and could actually bring a decaying yet possibly gusty line of convection into parts of Central NY first thing in the morning. At the surface, this will also be marked as a pre-frontal trough, which will greatly complicate the forecast for Tuesday. The Storm Prediction Center has placed our whole area into a Slight Risk for severe thunderstorms Tuesday, due to potential of damaging winds as indicated by strong unidirectional shear of 40-50 knots at 6 km. However, this will be very conditional. That is, storms in that environment will be plenty capable of damaging winds gusts; the bigger question is the presence of storms at all. A pre-frontal trough and associated shortwave will carry through quite early in the day. New convection will have to develop, if it can, as deeper moisture is quickly exiting the area. Northeast PA will stand a somewhat better chance of having enough time for new convection to generate, versus Central NY; yet even there considerable uncertainty exists. If it manages to occur, however, wind gusts could indeed be quite strong with very fast storm motions. Highs Tuesday will only be mid 70s-lower 80s in Central NY, as cloudiness and then cool air advection get going especially into the afternoon; Northeast PA meanwhile should still manage to reach mainly lower-mid 80s. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... 1259 pm update... Main concerns in the short term remain focused on the potential for showers and thunderstorms Wednesday night and Thursday along a slow moving warm front. Weather conditions on Wednesday will be very quiet as weak high pressure at the surface dominates much of the Northeast during the middle of the week. Temperatures will be on the relative cooler side of the spectrum with highs only into the 70s. An area of low pressure across the Upper Midwest with a warm front extending well across the srn Great Lakes into the ern Ohio Valley will sweep slowly to the north and ne Wed night into Thursday. Steady rain will move in from the southwest along and ahead of this front...and then become more convective by Thursday afternoon as the boundary layer destabilizes and the forcing from the incoming low pressure system to the west arrives. A few strong to possibly severe storms are possible. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... 1259 pm update... The pattern remains very active Thursday night through Friday night as a re-enforcing upper trough from wrn Ontario drops in quickly from the northwest. The effects/moisture from the tropical systems in the Gulf of Mexico may phase somewhat with the incoming wave and act to produce a broad area of rain over the ern Great Lakes and much of the Northeast and mid Atlantic region on Friday. Cooler and drier air will be felt behind the departing low pressure system Saturday and Sunday with highs in the 70s and overnight lows in the 50s. There may be some lake effect rain showers during this period, but overall the pattern should be fairly dry. && .AVIATION /18Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... Mainly VFR conditions are expected through the next 24 hours. However, scattered showers and thunderstorms may create brief restrictions at KAVP, KELM, KBGM, and KITH this afternoon and early evening. There is also a very small chance for scattered showers or thunderstorms late tonight, but confidence is too low to include in the TAFs. Patchy fog may bring brief MVFR restrictions at KELM early Tuesday morning. Another round of scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible towards the end of the TAF period (Tuesday PM), but confidence is too low to include in any particular TAF at this time. Outlook... Tuesday afternoon...Occasional restrictions possible in scattered showers and thunderstorms. Tuesday evening through Wednesday...Mainly VFR, though valley fog possible at KELM late night-early morning. Wednesday night through Saturday...Restrictions possible from occasional showers; thunder also possible in afternoons. && .BGM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... PA...None. NY...None. && SYNOPSIS...MDP NEAR TERM...BJG/MDP SHORT TERM...BJT LONG TERM...BJT AVIATION...BJG
Hazardous Weather Outlook...CORRECTED National Weather Service Binghamton NY 407 AM EDT Mon Aug 24 2020 NYZ009-015>018-022>025-036-037-044>046-055>057-062-PAZ038>040-043- 044-047-048-072-250815- 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- 407 AM EDT Mon Aug 24 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central New York and northeast Pennsylvania. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Hazardous weather is not expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. ...SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ON TUESDAY... A front will pass through the region Tuesday, possibly accompanied by strong to severe thunderstorms. The primary time of concern will be late morning to mid afternoon. There remains quite a bit of uncertainty as to whether thunderstorms will be able to develop, but if they do, damaging wind gusts could occur. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed Tuesday.
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Binghamton NY 127 PM EDT Mon Aug 24 2020 PAZ038-241815- Bradford PA- 127 PM EDT Mon Aug 24 2020 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT...CENTRAL BRADFORD COUNTY UNTIL 215 PM EDT... At 127 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Wetona, or near Troy, moving east at 15 mph. Half inch hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Towanda, Wysox, North Towanda, West Burlington, Monroe, Rome, Burlington, Monroeton, Franklindale and Riggs. This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service. LAT...LON 4174 7674 4183 7669 4186 7630 4166 7639 TIME...MOT...LOC 1727Z 280DEG 14KT 4178 7669 Kistner
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Binghamton NY 129 PM EDT Mon Aug 24 2020 PAZ038-241745- Bradford PA- 129 PM EDT Mon Aug 24 2020 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT...NORTHWESTERN BRADFORD COUNTY UNTIL 145 PM EDT... At 129 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over Wetona, or 8 miles northeast of Troy, moving southeast at 25 mph. Dime size hail and wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Springfield, Burlington, East Smithfield, Wetona, Riggs and Cowley. This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service. LAT...LON 4188 7680 4195 7673 4191 7649 4178 7660 TIME...MOT...LOC 1729Z 294DEG 20KT 4187 7668 Kistner
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Binghamton NY
132 PM EDT Mon Aug 24 2020
PAZ047-241800-
Luzerne PA-
132 PM EDT Mon Aug 24 2020
...STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT...NORTHEASTERN LUZERNE COUNTY
UNTIL 200 PM EDT...
At 131 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Wilkes-Barre, moving southeast at 10 mph.
Dime size hail and wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with this
storm.
Locations impacted include...
Wilkes-Barre, Kingston, Plains, Plymouth, Swoyersville, Edwardsville,
Larksville, Forty Fort, Wyoming and Luzerne.
This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.
LAT...LON 4124 7596 4132 7588 4129 7568 4127 7568
4126 7565 4124 7565 4109 7578
TIME...MOT...LOC 1731Z 298DEG 9KT 4126 7585
KistnerSpecial Weather Statement National Weather Service Binghamton NY 206 PM EDT Mon Aug 24 2020 PAZ043-044-047-241830- Wyoming PA-Luzerne PA-Lackawanna PA- 206 PM EDT Mon Aug 24 2020 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT...WEST CENTRAL LACKAWANNA... NORTHEASTERN LUZERNE AND SOUTHEASTERN WYOMING COUNTIES UNTIL 230 PM EDT... At 205 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near West Wyoming, or near Pittston, moving east at 10 mph. Dime size hail and wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Scranton, Old Forge, Pittston, Taylor, Moosic, Exeter, Vernon, Clarks Summit, Duryea and West Pittston. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Heavy rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may lead to minor flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. && LAT...LON 4135 7604 4145 7600 4149 7566 4129 7571 TIME...MOT...LOC 1805Z 271DEG 9KT 4137 7586 Kistner
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Binghamton NY 243 PM EDT Mon Aug 24 2020 NYZ055-056-241915- Tioga NY-Broome NY- 243 PM EDT Mon Aug 24 2020 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT...SOUTHWESTERN BROOME AND EAST CENTRAL TIOGA COUNTIES UNTIL 315 PM EDT... At 243 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Newark Valley, or near Owego, moving east at 20 mph. Half inch hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Vestal, Johnson City, Endicott, Maine, Owego, Newark Valley, Greater Binghamton Airport, Endwell, West Corners and Union Center. This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service. LAT...LON 4212 7627 4224 7625 4225 7593 4204 7598 TIME...MOT...LOC 1843Z 280DEG 19KT 4216 7622 Kistner
The Binghamton radar (KBGM), 18 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:57 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong thunderstorm winds brought down trees and wires on Day Hollow Road.
Strong thunderstorm winds brought down trees and wires on Marshland Road.
Strong thunderstorm winds uprooted or snapped approximately a dozen trees.
Strong thunderstorm winds brought down wires near 201 Stage Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New York in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, August 2020
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: 917229, 917230, 917231, 917232.