A multi-cluster batch of showers and thunderstorms produced heavy rainfall that resulted in multiple flash flood reports and also produced a few damaging wind reports across eastern New York during the afternoon and evening hours of May 15, 2022.
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 multi-cluster batch of showers and thunderstorms produced heavy rainfall that resulted in multiple flash flood reports and also produced a few damaging wind reports across eastern New York during the afternoon and evening hours of May 15, 2022.
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 May 15, 9:20 AM EST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Albany NY 1020 AM EDT Sun May 15 2022 .SYNOPSIS... A warm and humid air mass will lead to scattered showers and thunderstorms today into this evening. On Monday, a strong cold front will bring strong to severe thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours. Cooler and less humid conditions are forecast Tuesday through Thursday behind the cold front. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... UPDATE...As of 1015 AM EDT, partly to mostly cloudy skies cover the area with some scattered showers north and east of the Capital District. Some gradual improvement in sky cover is expected today with airmass showers and thunderstorms developing across the area. 8am upper air sounding showed light winds throughout and some tall skinny cape available. Any showers and thunderstorms that develop will be slow moving and will be able to produce heavy rain. Some ponding of water in urban and poor drainage locations is possible. Previous discussion follows... Deformation on the north/west side of aforementioned disturbance will keep areas of moderate to locally heavy rain across northern portions of the Capital Region extending into southern VT through daybreak, and possibly a few hours thereafter, with additional showers expected farther south and east into the SE Catskills, Berkshires, NW CT and mid Hudson Valley. Showers should decrease in areal coverage during the mid to late morning hours, however additional scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop this afternoon and continue through early evening, as a weakening trough approaches from the west. SPC HREFs suggest MUCAPES increase to 750-1200 J/kg this afternoon, greatest within portions of the Mohawk and Hudson River Valleys, with PWAT's of 1.25-1.50 inches. 0-6km shear remains weak, generally 10-15 KT. So, mainly pulse-type storms are expected, with some hail possible within the tallest cores, along with isolated gusty winds from and perhaps on the leading edge of any multicell clusters that develop. In addition, slow movement of storms and relatively high PWAT's could lead to locally heavy downpours. Afternoon high temps should reach 75-80 in most valley areas, and 70-75 across higher terrain areas. Dewpoints should remain elevated, mainly in the lower/mid 60s, so it will still feel humid. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... Enhanced Risk for severe thunderstorms for eastern NY, and Slight Risk for western New England on Monday... Any lingering showers/thunderstorms this evening should taper off and/or move east and south of the region by late evening, allowing for a period of clear to partly cloudy skies to develop as some weak shortwave ridging translates east into the region. With a moist boundary layer remaining in place, especially where rain occurs prior, conditions will become favorable for fog development, some of which could become locally dense. Lows mainly in the mid 50s to lower 60s. Monday looks to be convectively active, as a potent shortwave approaches from the Great Lakes region and becomes negatively tilted, with a strong cold front approaching during the peak heating of the afternoon/evening hours. Latest HREFs suggest MUCAPES increase to 1000-1500 J/kg by afternoon, with 0-6 km shear increasing to 30-45 KT (strongest western areas). The combination of favorable instability and strong upper level dynamics will provide an environment capable of producing strong to severe thunderstorms Monday afternoon and early evening, with the greatest threat being damaging straight-line wind gusts associated with a potential QLCS (quasi-linear convective system) and/or smaller bowing line segments. However, should any discrete thunderstorm cells develop just ahead of any line(s), large hail and perhaps an isolated tornado can not be ruled out (and also perhaps along any potential QLCS). CAMs exhibit some uncertainty on exact timing of thunderstorms, with main consensus being between roughly 4-8 PM from west to east across the region, but again, there is some uncertainty and occurrence of storms could be a bit earlier or later. Max temps ahead of any showers/thunderstorms could reach into the upper 70s to lower 80s in valley areas, and lower/mid 70s for higher terrain. Showers/thunderstorms could linger into Monday evening, especially for areas east of the Hudson River. Then, breezy/windy and much cooler/less humid. Some wind gusts of up to 40 mph could occur Monday night in the wake of the cold front. Lows by daybreak Tuesday in the mid 40s to lower/mid 50s for most areas. Upper level trough passes by Tuesday, so any morning sunshine should mix with a period of clouds, with isolated to scattered showers possible for areas along and especially north of I-90 during the late morning and afternoon hours. It will remain breezy, with west/northwest winds gusting up to 30-40 mph at times. Highs mainly in the lower/mid 60s for valleys, and 50s across higher terrain areas, although portions of the mid Hudson Valley could approach 70 where more sunshine is expected, along with downsloping west/northwest winds allowing for additional warming. Lingering showers for northern areas Tuesday evening, otherwise becoming clear to partly cloudy and cool, with lows in the 40s for most areas by daybreak Wednesday, with some 30s possible across portions of the southern Adirondacks and higher terrain of southern VT. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... The period starts out on Wednesday with surface high pressure building into the region and a zonal northwest flow aloft. This pattern should result in dry conditions and slightly below normal temperatures. A northwest breeze will persist much of the day, since the surface high will move in towards evening. Tranquil/seasonable conditions expected Wednesday night. Temperatures warm back to normal levels on Thursday, as heights aloft start to rise. There will still be a zonal flow aloft with a weak/subtle surface front nearby. So an isolated/brief shower cannot be ruled out, but the majority of the time/area should remain dry. More substantial ridging aloft looks to build in on Friday, while at the surface a warm front should be lifting northward across the region. There could be a few showers associated with the warm front passage, but overall forcing is expected to be limited as the upper ridge builds. Temperatures may eclipse 80 degrees in valley locations Friday afternoon, especially if the warm front moves through with 850 mb temperature anomalies of +1 to +2 STDEV forecast. Saturday looks to be warmest day of the week as low level southwest flow increase ahead of a cold front and associated upper level trough approaching from the upper Great Lakes. Depending on sunshine and timing of the cold front, temperatures could soar well into the 80s and possibly reaching near 90 in valley locations. Guidance indicating a more progressive pattern compared to previous model runs, so a quicker cold front passage could result in cooler temperatures. Showers and thunderstorms will be possible ahead of and along the cold front Saturday afternoon/evening. Timing/details will be refined as next weekend draws closer. && .AVIATION /14Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... Low level moisture in place early this morning resulting in mainly IFR cigs at the TAF sites. Improvement to MVFR is expected by mid morning, with VFR conditions returning by late morning. Scattered thunderstorms are possible after 18Z into the early evening at all TAF sites as an upper level disturbance moves eastward across the region. Possible brief MVFR/IFR conditions associated with any TSRA. Fog development could occur overnight tonight given sufficient clearing. Mid level clouds may linger for a while at least through the evening. Due to abundant low level moisture, any clearing should lead to fog formation fairly quickly. Will mention IFR developing at KGFL/KPSF where confidence in fog is higher, with MVFR at KALB/KPOU for now until confidence increases. Winds will be southerly around 5 kt or less, becoming southwest around 5-7 kt this afternoon. Outlook... Monday Night: High Operational Impact. Breezy. Definite SHRA...TSRA. Tuesday: Moderate Operational Impact. Windy. Scattered SHRA. Tuesday Night: Low Operational Impact. Breezy. NO SIG WX. Wednesday: Low Operational Impact. Breezy. NO SIG WX. Wednesday Night: No Operational Impact. NO SIG WX. Thursday: Low Operational Impact. Slight Chance of SHRA. && .FIRE WEATHER... A warm and humid air mass will continue through Monday. An upper level disturbance will bring some showers this morning, and scattered showers and thunderstorms this afternoon and evening. On Monday, a strong cold front will bring strong to severe thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours. Cooler and less humid conditions take place Tuesday behind the passage of the cold front. RH values will fall to 50-60 percent this afternoon, then recover to 90-100 percent tonight with areas of dew formation likely. Winds will become south to southwest at 5-10 mph this afternoon, then become light/variable tonight. Winds will then become south to southwest and increase to 10-20 mph by Monday afternoon. Winds will be stronger, and variable in direction in and near any thunderstorms. && .HYDROLOGY... Showers will taper off this morning, however there will be additional scattered showers and thunderstorms this afternoon and evening, and again Monday afternoon and evening. Given relatively dry soil conditions and low streamflows, no significant hydrologic response is expected on area rivers/streams through Monday. However, localized ponding of water in urban or poor drainage areas is possible from any heavy downpours that occur. 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...SND NEAR TERM...SND/KL SHORT TERM...KL LONG TERM...JPV AVIATION...JPV FIRE WEATHER...Evbuoma/KL HYDROLOGY...Evbuoma/KL
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Albany NY 441 AM EDT Sun May 15 2022 NYZ032-033-038>043-047>054-058>061-063>066-082>084-161100- 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- Western Greene-Eastern Greene-Western Columbia-Eastern Columbia- Western Ulster-Eastern Ulster-Western Dutchess-Eastern Dutchess- Northern Fulton-Southeast Warren-Southern Washington- 441 AM EDT Sun May 15 2022 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for eastern New York. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Scattered, non severe thunderstorms are expected this afternoon and evening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. The Storm Prediction Center has placed eastern New York within an Enhanced Risk for severe thunderstorms on Monday, as a strong cold front tracks through the region during the afternoon and evening. The main threat will be damaging wind gusts, although isolated occurrences of large hail are also possible. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will likely be needed Monday. CTZ001-013-MAZ001-025-VTZ013>015-161100- Northern Litchfield-Southern Litchfield-Northern Berkshire- Southern Berkshire-Bennington-Western Windham-Eastern Windham- 441 AM EDT Sun May 15 2022 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwestern Connecticut, western Massachusetts and southern Vermont. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Scattered, non severe thunderstorms are expected this afternoon and evening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. The Storm Prediction Center has placed western New England within a Slight Risk for severe thunderstorms on Monday, as a strong cold front tracks through the region during the afternoon and evening. The main threat will be damaging wind gusts, although isolated occurrences of large hail are also possible. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will likely be needed Monday.
The Albany radar (KENX), 91 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:52 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 3 flash flood, 1 debris flow, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Bell Hill Road was closed in the town of German Flatts due to a mud and rock slide from heavy rainfall.
Flooding was reported on some streets in the Village of Scotia.
A tree was reported down on Park Place Ave.
Law enforcement reported large tree limbs and wires down.
Numerous roads were flooded and impassable in the town of Guilderland including Kennewyck Circle Dr., Shaw Road, and Cuyler Court.
Sinkhole was spotted on Western Ave as a result of flash flooding.
Street flooding and possible road closures were reported within the vicinity of Daytona Ave, Western Ave, and South Manning Blvd in the City of Albany.
Route 20 EB/WB was closed at Jefferson Hill Rd due to a downed tree and wires.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New York in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, May 2022
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: 1030051, 1028743, 1028749, 1028755, 1028740, 1028741, 1028742, 1028756.