A slow moving cold front tracking east across the western and north central New York area on August 24th, caused strong to severe thunderstorms to develop. Severe thunderstorms resulted in wind damage and large hail for portions of the area east of the Genesee Valley.
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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 BUF wrote it up.
A slow moving cold front tracking east across the western and north central New York area on August 24th, caused strong to severe thunderstorms to develop. Severe thunderstorms resulted in wind damage and large hail for portions of the area east of the Genesee Valley. Thunderstorms initially developed over the eastern end of Lake Erie during the morning hours and strengthened and expanded in coverage through the morning and into the afternoon as the cold front and thunderstorms pushed east. Increasing instability and shear ahead of the front, along with the forcing from the front caused the thunderstorms to reach severe limits.
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 Buffalo, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 24, 5:08 AM EST, 7 hours 30 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Buffalo NY 608 AM EDT Sun Aug 24 2025 .SYNOPSIS... A cold front will slowly cross the Lower Lakes with showers and a few thunderstorms today. A much cooler airmass filtering into the Lower Lakes tonight will bring below normal temperatures and unsettled weather through midweek. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... A vertically-stacked low gyrating over James Bay will push a cold front east through the region today. The initial round of showers will work east across the region this morning, and then be followed by another potential round by this afternoon. This latter round would mainly be for areas east of the Genesee Valley, especially from the Finger Lakes region into the interior of the North Country this afternoon. That being said...this will 'highly' be dependent on the speed of the cold front, and also the amount of instability being able to re-build again this afternoon. Tonight...the departure of the cold front and the dry slot moving into the Lower Lakes should all but bring an end to the bulk of the shower activity and any thunderstorms. After that...a much cooler airmass will already be pouring into the region (850 mb temps falling to +7C to +9C) which may spawn a few lake induced showers by Monday morning. Now for the best part...the cooler conditions should make for a nice night to open up the windows. Hence no need for the air conditioners. Lows will be found primarily in the 50s overnight. && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... Monday through Tuesday night will feature surface temperatures 7 to 15 degrees below normal as a cold upper level trough passes through the region. Temperatures at 850 hPa will lower to 4 - 6C which will fall within the lower 10 percent per Buffalo sounding climatology. This cold airmass will yield showers and thunderstorms, especially during the afternoon hours. Steep lapse rates may even bring some small hail, while lake effect rain will become embedded downwind of the Lakes. Lake effect rain will likely be organized the greatest through the overnight hours, retracting back to the shoreline within a light overnight wind flow...and then become cellular through the morning hours with the increasing mixing heights. Deeper moisture and convergence ahead of a shortwave trough Monday night may allow for moderate lake effect rain southeast of Lake Erie, and later in the night east of Lake Ontario in the vicinity of northern Oswego County. Lake effect rain will likely taper off Wednesday with the loss of deeper moisture and the entrance of a shortwave ridge aloft. There is model discrepancies as to how fast this moisture depletes...with a low chance that a few sprinkles/light rain continues east of Lake Ontario Wednesday afternoon. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... Fair weather will predominate much of this period, interrupted by a frontal boundary sagging southward from Canada that may bring a few rain showers Thursday afternoon through Friday. With a longwave trough overhead, this period will continue to remain cool with temperatures 5 to 10 degrees below normal. && .AVIATION /10Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... A cold front will bring scattered showers and a few rumbles of thunder today. While flight conditions will generally be VFR...brief/localized restrictions will be possible within any stronger convection this afternoon. Greatest chance to see any restriction will be from KROC east to KART. Tonight...shower and storms will wrap up as the cold front exits off to our east. Cold air filtering in behind the front will begin to induce a few lake effect rain showers ENE of the lakes late. Otherwise...most area terminals will see VFR. Outlook... Monday through Tuesday night...VFR/MVFR. Lake effect rain showers each night/morning downwind of the lakes...then a more general chance of showers and embedded thunder each afternoon/early evening. Wednesday...Mainly VFR with diminishing lake effect rain showers downwind of the lakes. Wednesday night/Thursday...Mainly VFR. && .MARINE... A pre-frontal trough and cold front working through the Lower Great Lakes today will maintain chances for showers and thunderstorms. A modest southwesterly flow will continue to produce choppy conditions on area lakes but below SCA levels. With the departure of the cold front by this evening, a much cooler airmass will then begin to filter in across the Lower Great Lakes. Given the cooler airmass aloft and warmer lake temps, we should see decent over waters mixing beginning to take place of the stronger winds aloft overnight. This will more than 'likely' lead to SCA conditions Monday on area lakes which may last through Tuesday night. Additionally...we will have the potential for lake effect rain showers off both lakes...as well as waterspouts beginning late tonight. && .BUF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NY...None. MARINE...None. && SYNOPSIS...AR NEAR TERM...AR SHORT TERM...Thomas LONG TERM...Thomas AVIATION...AR MARINE...AR
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Buffalo NY 224 AM EDT Sun Aug 24 2025 NYZ001>004-010>014-019>021-085-250630- Niagara-Orleans-Monroe-Wayne-Northern Erie-Genesee-Wyoming- Livingston-Ontario-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus-Allegany-Southern Erie- 224 AM EDT Sun Aug 24 2025 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for western New York. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. This product, along with other watches, warnings, advisories, and statements issued by the National Weather Service office in Buffalo can be found on the internet at http://www.weather.gov/buf NYZ005>008-250630- Northern Cayuga-Oswego-Jefferson-Lewis- 224 AM EDT Sun Aug 24 2025 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north central New York. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. A slow moving cold front will cross central New York today and will generate showers and thunderstorms. A few of these storms may become strong to severe with isolate damaging winds and large hail the main threats. Additionally, localized heavy rainfall could lead to ponding of water in poor drainage areas. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. Hazardous weather is not expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. This product, along with other watches, warnings, advisories, and statements issued by the National Weather Service office in Buffalo can be found on the internet at http://www.weather.gov/buf LEZ020-040-041-LOZ030-042>045-062>065-250630- Upper Niagara River and Buffalo Harbor- Lake Erie nearshore waters from Ripley to Dunkirk- Lake Erie nearshore waters from Dunkirk to Buffalo- Lower Niagara River- Lake Ontario nearshore waters from the Niagara River to Hamlin Beach- Lake Ontario nearshore waters from Hamlin Beach to Sodus Bay- Lake Ontario nearshore waters from Sodus Bay to Mexico Bay- Lake Ontario nearshore waters from Mexico Bay to the Saint Lawrence River- Lake Ontario open waters from the Niagara River to Hamlin Beach- Lake Ontario open waters from Hamlin Beach to Sodus Bay- Lake Ontario open waters from Sodus Bay to Mexico Bay- Lake Ontario open waters from Mexico Bay to the Saint Lawrence River- 224 AM EDT Sun Aug 24 2025 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Hazardous weather is not expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. As cold air pours over the eastern Great Lakes there will be a chance of waterspouts on the Lakes, from early Monday morning through Wednesday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. This product, along with other watches, warnings, advisories, and statements issued by the National Weather Service office in Buffalo can be found on the internet at http://www.weather.gov/buf SLZ022-024-250630- Saint Lawrence River from Cape Vincent to Ogdensburg- Saint Lawrence River from Ogdensburg to Saint Regis- 224 AM EDT Sun Aug 24 2025 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the New York waters of the Saint Lawrence River. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. This product, along with other watches, warnings, advisories, and statements issued by the National Weather Service office in Buffalo can be found on the internet at http://www.weather.gov/buf
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Buffalo NY
1051 AM EDT Sun Aug 24 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1045 AM Waterspout 6 WNW Dunkirk 42.51N 79.45W
08/24/2025 LEZ040 NY Public
Received report of 2 waterspouts looking
north and northeast from Barcelona Harbor.
&&The Ft Drum radar (KTYX), 65 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:38 UTC.
12 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Report of 2 trees downed in Palermo.
Report of half of a tree and wires downed across State Route 444.
Tree downed blocking half of the road.
Report of 2 trees downed in the town of Ira.
Tree downed and partially blocking Oakmount Road.
Image sent with hail and tape measure.
Hail size estimated from picture.
Tree downed onto roadway.
Multiple trees downed in the town of Acadia.
Trees downed in Sodus.
Reports of multiple trees downed in Savannah.
Several Trees downed in Port Byron.
Several trees downed in Weedsport.
Several trees downed in Cato.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New York in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in New York, August 2025
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: 1292342, 1292343, 1292344, 1292345, 1292346, 1292350, 1292351, 1292353, 1292354, 1292355, 1292358, 1292359, 1292360, 1292361, 1292362.