An anomalously strong low pressure system and frontal system crossed western Massachusetts on June 18, 2026. A complex of showers and thunderstorms downed trees and large branches as it crossed through the area during the afternoon hours.
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.
An anomalously strong low pressure system and frontal system crossed western Massachusetts on June 18, 2026. A complex of showers and thunderstorms downed trees and large branches as it crossed through the area during the afternoon hours.
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 Jun 18, 1:08 PM EST, 1 hour 16 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Albany NY
208 PM EDT Thu Jun 18 2026
.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
TOR Watch 352 remains in effect for most of eastern NY and
southern VT/western MA until 3 PM this afternoon.
&&
.KEY MESSAGES...
1) Tornado Watch 352 remains in effect until 3 PM for most of
eastern NY and western New England excluding Ulster, Dutchess
and Litchfield Counties. Severe thunderstorm potential continues
through mid afternoon, with damaging wind gusts, a couple of
tornadoes, and locally very heavy rainfall possible within the
Watch area.
2) Strong winds ahead of, and behind the cold front through
sunset with gusts of 40-50 mph expected within the advisory
area, and 30-45 mph outside the advisory.
3) Isolated rain showers/thunderstorms possible Saturday and
Sunday, otherwise mainly dry Friday with gusty winds continuing.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
KEY MESSAGE 1...
Tornado Watch 352 remains in effect until 3 PM for most of
eastern NY/western New England outside of Ulster and Dutchess
Counties in NY, and Litchfield County in NW CT.
Clusters of showers/thunderstorms continue tracking east for
areas near and north of I-90, as well as into the eastern
Catskills. Instability/low level shear is maximized from Albany
northward into the upper Hudson Valley and southern VT. Latest
17Z/ALY sounding indicates ~1000 J/kg SB CAPE, along with 0-1 km
SRH ~ 396 m2/s2, indicating a low level environment favorable
for some potential rotation within any stronger updrafts that
develop. SRH/instability decreases to the west of I-87.
We expect remaining clusters of storms to continue for areas
near/north of I-90, and near/east of I-87 for the next 1-2
hours, with some potential for additional showers/storms farther
south from the SE Catskills into northern portions of the mid
Hudson Valley and Berkshires.
Additional isolated showers/thunderstorms will remain possible
through late afternoon, esp across the southern Adirondacks.
KEY MESSAGE 2...
Behind aforementioned line showers/storms, winds will shift
into the southwest and west and after a brief lull, will
increase once again, with gusts of 35-45 mph expected by late
afternoon, especially north of I-90 where some gusts may reach
50 mph. Winds should then gradually decrease after sunset.
KEY MESSAGE 3...
Upper level disturbance tracking north of region may trigger
isolated showers/thunderstorms for areas mainly north of I-90
Saturday afternoon, and again Sunday, when coverage may be even
slightly greater.
Otherwise, mainly dry for Friday. However, gusty west winds are
expected both Friday and Saturday afternoon, with some gusts
reaching up to 40 mph at times, especially within the Mohawk
Valley/Capital Region and Berkshires.
&&
.AVIATION /18Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
Band of showers/thunderstorms will bring brief period of
MVFR/IFR Vsbys/Cigs to the TAF sites through 19Z-20Z/Thu,
otherwise mainly VFR conditions are expected through the TAF
period.
Gusty south winds 10-20 KT ahead of the showers/thunderstorms
with gusts reaching 30-40 KT will shift into the southwest and
west, with additional gusts of 25-35 KT expected through sunset,
then decreasing to 20-25 KT overnight. West to northwest winds
will increase to 10-20 KT by late Friday morning with gusts of
30-35 KT by early Friday afternoon.
&&
.ALY WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CT...None.
NY...Wind Advisory until 8 PM EDT this evening for NYZ032-033-
038>043-048>054-082>084.
MA...None.
VT...Wind Advisory until 8 PM EDT this evening for VTZ013-014.
&&
DISCUSSION...27/24
AVIATION...24Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Albany NY
200 PM EDT Thu Jun 18 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0159 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 2 ESE Hagaman 42.96N 74.11W
06/18/2026 Montgomery NY Trained Spotter
Tree down/snapped.
&&
53Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Albany NY
205 PM EDT Thu Jun 18 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0204 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 1 NW Schenectady 42.81N 73.95W
06/18/2026 Schenectady NY Public
Tree down on wires.
&&
53Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Albany NY
216 PM EDT Thu Jun 18 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0215 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 2 ESE Clifton Park 42.84N 73.78W
06/18/2026 E60 MPH Saratoga NY NWS Employee
&&
53Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Albany NY
238 PM EDT Thu Jun 18 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0236 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 4 E Clifton Park 42.85N 73.73W
06/18/2026 Saratoga NY Public
Large tree down at the intersection of Knox
Blvd and NY 236.
&&
53Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Albany NY
313 PM EDT Thu Jun 18 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0201 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 8 S Granville 43.29N 73.28W
06/18/2026 Washington NY Cocorahs
Trees and wires down across road.
&&
53Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Albany NY
322 PM EDT Thu Jun 18 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0210 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 2 ESE Clifton Park 42.84N 73.78W
06/18/2026 Saratoga NY NWS Employee
Large tree and power lines down on Evergreen
Avenue between Grooms Road and Teakwood
Drive in Clifton Gardens. Power out in the
area.
&&
33The Albany radar (KENX), 74 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:26 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A large limb was downed blocking School Street in Cheshire.
A tree was downed on wires on Mc Allister Street in the City of Pittsfield.
A tree branch was downed on wires on Lakeway Drive at Burbank Park in the City of Pittsfield.
A tree was downed on Bartlett Avenue in the City of Pittsfield.
Trees were uprooted and snapped along Route 7 in Sheffield based on photos.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Massachusetts in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Massachusetts, June 2026
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: 1350237, 1350239, 1350240, 1350241, 1350243.