Hail in Broome County, New York

There was an exceptional swath of hail damage, approximately 2.5 miles wide and 5 miles long. Many trees were completely stripped of their foliage, including an entire hillside, which bore the brunt of the storm and appeared entirely bare. Widespread hail damage was also reported to vehicles and homes within the affected area. Spotters reported golf ball sized hail. The hail accumulated in some areas making the ground white and roads slippery.

A cold front passed through with scattered storms, some of which became severe with large hail and damaging winds. Despite earlier showers, the atmosphere still became unstable later in the morning through early afternoon. In addition, high wind shear and steep temperature lapse rates made conditions favorable for severe weather.

Hail of 1 to 2 inches in diameter was observed from the Finger Lakes and south into New York's Southern Tier. One of the storms passed over the NWS Binghamton Forecast Office and dropped large hail on vehicles parked in the lot while also knocking down trees behind the building. A quick survey by a NWS Binghamton employee found trees stripped of their leaves and some crop damage in the Binghamton area. Due to the extensive area of hail reports and the size of the hail, the full extent of the damage to buildings, vehicles and crops is unknown and the estimated damage costs are likely underdone due to this. In addition, the severe storms also had strong winds. There were numerous other reports for downed trees and wires. In a few cases, trees fell on cars, houses, or other buildings and often resulted in damage.