Thunderstorm Wind in Schenectady County, New York

Trees were downed on Rosendale Road.

A high-end severe weather event unfolded across the Northeast on Wednesday October 7, 2020. A line of thunderstorms originated across New York state and moved eastward into New England during the afternoon hours, producing widespread damage. New York State Mesonet weather stations recorded widespread wind gusts between 50 and 60mph down the Mohawk Valley into the Greater Capital District with a 67mph wind gust measurement at the Albany International Airport. This ranks as the highest gust for the month of October with records dating back to 1987. Microbursts were confirmed by storm surveys in Root, Pittstown, and Johnsonville, NY, with estimated wind speeds of 80, 90, and 100 mph, respectively. In addition, a brief EF0 tornado occurred in Canajoharie, NY. There was also one fatality when a tree fell onto a man's car while driving on the Taconic Parkway.

This event was classified as a serial derecho based on the 320 mile long damage swath and distribution of significant wind gusts (75 mph and above). The fact that trees across the region were fully leafed exacerbated the resulting wind damage and produced widespread power outages. As a result of this storm, there were over 160,000 power outages across the region. Schools closed the next day due to lack of power, and dry ice was distributed to the public while power was being restored over the next few days.