NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ballston Lake, NY
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
16 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ballston Lake, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 42 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 15
- Tornadoes
- 42
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Ballston Lake
The strongest storm to pass near Ballston Lake was an unnamed storm in 1938, a Category 1 hurricane with 78 mph winds when its centre passed 41 miles away. The record near Ballston Lake begins with an unnamed storm in 1863; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 3 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 3 systems. Of the 16 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 49% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Ballston Lake. The highest rating among the 42 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on May 22, 2014, came within 18 miles. Of the 42, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 21 have come since 2000. August has had the most tornadoes, 12. The most recent tornado was on July 24, 2024. Ballston Lake has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 89% of the 809 New York cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 150 times since 1969, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Ballston Lake has more hail reports within 10 miles than 97% of the 809 New York cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ballston Lake
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | IreneAug 28 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 28 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1968 | Unnamed 1968 stormSep 11 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 21 | 41 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormOct 1 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormNov 1 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 24 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 24 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 19 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Ballston Lake: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Ballston Lake
By decade
- 2020s7
- 2010s11(1 EF3+)
- 2000s3
- 1990s9(1 EF3+)
- 1980s5
- 1970s5(1 EF3+)
- 1960s1(1 EF3+)
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 2014 | EF3 | 18 mi | 6.79 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1998 | F3 | 5 mi | 30.5 mi | 0 / 68 |
| Jun 16, 1974 | F3 | in town | 49.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 24, 1960 | F3 | 5 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 9 |
| May 29, 2013 | EF2 | 9 mi | 12.8 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 28, 1973 | F2 | 16 mi | 2.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 16, 2024 | EF1 | 24 mi | 8.36 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 29, 2020 | EF1 | 14 mi | 2.17 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 29, 2020 | EF1 | 9 mi | 0.26 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 29, 2020 | EF1 | 23 mi | 8.58 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 15, 2020 | EF1 | 19 mi | 1.78 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 21, 2019 | EF1 | 13 mi | 0.38 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 42, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ballston Lake
The Storm Prediction Center has 150 hail reports within 10 miles of Ballston Lake since 1969, made on 73 separate days. Of these, 89 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on June 22, 2008. The most recent report is from May 17, 2025. June has the most reports, 43.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ballston Lake
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Saratoga Springs 4 SW, NY, 9 miles north of Ballston Lake at 326 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 61°F; January is the coolest, at 32°F and 14°F. July is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 46.4 inches over 88 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (25.3 of 46.4 inches); the other six months are drier. August has brought the most of the 16 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (6); a normal August there has highs of 82°F and 4.1 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 11 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 145 nights a year. Snowfall averages 63.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 46.4 inches is more than at 93 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (68%). Rexford, 5 miles south, has its own station (Albany Airport, NY): 40.9 inches a year, 5.5 less than here, and the same July average high, 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 14 | 3.4 | 7 | 16.5 |
| Feb | 35 | 16 | 2.7 | 6 | 15.7 |
| Mar | 45 | 25 | 3.4 | 7 | 11.4 |
| Apr | 60 | 36 | 3.8 | 8 | 1.8 |
| May | 73 | 47 | 3.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 80 | 56 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 84 | 61 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 82 | 59 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 75 | 52 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 62 | 41 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 49 | 31 | 3.5 | 7 | 2.9 |
| Dec | 37 | 22 | 3.9 | 8 | 15.1 |
| Year | 60 | 38 | 46.4 | 88 | 63.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Saratoga Springs 4 SW, NY (326 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Ballston Lake
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 530 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ballston Lake: 427 thunderstorm wind reports, 47 flash floods, 37 floods, 10 lightning strikes and 9 heavy rain events. They killed 1 person and injured 10, and the NWS estimated $5.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 115 mph, on June 2, 2000. July has had the most flash floods, 20 of 47. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 535 have had fewer than Ballston Lake.
October 7, 2020: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Ballston Lake — 1 killed.
September 21, 2000: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Ballston Lake — 2 injured, $250,000 damage.
September 21, 1998: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Ballston Lake — 2 injured, $20,000 damage.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Saratoga County, which includes Ballston Lake, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1987, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 severe storms, 5 snowstorms, 4 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 20, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Saratoga County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $53.0 million a year, the 19th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $38.3 million (72%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Ballston Lake
- Burnt Hills, NY2 mi
- Rexford, NY5 mi
- Clifton Park, NY6 mi
- Scotia, NY6 mi
- Ballston Spa, NY6 mi
- Mechanicville, NY8 mi
- Schenectady, NY9 mi
- Stillwater, NY11 mi
- Waterford, NY12 mi
- Saratoga Springs, NY12 mi
- Latham, NY13 mi
- Cohoes, NY13 mi
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