Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Salem, NY

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Sunderland 2, VT, 14 miles southeast of Salem at 900 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 55°F; January is the coolest, at 32°F and 11°F. June is the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 46.9 inches over 95 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (25.2 of 46.9 inches); the other six months are drier. August has brought the most of the 17 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (7); a normal August there has highs of 79°F and 4.3 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 3 days a year, almost all from July. Lows fall below freezing on about 164 nights a year. Snowfall averages 75.2 inches a year, most of it in January. That 46.9 inches is more than at 97 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (71%). Argyle, 6 miles west, has its own station (Glens Falls Airport, NY): 38.4 inches a year, 8.5 less than here, and a July average high of 82°F against 81°F.

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 187 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Salem: 154 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 flash floods, 15 floods and 2 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $641,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on July 1, 2017. July has had the most flash floods, 12 of 16. Of the 798 New York cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 247 have had fewer than Salem.

Flood insurance policyholders in Salem's ZIP code 12865 have filed 17 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1989, and were paid $276,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Irene in 2011: 10 claims (59% of all) and $232,000. 65% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 549 New York cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 84 have fewer than Salem.