NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Saranac 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
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Saranac Lake, New York since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isaias in 2020. Since 1950, 3 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 3
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Saranac Lake
The strongest storm to pass near Saranac Lake was an unnamed storm in 1900, a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds when its centre passed 63 miles away. The record near Saranac Lake begins with an unnamed storm in 1866; the most recent system was Isaias in 2020, a tropical storm 57 miles away. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 809 New York cities on this site, 49% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Saranac Lake. The strongest of the 3 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F2 on May 6, 1952; its path came within 8 miles. The most recent tornado was on July 26, 1986. Of the 809 New York cities, 99% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Saranac Lake. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 13 times since 1989, with stones up to 1.25 inches (half dollar size). Of the 809 New York cities, 90% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Saranac Lake.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Saranac Lake
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 5 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormSep 22 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 3 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 12 | 63 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1866 | Unnamed 1866 stormOct 30 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Saranac 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 Saranac Lake
By decade
- 1980s1
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 1952 | F2 | 8 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 26, 1986 | F1 | 17 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 16, 1958 | F1 | 24 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 3 of 3, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Saranac Lake
The Storm Prediction Center has 13 hail reports within 10 miles of Saranac Lake since 1989, made on 9 separate days. Of these, 8 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.25 inches (half dollar size), was reported on 2 days, most recently July 18, 2016. The most recent report is from August 3, 2023. May and June have the most reports, 4 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Saranac Lake
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Saranac Regional Airport, NY, 5 miles northwest of Saranac Lake at 1,663 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 77°F and low of 51°F; January is the coolest, at 25°F and 2°F. June is the wettest at 4.4 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.5 inches; the year adds up to 36.7 inches over 86 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 1 days a year. Lows fall below freezing on about 201 nights a year. That 36.7 inches is more than at 18 of the 137 New York stations used on this site (13%). Lake Placid, 11 miles east, has its own station (Lake Placid 2 S, NY): 43.8 inches a year, 7.1 more than here, and a July average high of 74°F against 77°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 | 2 | 1.9 | 5 |
| Feb | 28 | 3 | 1.5 | 4 |
| Mar | 37 | 12 | 2.0 | 5 |
| Apr | 50 | 26 | 3.1 | 8 |
| May | 64 | 37 | 3.7 | 9 |
| Jun | 72 | 46 | 4.4 | 10 |
| Jul | 77 | 51 | 4.1 | 9 |
| Aug | 75 | 49 | 3.6 | 8 |
| Sep | 68 | 41 | 3.5 | 7 |
| Oct | 54 | 32 | 3.9 | 9 |
| Nov | 42 | 22 | 2.8 | 7 |
| Dec | 30 | 11 | 2.2 | 7 |
| Year | 52 | 28 | 36.7 | 86 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Saranac Regional Airport, NY (1,663 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 Saranac Lake
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 68 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Saranac Lake: 61 thunderstorm wind reports, 4 flash floods, 2 floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $6.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 66 mph, on May 31, 2002.
April 27, 2011: flood 2 miles from the centre of Saranac Lake — $6.0 million damage.
NWS: “Runoff from heavy rain and snowmelt caused flooding in Saranac Lake Village. Flooding was compounded by upstream releases from locks on Oseetah Lake, which flooded downstream Lake Flower at Saranac Lake Village.”
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
Franklin County, which includes Saranac Lake, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1993, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 severe storms, 3 floods, 3 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Tropical Storm Debby, on September 24, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Franklin County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for lightning; Relatively Low for inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $14.3 million a year, the 55th highest of 62 New York counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $10.7 million (75%), 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 Saranac Lake
- Lake Placid, NY11 mi
- Tupper Lake, NY16 mi
- Saranac, NY27 mi
- Malone, NY34 mi
- Cadyville, NY35 mi
- North Bangor, NY36 mi
- Keeseville, NY36 mi
- Peru, NY36 mi
- Brushton, NY39 mi
- Morrisonville, NY39 mi
- Chateaugay, NY40 mi
- Plattsburgh, NY43 mi
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