Rensselaer County weather alerts
There are no active weather alerts for Rensselaer County, NY right now.
Since 2016 the National Weather Service has issued about 1,196 alerts that included Rensselaer County, roughly 120 a year. The most common is the severe thunderstorm warning (275 from 2016 to 2025). The last tornado warning was issued on July 16, 2024. 9 tornadoes have touched down in the county since 1950.
Updated from the National Weather Service · lists refresh hourly; the live map loads current alerts directly from the NWS
No warnings, watches or advisories include Rensselaer County at the moment. This page updates automatically when the National Weather Service issues one. Check neighboring Berkshire County, Albany County, Columbia County, Bennington County.
Rensselaer County alert history
Alert events that included Rensselaer County or its forecast zones, from the NWS warning archive.
| Alert type | 2016–2025 | 2026 | Last issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe Thunderstorm Warning | 275 | 18 | August 27, 2026 |
| Flood Advisory | 202 | 0 | September 25, 2025 |
| Winter Weather Advisory | 118 | 9 | March 5, 2026 |
| Wind Advisory | 112 | 5 | June 18, 2026 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Watch | 72 | 7 | August 27, 2026 |
| Heat Advisory | 68 | 3 | July 14, 2026 |
| Flood Watch | 44 | 1 | July 28, 2026 |
| Frost Advisory | 42 | 5 | October 7, 2026 |
| Flood Warning | 35 | 9 | July 30, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Warning | 33 | 2 | February 22, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Watch | 27 | 2 | February 22, 2026 |
| Snow Squall Warning | 23 | 3 | February 26, 2026 |
| High Wind Warning | 21 | 0 | December 19, 2025 |
| Cold Weather Advisory | 20 | 5 | February 7, 2026 |
| Flash Flood Warning | 18 | 8 | August 6, 2026 |
| Dense Fog Advisory | 18 | 0 | December 29, 2024 |
| High Wind Watch | 16 | 0 | November 5, 2025 |
| Freeze Warning | 13 | 0 | October 10, 2025 |
| Tornado Watch | 8 | 1 | June 18, 2026 |
| Extreme Cold Warning | 6 | 2 | February 7, 2026 |
| Tornado Warning | 6 | 0 | July 16, 2024 |
| Freeze Watch | 5 | 0 | October 10, 2025 |
| Extreme Heat Warning | 4 | 1 | July 1, 2026 |
| Extreme Cold Watch | 3 | 2 | February 7, 2026 |
| Extreme Heat Watch | 3 | 1 | July 1, 2026 |
| Red Flag Warning | 2 | 0 | April 4, 2019 |
| Fire Weather Watch | 1 | 0 | April 19, 2016 |
| Blizzard Warning | 1 | 0 | March 14, 2017 |
Tornado history in Rensselaer County
9 tornadoes have been recorded in Rensselaer County since 1950, injuring 1 people. That ranks 25 of 62 counties in New York. The most recent was on August 29, 2020 (rated EF1).
Strongest tornadoes in Rensselaer County
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1998 | F2 | Rensselaer County | 8 mi | 200 yd | 0 | 0 |
| August 28, 1973 | F2 | Rensselaer County | 2.3 mi | 83 yd | 0 | 1 |
| July 21, 2003 | F1 | Rensselaer County | 4.8 mi | 90 yd | 0 | 0 |
| August 29, 2020 | EF1 | Rensselaer County | 2.2 mi | 100 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 2, 1992 | F1 | Rensselaer County | 2 mi | 100 yd | 0 | 0 |
Most recent tornadoes
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 29, 2020 | EF1 | Rensselaer County | 2.2 mi | 100 yd | 0 | 0 |
| July 21, 2003 | F1 | Rensselaer County | 4.8 mi | 90 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 31, 1998 | F2 | Rensselaer County | 8 mi | 200 yd | 0 | 0 |
| April 27, 1994 | F1 | Rensselaer County | 1.5 mi | 23 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 2, 1992 | F1 | Rensselaer County | 0.5 mi | 20 yd | 0 | 0 |
About Rensselaer County
- Population: 160,749 (2024 estimate)
- State: New York
- NOAA Weather Radio SAME code: 036083 (how to use it)