Narrative:

Scheduled to fly from cle to isp. Thunderstorms caused massive delays and ground stop in the new york area. The company dispatcher told me on the ground in cle that there were 2 links of intense thunderstorms with 1 continuous line from phl to vermont. The original release had bdl listed as alternate which is on the ponnie 2 arrival, however, the dispatcher advised that bdl was getting pounded by a large area of cells but was dissipating. I suggested we delay the flight and monitor the situation. The fuel supply also could not be increased because the flight was full and weight and balance was a factor. The dispatcher suggested we pick an alternate on the west side of the WX lines increasing the fuel just slightly and continue. I agreed and alb was the alternate. After departure, center immediately stopped our forward movement as well as everyone else's by holding us at jhw (100 mi east of cle) at FL260. We held through 2 efc times talking to dispatch throughout. Upon being released from the hold, a minimum fuel supply remained and dispatch calculated that we would land in isp with 45 mins of reserve if no further deviations occurred. We climbed to FL330 and flew straight. On the arrival we declared 'low fuel advisory to new york approach.' at tmu just 50 or so mi from isp we were held with an unacceptable efc. Upon telling ATC this we were told the hold would be indefinite and it was for WX. The ATIS at isp showed 2 1/2 mi visibility. Unable to contact dispatch, I declared an emergency to operate out of the release parameters and diverted to pvd. Landed with 30 mins of fuel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB145ER DIVERTS TO PVD WHEN ISP ARRS ARE HELD ACCOUNT TSTM ACTIVITY IN THE AREA.

Narrative: SCHEDULED TO FLY FROM CLE TO ISP. TSTMS CAUSED MASSIVE DELAYS AND GND STOP IN THE NEW YORK AREA. THE COMPANY DISPATCHER TOLD ME ON THE GND IN CLE THAT THERE WERE 2 LINKS OF INTENSE TSTMS WITH 1 CONTINUOUS LINE FROM PHL TO VERMONT. THE ORIGINAL RELEASE HAD BDL LISTED AS ALTERNATE WHICH IS ON THE PONNIE 2 ARR, HOWEVER, THE DISPATCHER ADVISED THAT BDL WAS GETTING POUNDED BY A LARGE AREA OF CELLS BUT WAS DISSIPATING. I SUGGESTED WE DELAY THE FLT AND MONITOR THE SIT. THE FUEL SUPPLY ALSO COULD NOT BE INCREASED BECAUSE THE FLT WAS FULL AND WT AND BAL WAS A FACTOR. THE DISPATCHER SUGGESTED WE PICK AN ALTERNATE ON THE W SIDE OF THE WX LINES INCREASING THE FUEL JUST SLIGHTLY AND CONTINUE. I AGREED AND ALB WAS THE ALTERNATE. AFTER DEP, CTR IMMEDIATELY STOPPED OUR FORWARD MOVEMENT AS WELL AS EVERYONE ELSE'S BY HOLDING US AT JHW (100 MI E OF CLE) AT FL260. WE HELD THROUGH 2 EFC TIMES TALKING TO DISPATCH THROUGHOUT. UPON BEING RELEASED FROM THE HOLD, A MINIMUM FUEL SUPPLY REMAINED AND DISPATCH CALCULATED THAT WE WOULD LAND IN ISP WITH 45 MINS OF RESERVE IF NO FURTHER DEVS OCCURRED. WE CLBED TO FL330 AND FLEW STRAIGHT. ON THE ARR WE DECLARED 'LOW FUEL ADVISORY TO NEW YORK APCH.' AT TMU JUST 50 OR SO MI FROM ISP WE WERE HELD WITH AN UNACCEPTABLE EFC. UPON TELLING ATC THIS WE WERE TOLD THE HOLD WOULD BE INDEFINITE AND IT WAS FOR WX. THE ATIS AT ISP SHOWED 2 1/2 MI VISIBILITY. UNABLE TO CONTACT DISPATCH, I DECLARED AN EMER TO OPERATE OUT OF THE RELEASE PARAMETERS AND DIVERTED TO PVD. LANDED WITH 30 MINS OF FUEL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.