Alert archive / Massachusetts / Tornado Warnings in 2026

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

June 18, 2026Hampden County, Hampshire County, Worcester County, Massachusetts

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this tornado warning at Jun 18, 2026, 5:30 PM EDT for Hampden County, Hampshire County, Worcester County, Massachusetts. It was in force for 26 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Jun 18, 2026, 5:30 PM EDT (21:30 UTC)
Expired
Jun 18, 2026, 5:56 PM EDT
In force
26 min
Issued by
NWS Boston/Norton, MA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.75 in

Counties Hampden County, MA, Hampshire County, MA, Worcester County, MA

The radar

The Boston radar (KBOX), 86 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:30 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jun 18, 1:45 PM EDTTornado WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Brookhaven, NY (KOKX), launched 12:00Z, 9.5 hours before the alert went out and 167 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Brookhaven, NY at 12:00Z on 2026-06-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 22 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Brookhaven, NY at 12:00Z on 2026-06-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 323 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
22 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-101 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
583 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
53 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
323 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
384 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

258 
WFUS51 KBOX 182130
TORBOX
MAC013-015-027-182215-
/O.NEW.KBOX.TO.W.0002.260618T2130Z-260618T2215Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
530 PM EDT Thu Jun 18 2026

The National Weather Service in Boston/Norton has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  West central Worcester County in central Massachusetts...
  Eastern Hampshire County in western Massachusetts...
  East central Hampden County in western Massachusetts...

* Until 615 PM EDT.

* At 530 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over West Brookfield, or 17 miles west of Worcester,
  moving east at 35 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. 
           Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree 
           damage is likely.

* This dangerous storm will be near...
  Spencer, Leicester, Rutland, Paxton, North Brookfield, West 
  Brookfield, Brookfield, East Brookfield, Oakham, and New Braintree 
  around 535 PM EDT.
  Worcester, Holden, and Auburn around 540 PM EDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 4218 7224 4229 7226 4241 7191 4220 7184
TIME...MOT...LOC 2130Z 260DEG 32KT 4222 7214 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN

$$

BW
1 follow-up statement
538 
WWUS51 KBOX 182156
SVSBOX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
556 PM EDT Thu Jun 18 2026

MAC013-015-027-182206-
/O.CAN.KBOX.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-260618T2215Z/
Worcester MA-Hampshire MA-Hampden MA-
556 PM EDT Thu Jun 18 2026

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR WEST CENTRAL WORCESTER...EASTERN HAMPSHIRE
AND EAST CENTRAL HAMPDEN COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area.
Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 700 PM EDT for western and
central Massachusetts.

To report severe weather, contact your nearest law enforcement
agency. They will relay your report to the National Weather Service
Boston/Norton.

LAT...LON 4218 7224 4229 7226 4241 7191 4220 7184
TIME...MOT...LOC 2150Z 260DEG 32KT 4226 7183 

$$

CB

The office that day

Everything else NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 18, 2:22 AM EDTGale WarningBOX20 hr
Jun 18, 3:00 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXFranklin, Hampshire60 min
Jun 18, 4:05 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXFranklin, Middlesex, Worcester55 min
Jun 18, 5:23 PM EDTTornado WarningBOXMiddlesex, Worcester31 min
Jun 18, 5:55 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXMiddlesex, Norfolk, Worcester21 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Massachusetts, 2026Every tornado warning in 2026Tornadoes in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.