Heavy Snow, Western Franklin
- When
- April 7, 6:00 PM EST to April 8, 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Western Franklin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.583, -72.592 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow in Massachusetts, April 7 to 8, 1996
A low pressure system developed off the North Carolina coast and a nor'easter accompanied by heavy, wet snow began during the late afternoon and early evening on Easter Sunday. The maximum snowfall accumulation of 6 to 10 inches from this storm was measured on grassy surfaces and snow boards and was reported from several parts of the state, including a small area on western Cape Cod near…
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 12 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 12
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS BOX wrote it up.
A low pressure system developed off the North Carolina coast and a nor'easter accompanied by heavy, wet snow began during the late afternoon and early evening on Easter Sunday. The maximum snowfall accumulation of 6 to 10 inches from this storm was measured on grassy surfaces and snow boards and was reported from several parts of the state, including a small area on western Cape Cod near Falmouth and Sandwich, which had 6 inches. Other areas on the Cape and Martha's Vineyard had from 2 to 5 inches. Parts of Bristol and Norfolk Counties and most of Worcester and Middlesex Counties had 6 to 8 inches. Similar totals were reported from higher elevations of Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden Counties. The maximum amounts included: West Townsend, 8.0 inches; Shrewsbury, 7.8 inches; Blue Hill Observatory - Milton, 7.0 inches; and Norton, 6.7 inches. Boston had only 1.3 inches. Road surfaces and other pavements had only slushy accumulations, except in higher elevations. Temperatures remained slightly above freezing and snow stuck to trees and wires, resulting in a few scattered power outages.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
12 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Snow, Western Middlesex
- When
- April 7, 6:00 PM EST to April 8, 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Western Middlesex forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Western Hampden
- When
- April 7, 6:00 PM EST to April 8, 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Western Hampden forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.135, -72.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Eastern Hampshire
- When
- April 7, 6:00 PM EST to April 8, 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Eastern Hampshire forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.340, -72.664 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Southern Worcester
- When
- April 7, 6:00 PM EST to April 8, 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Southern Worcester forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.351, -71.908 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Western Norfolk
- When
- April 7, 6:00 PM EST to April 8, 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Western Norfolk forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.171, -71.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Southeast Middlesex
- When
- April 7, 6:00 PM EST to April 8, 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Southeast Middlesex forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Suffolk
- When
- April 7, 6:00 PM EST to April 8, 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Suffolk forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.264, -71.125 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Eastern Norfolk
- When
- April 7, 6:00 PM EST to April 8, 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Eastern Norfolk forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.171, -71.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Northern Bristol
- When
- April 7, 6:00 PM EST to April 8, 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Northern Bristol forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.757, -71.088 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Southern Bristol
- When
- April 7, 6:00 PM EST to April 8, 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Southern Bristol forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.757, -71.088 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Barnstable
- When
- April 7, 6:00 PM EST to April 8, 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Barnstable forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.684, -70.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Heavy Snow
- Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
More
Every storm in Massachusetts in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Massachusetts, April 1996
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5551326, 5551327, 5551328, 5551329, 5551330, 5551331, 5551332, 5551333, 5551334, 5551335, 5551336, 5551337.