High Wind in Massachusetts, February 25, 1996

Name: High Wind in Massachusetts, February 25, 1996
Start: 1996-02-25T07:00
End: 1996-02-25T17:00
Location: Massachusetts

February 25, 1996 · NWS BOX · 12 events in 12 counties and zones

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

Open the live radar over this ground

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 deep low pressure system over northern Maine combined with a strong high pressure area centered over South Carolina to produce a "tight pressure gradient" and a period of very powerful and damaging west to northwest winds. In Western Massachusetts, in Hampden County, tree limbs were reported blown down and power outages occurred in Westfield, Springfield, West Springfield, and Southwick. In Agawam, trees were reported blown down and a sign blew down at a local store. A portion of a metal roof was blown off a supermarket in Southwick. Several parked cars were damaged by falling trees in Springfield. A wind gust to 66 mph was recorded in downtown Springfield at 7:03 AM. Westover Air Force Base reported a peak gust to 61 mph. The local electric utility stated that up to 10,000 customers lost power. In Sturbridge, located in Worcester County, a tandem trailer truck was overturned by the wind on Interstate 84. Worcester Municipal Airport had a peak wind gust to 70 mph. In Middlesex County, more than 20 percent of the town of Tyngborough was without power. In Framingham, dozens of homes lost power for up to 8 hours. In Norfolk County, in Milton, the Blue Hill Observatory recorded a peak wind gust to 70 mph. Scattered power outages also were reported throughout Norfolk, Suffolk, Plymouth, and Bristol Counties and the total number of electric customers who lost power numbered several thousand. A peak wind gust to 53 mph was recorded at Logan International Airport in Boston. Seven utility poles snapped and fell like dominoes in Somerset in Bristol County. A peak wind gust to 58 mph was reported in New Bedford. A tree was reported blown down on a house in Norton.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Western Middlesex

When: February 25, 7:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Western Middlesex forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Western Hampden

When: February 25, 7:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Western Hampden forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 42.135, -72.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Eastern Hampden

When: February 25, 7:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Eastern Hampden forecast zone
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph)
Coordinates: 42.135, -72.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Southern Worcester

When: February 25, 7:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Southern Worcester forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates: 42.351, -71.908 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Western Norfolk

When: February 25, 7:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Western Norfolk forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 42.171, -71.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Suffolk

When: February 25, 7:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Suffolk forecast zone
Measured: 46 kt (53 mph)
Coordinates: 42.264, -71.125 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Eastern Norfolk

When: February 25, 7:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Eastern Norfolk forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates: 42.171, -71.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Northern Bristol

When: February 25, 7:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Northern Bristol forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 41.757, -71.088 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Western Plymouth

When: February 25, 7:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Western Plymouth forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 41.987, -70.737 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Eastern Plymouth

When: February 25, 7:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Eastern Plymouth forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 42.079, -70.960 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Southern Bristol

When: February 25, 7:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Southern Bristol forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 41.757, -71.088 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Southern Plymouth

When: February 25, 7:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Southern Plymouth forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 41.987, -70.737 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Massachusetts in 1996 Every state in 1996 This day in weather history Warnings in Massachusetts, February 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: 5552224, 5552225, 5552226, 5552227, 5552228, 5552229, 5552230, 5552231, 5552232, 5552233, 5552234, 5552235.