Heavy Snow, Western Franklin
- When
- March 7, 10:00 AM EST to March 8, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Western Franklin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.583, -72.592 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow in Massachusetts, March 7 to 8, 1996
A low pressure system moved northeastward from North Carolina and passed just to the southeast of New England, bringing yet another heavy snow storm to most of the state. Snowfall totals ranged from less than 6 inches over southern Plymouth and Bristol Counties and Cape Cod and the Islands to 7 to 18 inches across the rest of the state.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 18 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
- 18
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 moved northeastward from North Carolina and passed just to the southeast of New England, bringing yet another heavy snow storm to most of the state. Snowfall totals ranged from less than 6 inches over southern Plymouth and Bristol Counties and Cape Cod and the Islands to 7 to 18 inches across the rest of the state. A total of 18 inches was reported from Rowley in Essex County. There was some light freezing rain and drizzle in the eastern part of the state on March 6th and early March 7th preceding this storm. Significant snowfall beagn during the afternoon on March 7th. Snowfall totals for the season beginning in November, 1995 soared to new all-time records in excess of 100 inches. Some storm totals and seasonal totals included: in Essex County, Methuen 14.5 inches/120.8 inches, Gloucester and West Peabody 10.5 inches;in Middlesex County, East Woburn 14 inches, Tyngsboro 13 inches,West Townsend 12.5 inches/116.8 inches; in Worcester County, Shrewsbury 12.9 inches/116.9 inches, Westborough 11.6 inches; in Franklin County, Greenfield 10.5 inches; in Norfolk County, Randolph 14.5 inches, Cohasset 10 inches; in Plymouth County, Hingham 12.2 inches/105.8 inches, Brockton and Duxbury 9 inches. Boston's official snowfall was 10.4 inches for this storm and the seasonal total reached an all-time record of 100.3 inches, which exceeded the previous record of 96.3 inches set just two years ago.There were many cancellations and hundreds of minor skidding accidents, as well as slow and difficult commuting.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
18 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Snow, Eastern Franklin
- When
- March 7, 10:00 AM EST to March 8, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Franklin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.583, -72.592 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Northern Worcester
- When
- March 7, 10:00 AM EST to March 8, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Northern Worcester forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.351, -71.908 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Western Middlesex
- When
- March 7, 10:00 AM EST to March 8, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Western Middlesex forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Western Essex
- When
- March 7, 10:00 AM EST to March 8, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Western Essex forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.639, -70.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Eastern Essex
- When
- March 7, 10:00 AM EST to March 8, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Essex forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.639, -70.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Western Hampshire
- When
- March 7, 10:00 AM EST to March 8, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Western Hampshire forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.340, -72.664 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Western Hampden
- When
- March 7, 10:00 AM EST to March 8, 6:00 PM 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
- March 7, 10:00 AM EST to March 8, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Hampshire forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.340, -72.664 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Eastern Hampden
- When
- March 7, 10:00 AM EST to March 8, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Hampden forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.135, -72.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Southern Worcester
- When
- March 7, 10:00 AM EST to March 8, 6:00 PM 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
- March 7, 10:00 AM EST to March 8, 6:00 PM 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
- March 7, 10:00 AM EST to March 8, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Southeast Middlesex forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Suffolk
- When
- March 7, 10:00 AM EST to March 8, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Suffolk forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.264, -71.125 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Eastern Norfolk
- When
- March 7, 10:00 AM EST to March 8, 6:00 PM 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
- March 7, 10:00 AM EST to March 8, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Northern Bristol forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.757, -71.088 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Western Plymouth
- When
- March 7, 10:00 AM EST to March 8, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Western Plymouth forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.987, -70.737 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Eastern Plymouth
- When
- March 7, 10:00 AM EST to March 8, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Plymouth forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.079, -70.960 (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
- Cold in Alabama, March 7 to 10, 1996
- Tornado in Georgia, March 7, 1996
- Cold in Louisiana, March 7 to 10, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Georgia, March 7, 1996
- Flash Flood in Georgia, March 7, 1996
- Winter Storm in Vermont, March 7 to 8, 1996
- Flood in Alabama, March 7, 1996
- Winter Storm in New York, March 7 to 8, 1996
- Flash Flood in Alabama, March 7, 1996
- Lightning Strike in Alabama, March 7, 1996
- Winter Weather in Tennessee, March 7 to 8, 1996
- Winter Storm in Virginia, March 7 to 8, 1996
More
Every storm in Massachusetts in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Massachusetts, March 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: 5545920, 5545921, 5545922, 5545923, 5545924, 5545925, 5545926, 5545927, 5546088, 5546089, 5546090, 5546091, 5546092, 5546093, 5546094, 5546095, 5546096, 5546097.