Thunderstorm Wind, Franklin
- When
- July 3, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Franklin County, Montague
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Coordinates
- 42.530, -72.530
Hail and Damaging Winds in Massachusetts, July 3, 1997
A line of severe thunderstorms swept across the state producing tornadoes and strong thunderstorm winds in the western part of the state and several reports of strong thunderstorm winds in Worcester County in central Massachusetts. As the line of storms moved east and southeast, there were many reports of large hail.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it. 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
- 9
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 line of severe thunderstorms swept across the state producing tornadoes and strong thunderstorm winds in the western part of the state and several reports of strong thunderstorm winds in Worcester County in central Massachusetts. As the line of storms moved east and southeast, there were many reports of large hail. Dime size hail was reported in Littleton in Middlesex County as well as in several communities in Bristol County. There even was a report of golf ball size hail from Rochester in the southern part of Plymouth County. There was dime size hail from Sandwich on the western part of Cape Cod. Lightning strikes started several small fires which resulted in only minor damage. Scattered power outages were reported.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
5 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm Wind, Hampshire
- When
- July 3, 6:35 PM EST
- Where
- Hampshire County, Ware
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Coordinates
- 42.270, -72.230
Thunderstorm Wind, Franklin
- When
- July 3, 6:45 PM EST
- Where
- Franklin County, Shutesbury
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Coordinates
- 42.450, -72.400
Thunderstorm Wind, Worcester
- When
- July 3, 6:45 PM EST to 7:00 PM EST
- Where
- Worcester County, Hardwick
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Coordinates
- 42.350, -72.200
Hail, Middlesex
- When
- July 3, 8:35 PM EST
- Where
- Middlesex County, Littleton
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 42.530, -71.500
Hail, Bristol
- When
- July 3, 9:25 PM EST
- Where
- Bristol County, Acushnet
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 41.680, -70.920
Hail, Bristol
- When
- July 3, 9:40 PM EST
- Where
- Bristol County, Acushnet
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Coordinates
- 41.680, -70.920
Hail, Plymouth
- When
- July 3, 10:00 PM EST
- Where
- Plymouth County, Rochester
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 41.730, -70.820
Hail, Barnstable
- When
- July 3, 10:25 PM EST
- Where
- Barnstable County, Sandwich
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 41.750, -70.500
What these are
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornadoes and Hail in New York, July 3, 1997
- Tornadoes and Hail in Massachusetts, July 3, 1997
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in New Hampshire, July 3, 1997
- Heat in Florida, July 3, 1997
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Kansas, July 3 to 21, 1997
- Hail in Missouri, July 3, 1997
- Damaging Winds in Vermont, July 3, 1997
- Tornado in Massachusetts, July 3, 1997
- Tornado in Massachusetts, July 3, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, July 3, 1997
- Damaging Winds in New York, July 3, 1997
- Hail in Missouri, July 3, 1997
More
Every storm in Massachusetts in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Massachusetts, July 1997
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: 5613841, 5613842, 5613843, 5613844, 5613845, 5613846, 5613847, 5613848, 5613849.