Winter Storm, Berkshire
- When
- March 31, 8:00 AM EST to 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Berkshire forecast zone
- Property damage
- $1.0 million
- Coordinates
- 42.371, -73.206 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm in Massachusetts, March 31, 1997
On March 31 and April 1, a classic late season nor'easter tracked from the Chesapeake Bay area northeast to central coastal New Jersey then slowly out to sea. This system produced rain across Berkshire County during the morning hours of March 31.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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
- $1.0 million
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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 ALY wrote it up.
On March 31 and April 1, a classic late season nor'easter tracked from the Chesapeake Bay area northeast to central coastal New Jersey then slowly out to sea. This system produced rain across Berkshire County during the morning hours of March 31. The rain changed to heavy wet snow by early afternoon. Snowfall amounts were highly elevation dependent with up to 30 inches in the highest peaks of the Berkshires. Some specific snowfall totals included: 8 inches at Great Barrington, 12 inches at North Adams, 23 inches at Dalton, 21 inches at Monterey and 20 inches at Lenoxdale. The wet snow brought down many trees and power lines causing widespread power outages and road closures. Some areas remained without power for several days.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- Winter Storm
- A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Winter Storm in Utah, March 31, 1997
- Coastal Flood in New York, March 31, 1997
- Coastal Flood in Connecticut, March 31, 1997
- Winter Storm in New York, March 31, 1997
- Strong Wind in Virginia, March 31, 1997
- Winter Storm in Vermont, March 31, 1997
- Winter Storm in Connecticut, March 31, 1997
- Strong Wind in Maryland, March 31, 1997
- Winter Storm in Vermont, March 31, 1997
- Heavy Snow and High Wind in Massachusetts, March 31, 1997
- Strong Wind in West Virginia, March 31, 1997
- Heavy Snow and High Wind in New Jersey, March 31, 1997
More
Every storm in Massachusetts in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Massachusetts, March 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: 5592697.