Massachusetts, 1998

Ice Storm and Heavy Snow in Massachusetts, January 15 to 16, 1998

January 15 to 16, 1998 · NWS BOX · 14 events in 14 counties and zones

Low pressure moved from the southeastern United States to a position off the Mid-Atlantic coast. Heavy snow and a pocket of freezing rain affected much of the state.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 14 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
14

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.

Low pressure moved from the southeastern United States to a position off the Mid-Atlantic coast. Heavy snow and a pocket of freezing rain affected much of the state. A moderate ice storm occurred across much of Hampden County. The maximum ice accretion reported was 5/8 inch in Agawam. A few scattered power outages were reported. Heavy snow occurred across Massachusetts from Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Middlesex Counties in the Greater Boston area west and northwest across Worcester and Franklin Counties. Maximum snowfall totals reached 10 inches in parts of Middlesex and Worcester Counties. Some totals included: Princeton, 10 inches; Sudbury and Clinton, 9.5 inches; Shrewsbury, 9.0 inches; Worcester, 8.8 inches; Westboro, 8.4 inches; Rowe, Shelburne, and Bernardston, 8.0 inches; and Blue Hill, in Milton, 7.0 inches. Boston's Logan International Airport had 3.5 inches. This storm resulted in many school closings and a difficult Friday morning commute and poor driving conditions in the heavy snow and freezing rain areas.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 heavy snow, 1 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Eastern Hampden

When
January 15, 6:00 PM EST to January 16, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Eastern Hampden forecast zone
Coordinates
42.135, -72.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Western Franklin

When
January 15, 9:00 PM EST to January 16, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Western Franklin forecast zone
Coordinates
42.583, -72.592 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Eastern Essex

When
January 15, 9:00 PM EST to January 16, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Eastern Essex forecast zone
Coordinates
42.639, -70.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Eastern Franklin

When
January 15, 9:00 PM EST to January 16, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Eastern Franklin forecast zone
Coordinates
42.583, -72.592 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Eastern Norfolk

When
January 15, 9:00 PM EST to January 16, 12:00 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
January 15, 9:00 PM EST to January 16, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Northern Bristol forecast zone
Coordinates
41.757, -71.088 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northern Worcester

When
January 15, 9:00 PM EST to January 16, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Northern Worcester forecast zone
Coordinates
42.351, -71.908 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southeast Middlesex

When
January 15, 9:00 PM EST to January 16, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Southeast Middlesex forecast zone
Coordinates
42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern Worcester

When
January 15, 9:00 PM EST to January 16, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Southern Worcester forecast zone
Coordinates
42.351, -71.908 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Suffolk / Also Part of Norfolk

When
January 15, 9:00 PM EST to January 16, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Suffolk / Also Part of Norfolk forecast zone
Coordinates
42.264, -71.125 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Western Essex

When
January 15, 9:00 PM EST to January 16, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Western Essex forecast zone
Coordinates
42.639, -70.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Western Hampshire

When
January 15, 9:00 PM EST to January 16, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Western Hampshire forecast zone
Coordinates
42.340, -72.664 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Western Middlesex

When
January 15, 9:00 PM EST to January 16, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Western Middlesex forecast zone
Coordinates
42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Western Norfolk

When
January 15, 9:00 PM EST to January 16, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Western Norfolk forecast zone
Coordinates
42.171, -71.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Ice Storm
Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.
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 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Massachusetts, January 1998

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: 5635703, 5635704, 5635705, 5635706, 5635707, 5635708, 5635709, 5635710, 5635711, 5635712, 5635713, 5635714, 5635715, 5635716.