Massachusetts, 1999

Hail and Damaging Winds in Massachusetts, July 24, 1999

July 24, 1999 · NWS BOX · 15 events in 6 counties and zones

Severe thunderstorms brought damaging winds and large hail to much of central and eastern Massachusetts. The hardest hit areas were in Boston's North and South Shore communities, where there were countless reports of downed trees and power lines, and hail as large as ping pong balls.

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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
15

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.

Severe thunderstorms brought damaging winds and large hail to much of central and eastern Massachusetts. The hardest hit areas were in Boston's North and South Shore communities, where there were countless reports of downed trees and power lines, and hail as large as ping pong balls. In Essex County north of Boston, a microburst with wind speeds estimated between 80 and 100 mph caused extensive damage in Middleton and Peabody. Many large trees were totally uprooted, large pine trees were snapped off above the ground, and shingles were blown off two houses. The strongest winds occurred in Middleton, in the area of Lake Street between Wills Hill Reservoir and Middleton Pond. Another severe thunderstorm produced a wind gust to 74 mph at Logan International Airport in Boston. During the height of the storms, thousands of people were estimated to have lost power throughout the Bay State.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 thunderstorm wind, 6 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Essex

When
July 24, 3:46 PM EST to 4:18 PM EST
Where
Essex County, Haverhill to Newburyport
Measured
1.5 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
42.780, -71.080

Lightning, Worcester

When
July 24, 4:00 PM EST
Where
Worcester County, Worcester
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
42.351, -71.908 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Worcester

When
July 24, 4:11 PM EST
Where
Worcester County, Northborough
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.320, -71.630

Thunderstorm Wind, Worcester

When
July 24, 4:15 PM EST
Where
Worcester County, Northborough to Shrewsbury
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.320, -71.630

Hail, Middlesex

When
July 24, 4:17 PM EST to 4:36 PM EST
Where
Middlesex County, Littleton to Acton
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
42.530, -71.500

Thunderstorm Wind, Middlesex

When
July 24, 4:36 PM EST to 5:10 PM EST
Where
Middlesex County, Shirley to Wakefield
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
42.530, -71.650

Hail, Essex

When
July 24, 5:00 PM EST to 5:07 PM EST
Where
Essex County, Rowley to Peabody
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
42.720, -70.870

Hail, Middlesex

When
July 24, 5:05 PM EST
Where
Middlesex County, Wakefield
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.500, -71.070

Thunderstorm Wind, Essex

When
July 24, 5:10 PM EST to 5:35 PM EST
Where
Essex County, Andover to Peabody
Measured
75 kt (86 mph)
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
42.650, -71.130

Hail, Hampden

When
July 24, 5:45 PM EST
Where
Hampden County, Chicopee
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
42.130, -72.580

Thunderstorm Wind, Worcester

When
July 24, 5:45 PM EST
Where
Worcester County, Barre
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates
42.420, -72.100

Thunderstorm Wind, Essex

When
July 24, 7:13 PM EST to 7:25 PM EST
Where
Essex County, Amesbury to Groveland
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
42.850, -70.930

Thunderstorm Wind, Norfolk

When
July 24, 8:05 PM EST
Where
Norfolk County, Dedham
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
42.230, -71.150

Thunderstorm Wind, Suffolk

When
July 24, 8:45 PM EST
Where
Suffolk County, (Bos)logan Intl Arpt
Measured
64 kt (74 mph)
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.370, -71.000

Thunderstorm Wind, Norfolk

When
July 24, 10:20 PM EST
Where
Norfolk County, Wrentham
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
42.070, -71.330

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Massachusetts in 1999Every state in 1999This day in weather historyWarnings in Massachusetts, July 1999

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: 5710790, 5710889, 5710791, 5710792, 5710793, 5710794, 5710795, 5710796, 5710797, 5710798, 5710799, 5710800, 5710801, 5710802, 5710888.