High Wind, Eastern Essex
- When
- December 12, 8:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Essex forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.639, -70.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind and Strong Wind in Massachusetts, December 12, 2000
A strong cold front brought damaging wind gusts to parts of Massachusetts. Most of the wind damage was concentrated along the coastal plain of eastern Massachusetts, as well as in the higher elevations of Hampden and southern Worcester counties, but there were scattered reports of damage in other areas of the Bay State.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 23 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
- 23
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 strong cold front brought damaging wind gusts to parts of Massachusetts. Most of the wind damage was concentrated along the coastal plain of eastern Massachusetts, as well as in the higher elevations of Hampden and southern Worcester counties, but there were scattered reports of damage in other areas of the Bay State. Wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph were common, but a gust as high as 76 mph was reported at the New Bedford Hurricane Barrier. There were many reports of downed trees, tree limbs, and power lines. A total of about 10,000 electric customers were left without power throughout the state.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
13 strong wind, 10 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
High Wind, Barnstable
- When
- December 12, 8:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Barnstable forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 41.684, -70.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Eastern Hampden
- When
- December 12, 8:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Hampden forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.135, -72.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Eastern Norfolk
- When
- December 12, 8:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Norfolk forecast zone
- Measured
- 54 kt (62 mph)
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 42.171, -71.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Nantucket
- When
- December 12, 8:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Nantucket forecast zone
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 41.270, -70.022 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Southern Bristol
- When
- December 12, 8:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Southern Bristol forecast zone
- Measured
- 68 kt (78 mph)
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.757, -71.088 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Southern Plymouth
- When
- December 12, 8:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Southern Plymouth forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.987, -70.737 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Southern Worcester
- When
- December 12, 8:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Southern Worcester forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 42.351, -71.908 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Suffolk / Also Part of Norfolk
- When
- December 12, 8:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Suffolk / Also Part of Norfolk forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.264, -71.125 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Western Plymouth
- When
- December 12, 8:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Western Plymouth forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.987, -70.737 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Western Franklin
- When
- December 12, 8:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Western Franklin forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.583, -72.592 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Dukes
- When
- December 12, 8:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Dukes forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 41.389, -70.699 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Eastern Franklin
- When
- December 12, 8:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Franklin forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.583, -72.592 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Eastern Hampshire
- When
- December 12, 8:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Hampshire forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.340, -72.664 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Eastern Plymouth / Also Part of Norfolk
- When
- December 12, 8:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Eastern Plymouth / Also Part of Norfolk forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 42.079, -70.960 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Northern Bristol
- When
- December 12, 8:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Northern Bristol forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 41.757, -71.088 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Northern Worcester
- When
- December 12, 8:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Northern Worcester forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.351, -71.908 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Southeast Middlesex
- When
- December 12, 8:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Southeast Middlesex forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Western Essex
- When
- December 12, 8:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Western Essex forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.639, -70.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Western Hampden
- When
- December 12, 8:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Western Hampden forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 42.135, -72.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Western Hampshire
- When
- December 12, 8:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Western Hampshire forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.340, -72.664 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Western Middlesex
- When
- December 12, 8:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Western Middlesex forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Western Norfolk
- When
- December 12, 8:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Western Norfolk forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 42.171, -71.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
- Strong Wind
- Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Ice Storm in Louisiana, December 12 to 13, 2000
- High Wind in Pennsylvania, December 12, 2000
- High Wind in Pennsylvania, December 12, 2000
- Ice Storm in Arkansas, December 12 to 13, 2000
- High Wind in New York, December 12, 2000
- Ice Storm in Texas, December 12 to 13, 2000
- High Wind in New Jersey, December 12, 2000
- Heavy Snow in Kansas, December 12 to 13, 2000
- Cold in South Carolina, December 12 to 13, 2000
- High Wind in New York, December 12, 2000
- High Wind in New York, December 12, 2000
- High Wind in New York, December 12, 2000
More
Every storm in Massachusetts in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in Massachusetts, December 2000
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: 5167551, 5167552, 5167682, 5167683, 5167684, 5167685, 5167686, 5167687, 5167688, 5167689, 5167690, 5167691, 5167692, 5167693, 5167694, 5167695, 5167696, 5167697, 5167698, 5167699, 5167700, 5167701, 5167702.