Flash Flooding and Flood in Massachusetts, March 30 to 31, 2001

Name: Flash Flooding and Flood in Massachusetts, March 30 to 31, 2001
Start: 2001-03-30T13:15
End: 2001-03-31T23:59
Location: Massachusetts

March 30 to 31, 2001 · NWS BOX · 18 events in 15 counties and zones

Snowfall accumulations were confined to the higher terrain of western, central, and northeast Massachusetts where around one foot of snow fell. As much as 15 inches fell in Ashburnham, 12 inches in Leyden and Shelburne, and 11 inches in Shirley.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 18 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: $8.0 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 18

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 storm system brought heavy snow to portions of interior Massachusetts, heavy rain and strong winds closer to the coast, and renewed flooding on some rivers and streams in eastern Massachusetts.Snowfall accumulations were confined to the higher terrain of western, central, and northeast Massachusetts where around one foot of snow fell. As much as 15 inches fell in Ashburnham, 12 inches in Leyden and Shelburne, and 11 inches in Shirley. The lower elevations reported snowfall totals between 3 and 6 inches on average. In general, accumulating snows fell along and outside of the Interstate 495 corridor.Strong northeast winds buffeted the coast, averaging between 40 and 50 mph over land. Logan International Airport in Boston reported a sustained 40 mph wind around 5 pm. In Massachusetts Bay, a Boston pilot boat reported winds of 50 to 55 knots with a gust to 65 knots around 6 pm. Seas were in excess of 20 feet at that time. Heavy rain fell across much of southeast Massachusetts, where many places in Norfolk, Bristol, Plymouth, and Barnstable Counties reported rainfall totals of 3 to 5 inches. As much as 6.21 inches of rain fell in Fairhaven, 5.74 inches in New Bedford, 4.25 inches in Sandwich, and 3.65 inches in Plymouth. The heavy rain caused renewed minor flooding on some rivers in eastern Massachusetts, primarily since river flows were still high after the flooding from the past week. The most serious flooding occurred on the Paskamanset River in South Dartmouth, where several roads were closed by flood waters. The river crested at 14.31 feet at 1230 pm on the 31st (flood stage is 14 feet).

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Boston/Norton, MA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 30, 10:30 AM EST, 2 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 30, 10:30 AM EST, 2 hours 45 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
1030 AM EST FRI MAR 30 2001

THE CURRENT FORECAST...AS A WHOLE IS FINE.  WILL HAVE TO TWEAK TWO
OR THREE SMALL AREAS.  NORTHERN MIDDLESEX COUNTY WILL BE TWEAKED A
LITTLE TO ACCOUNT FOR THE FACT THAT THE SNOW IS STILL FALLING AT A
STEADY CLIP WEST AND NORTH OF BEDFORD AND WOBURN.  5 INCH AMOUNTS
HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN CHELMSFORD AND SHIRLEY.  SECOND AREA TO BE
TWEAKED WILL BE KENT AND PROVIDENCE COUNTIES OF RHODE ISLAND WHERE
A FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED UNTIL 10 PM THIS EVENING.

.BOX...RIVER FLOOD WARNINGS FOR SMALL RIVERS AND STREAMS
       IN NORTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS SEE BOSFLSBOS RWUS42
       AND BOSFFSBOS RWUS32.
       FLOOD WATCH ALL CWA EXCPT FRANKLIN HAMPSHIRE AND WRN
       HAMPDEN AND CAPE AND ISLES FOR FRI AND SAT.
       GLW ALL WATERS.
       WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY THIS MORNING NHZ011-012

The radar

The Boston radar (KBOX), 63 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:16 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 heavy snow, 4 strong wind, 4 heavy rain, 2 flash flood, 1 high wind, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Middlesex

When: March 30, 1:15 PM EST to March 31, 5:15 PM EST
Where: Middlesex County, Waltham
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates: 42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Charles River at Waltham

Strong Wind, Eastern Essex

When: March 30, 2:00 PM EST to March 31, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Eastern Essex forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.639, -70.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Barnstable

When: March 30, 2:00 PM EST to March 31, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Barnstable forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.684, -70.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Eastern Norfolk

When: March 30, 2:00 PM EST to March 31, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Eastern Norfolk forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.171, -71.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Nantucket

When: March 30, 2:00 PM EST to March 31, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Nantucket forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.270, -70.022 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Suffolk / Also Part of Norfolk

When: March 30, 4:01 PM EST
Where: Suffolk / Also Part of Norfolk forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.264, -71.125 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Western Franklin

When: March 30, 10:00 PM EST to March 31, 2:00 PM EST
Where: Western Franklin forecast zone
Property damage: $8.0 million
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.583, -72.592 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Eastern Franklin

When: March 30, 10:00 PM EST to March 31, 2:00 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)

Heavy Snow, Northern Worcester

When: March 30, 10:00 PM EST to March 31, 2:00 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)

Heavy Snow, Western Essex

When: March 30, 10:00 PM EST to March 31, 2:00 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)

Heavy Snow, Western Hampshire

When: March 30, 10:00 PM EST to March 31, 2:00 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)

Heavy Snow, Western Middlesex

When: March 30, 10:00 PM EST to March 31, 2:00 PM EST
Where: Western Middlesex forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Norfolk

When: March 30, 10:00 PM EST to March 31, 2:00 PM EST
Where: Norfolk County, Randolph
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.171, -71.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Barnstable

When: March 30, 10:00 PM EST to March 31, 2:00 PM EST
Where: Barnstable County, Sandwich
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.684, -70.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Bristol

When: March 30, 10:00 PM EST to March 31, 2:00 PM EST
Where: Bristol County, Fairhaven
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.757, -71.088 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Plymouth

When: March 30, 10:00 PM EST to March 31, 2:00 PM EST
Where: Plymouth County, Plymouth
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.987, -70.737 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Western Middlesex

When: March 31, 12:00 AM EST to 11:59 PM EST
Where: Western Middlesex forecast zone
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates: 42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Assabet River at Maynard

Flash Flood, Bristol

When: March 31, 6:15 AM EST to 11:59 PM EST
Where: Bristol County, Norton
Reported by: OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates: 41.757, -71.088 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wading River at Norton and Paskamanset River at S Dartmouth

What these are

Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
Strong Wind: Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Heavy Rain: Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Massachusetts in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Massachusetts, March 2001

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: 5238038, 5238029, 5238030, 5238031, 5238032, 5238028, 5238022, 5238023, 5238024, 5238025, 5238026, 5238027, 5238033, 5238034, 5238035, 5238036, 5238037, 5238039.