Massachusetts, 2002

Hail in Massachusetts, June 17, 2002

June 17, 2002 · NWS ALY · 3 events in 1 county or zone

For the second day in a row, scattered thunderstorms developed across Berkshire County as the result of a very unstable atmosphere abetted by an unseaonably cold pocket of air aloft. One cell became severe as it brought quarter-size hail to North Adams.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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
3

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.

For the second day in a row, scattered thunderstorms developed across Berkshire County as the result of a very unstable atmosphere abetted by an unseaonably cold pocket of air aloft. One cell became severe as it brought quarter-size hail to North Adams. Later, that storm desposited one inch hail on the border of Williamstown and New Ashford. Dime size hail was reported in the town of Adams.

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 Albany, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 17, 3:00 PM EST, 3 hours 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 17, 3:00 PM EST, 3 hours 1 minute before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY
400 PM EDT MON JUN 17 2002

.DISC...

H500 SUB MINUS 20 AIR AND S/WV THRU ERN LAKES
KEEPING SCT SHOWERS / THUNDER OVER MAINLY NRN
PTNS REGION THIS EVENING.  ACTION GETTING BIG
DIURNAL KICK AT THIS TIME.  H500 STARTS WARM
TUESDAY BUT TROF LINGERS AS IT SAGS SOUTH.
H500 RIDGE WRAP WEDNESDAY TO NORTHWEST...HOW
EVER RETURN FLOW AND STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY
MAKE SOUTHEAST CATSKILLS TARGET FOR CHANCE POPS
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.

.HYDROLOGICAL STATUS...THE MOHAWK RIVER LEVELED
OFF.  STREAMS AND RIVERS ARE GENERALLY RUNNING A
LITTLE HIGH FOR THE TIME OF YEAR. NO HYDRO PROBLEMS
EXPECTED.

.ALY...NONE.

WILEY

The radar

The Albany radar (KENX), 80 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:01 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Berkshire

When
June 17, 6:01 PM EST
Where
Berkshire County, North Adams
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.700, -73.100

Hail, Berkshire

When
June 17, 7:16 PM EST
Where
Berkshire County, New Ashford
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.600, -73.233

Hail, Berkshire

When
June 17, 7:26 PM EST
Where
Berkshire County, Adams
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.633, -73.117

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Massachusetts in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Massachusetts, June 2002

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: 5305279, 5305277, 5305278.