Connecticut, 2005

Damaging Winds in Connecticut, August 5, 2005

August 5, 2005 · NWS BOX · 6 events in 3 counties and zones

Showers and thunderstorms developed in a humid airmass ahead of an approaching cold front during the afternoon across northern and northeastern Connecticut. Some of these thunderstorms were severe, producing damaging winds.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$30,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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.

Showers and thunderstorms developed in a humid airmass ahead of an approaching cold front during the afternoon across northern and northeastern Connecticut. Some of these thunderstorms were severe, producing damaging winds. These severe winds downed wires, limbs, and trees, which, in turn, closed roads and knocked out electricity to thousands of customers.In Coventry, the severe winds associated with these thunderstorms downed trees on two roads, closing both roads. Large trees were reported down on Allen Hilldale Road in Brooklyn and on Salem Street in Willington, Connecticut. Trees and wires were knocked down on West Center Street in Manchester, in the Crystal Lake area of Willington, and in Windham, Connecticut.No injuries directly resulted from these severe thunderstorms.

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 Aug 5, 3:03 PM EST, 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 5, 3:03 PM EST, 12 minutes before
CIGS. P6SM SCT-BKN060 AREAS SFC WND G35KT 1SM +TSRA CIGS
    OVC020CB...AFT 23Z P6SM SCT050 BKN120.
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 5, 4:15 AM EST, 11 hours before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
515 AM EDT FRI AUG 5 2005

CTZ002>004-MAZ002>024-026-NHZ011-012-015-RIZ001>008-060900-
BARNSTABLE MA-BLOCK ISLAND RI-BRISTOL RI-CENTRAL MIDDLESEX MA-
CHESHIRE NH-DUKES MA-EASTERN ESSEX MA-EASTERN FRANKLIN MA-
EASTERN HAMPDEN MA-EASTERN HAMPSHIRE MA-EASTERN HILLSBOROUGH NH-
EASTERN KENT RI-EASTERN NORFOLK MA-EASTERN PLYMOUTH MA-HARTFORD CT-
NANTUCKET MA-NEWPORT RI-NORTHERN BRISTOL MA-NORTHERN WORCESTER MA-
NORTHWEST MIDDLESEX MA-NORTHWEST PROVIDENCE RI-
SOUTHEAST MIDDLESEX MA-SOUTHEAST PROVIDENCE RI-SOUTHERN BRISTOL MA-
SOUTHERN PLYMOUTH MA-SOUTHERN WORCESTER MA-SUFFOLK MA-TOLLAND CT-
WASHINGTON RI-WESTERN AND CENTRAL HILLSBOROUGH NH-WESTERN ESSEX MA-
WESTERN FRANKLIN MA-WESTERN HAMPDEN MA-WESTERN HAMPSHIRE MA-
WESTERN KENT RI-WESTERN NORFOLK MA-WESTERN PLYMOUTH MA-WINDHAM CT-
515 AM EDT FRI AUG 5 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST
CONNECTICUT...SOUTHWEST NEW HAMPSHIRE...AND MASSACHUSETTS FROM THE
EAST SLOPES OF THE BERKSHIRES TO THE INTERSTATE 495 CORRIDOR IN
NORTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS.

.DAY ONE (TODAY AND TONIGHT)...
A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH NEW ENGLAND THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING TRIGGERING SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS.  GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY
DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED TO BE THE MAIN THREAT IN ANY THUNDERSTORMS.

A HEAT WAVE IN THE HARTFORD/SPRINGFIELD AREA OF THE CONNECTICUT
RIVER VALLEY WILL COME TO AN END LATE THIS AFTERNOON.  TODAY
WILL BE THE 4TH DAY IN A ROW WITH TEMPERATURES AT OR ABOVE 90
DEGREES...AND A HEAT INDEX NEAR 100 DEGREES.  THE FRONTAL PASSAGE
LATE THIS AFTERNOON WILL BRING A DRIER AND RELATIVELY COOLER
AIRMASS...BRINGING AN END TO THE HEAT WAVE JUST IN TIME FOR THE
WEEKEND.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN (SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY)...
NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME...HOWEVER THERE
EXISTS THE CHANCE FOR SCATTERED AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS FOR MID WEEK.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
SKYWARN SPOTTERS SHOULD MONITOR CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING AND BE PREPARED TO RELAY REPORTS AS NEEDED TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE.

KAB

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 5, 11:17 AM EST, 3 hours 58 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
1217 PM EDT FRI AUG 5 2005

CTZ002>004-MAZ002>024-026-NHZ011-012-015-RIZ001>008-060100-
BARNSTABLE MA-BLOCK ISLAND RI-BRISTOL RI-CENTRAL MIDDLESEX COUNTY MA-
CHESHIRE NH-DUKES MA-EASTERN ESSEX MA-EASTERN FRANKLIN MA-
EASTERN HAMPDEN MA-EASTERN HAMPSHIRE MA-EASTERN HILLSBOROUGH NH-
EASTERN KENT RI-EASTERN NORFOLK MA-EASTERN PLYMOUTH MA-HARTFORD CT-
NANTUCKET MA-NEWPORT RI-NORTHERN BRISTOL MA-NORTHERN WORCESTER MA-
NORTHWEST MIDDLESEX COUNTY MA-NORTHWEST PROVIDENCE RI-
SOUTHEAST MIDDLESEX MA-SOUTHEAST PROVIDENCE RI-SOUTHERN BRISTOL MA-
SOUTHERN PLYMOUTH MA-SOUTHERN WORCESTER MA-SUFFOLK MA-TOLLAND CT-
WASHINGTON RI-WESTERN AND CENTRAL HILLSBOROUGH NH-WESTERN ESSEX MA-
WESTERN FRANKLIN MA-WESTERN HAMPDEN MA-WESTERN HAMPSHIRE MA-
WESTERN KENT RI-WESTERN NORFOLK MA-WESTERN PLYMOUTH MA-WINDHAM CT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...AMHERST...ATTLEBOROUGH...BARNSTABLE...
BARRINGTON...BEVERLY...BOSTON...BRISTOL...BROCKTON...BROOKLINE...
CAMBRIDGE...CHICOPEE...EAST HARTFORD...FALL RIVER...FALMOUTH...
FITCHBURG...FRAMINGHAM...FRANKLIN...GLOUCESTER...GREENFIELD...
HARTFORD...JAFFREY...KEENE...LAWRENCE...LEOMINSTER...LOWELL...LYNN...
MANCHESTER...MANSFIELD...MILFORD...NANTUCKET...NASHUA...
NEW BEDFORD...NEW BRITAIN...NEWBURYPORT...NEWINGTON...NEWPORT...
NEWTON...NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH...NORTHAMPTON...PLAINFIELD...PLYMOUTH...
PROVIDENCE...PUTNAM...QUINCY...SOMERVILLE...SOUTH KINGSTOWN...
SPRINGFIELD...TAUNTON...VERNON...VINEYARD HAVEN...WALTHAM...
WARWICK...WEST HARTFORD...WEYMOUTH...WILLIMANTIC...WINDSOR LOCKS...
WOONSOCKET AND WORCESTER
1217 PM EDT FRI AUG 5 2005

...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVER SOUTHERN NEW
ENGLAND THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...

THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND THIS AFTERNOON
AND CONTINUE ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN SECTIONS INTO THIS EVENING.  SOME
OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE FREQUENT LIGHTNING...WIND GUSTS TO
40 MPH AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS. HEAVY DOWNPOURS MAY PRODUCE PONDING
OF WATER IN AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE.

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS WITH SPEEDS
AROUND 60 MPH AND/OR LARGE HAIL.   ALTHOUGH AN ISOLATED SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM CANNOT BE RULED OUT ANYWHERE IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND
THIS AFTERNOON...THE RISK LOOKS TO BE GREATEST ACROSS RHODE ISLAND
AND SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOST LIKELY BETWEEN 1 PM AND 4 PM ACROSS
SOUTHWEST NEW HAMPSHIRE...CENTRAL AND WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
AND NORTHERN CONNECTICUT. AFTER 3 OR 4 PM...THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY
IS EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE CONCENTRATED ACROSS EASTERN
MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE ISLAND.  A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY
PERSIST UNTIL 8 OR 9 PM OVER CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS.

SKYWARN SPOTTERS AND AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS SHOULD MONITOR
CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...AND BE PREPARED TO RELAY
THEIR REPORTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

PEOPLE OUTDOORS SHOULD KEEP AND EYE TO THE SKY THIS AFTERNOON. A
FEW OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP VERY RAPIDLY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA
WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES.

THOMPSON
Special weather statement, Aug 5, 2:02 PM EST, 1 hour 13 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
302 PM EDT FRI AUG 5 2005

MAZ004-005-026-051945-
CENTRAL MIDDLESEX COUNTY MA-NORTHERN WORCESTER MA-NORTHWEST MIDDLESEX
COUNTY MA-
302 PM EDT FRI AUG 5 2005

AT 259 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE WIND GUSTS TO 50
MPH AND SMALL HAIL OVER AYER...OR ABOUT 12 MILES EAST OF
LEOMINSTER...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...WESTFORD AND CARLISLE BY 320 PM EDT.

INTENSE LIGHTNING IS REPORTED WITH THIS STORM. IF OUTDOORS...STAY
AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. MOVE INDOORS IF
POSSIBLE. WHEN INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID
USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. TRY TO UNPLUG UNNECESSARY
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES BEFORE THE THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES.

FRANK
Special weather statement, Aug 5, 2:14 PM EST, 1 hour 1 minute before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
314 PM EDT FRI AUG 5 2005

MAZ020-021-RIZ004>007-052030-
BRISTOL RI-EASTERN KENT RI-NEWPORT RI-SOUTHERN BRISTOL MA-SOUTHERN
PLYMOUTH MA-WASHINGTON RI-
314 PM EDT FRI AUG 5 2005

...LINE OF STRONG STORMS DEVELOPING JUST NORTH OF THE SOUTH COAST...

AT 313 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE
OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE WIND GUSTS TO
50 MPH AND SMALL HAIL ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM FALL RIVER TO 4
MILES SOUTHWEST OF EAST GREENWICH...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM
FALL RIVER TO 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WARWICK...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...NORTH KINGSTOWN AND TIVERTON BY 320 PM
EDT...WESTPORT BY 330 PM EDT...PRUDENCE ISLAND BY 340 PM EDT...
PORTSMOUTH AND NEW BEDFORD BY 350 PM EDT...MARION BY 400 PM EDT.

FRANK
Special weather statement, Aug 5, 2:19 PM EST, 56 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
319 PM EDT FRI AUG 5 2005

MAZ008-009-052015-
WESTERN HAMPDEN MA-WESTERN HAMPSHIRE MA-
319 PM EDT FRI AUG 5 2005

AT 317 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE WIND GUSTS TO 40
MPH 3 MILES EAST OF HUNTINGTON...OR ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
NORTHAMPTON...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

INTENSE LIGHTNING IS REPORTED WITH THIS STORM. IF OUTDOORS...STAY
AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. MOVE INDOORS IF
POSSIBLE. WHEN INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID
USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. TRY TO UNPLUG UNNECESSARY
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES BEFORE THE THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES.

FRANK
Special weather statement, Aug 5, 2:49 PM EST, 26 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
349 PM EDT FRI AUG 5 2005

MAZ005-006-014-052045-
CENTRAL MIDDLESEX COUNTY MA-SOUTHEAST MIDDLESEX MA-WESTERN ESSEX MA-
349 PM EDT FRI AUG 5 2005

AT 347 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE
OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE WIND GUSTS TO
50 MPH AND SMALL HAIL ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM GEORGETOWN TO 2
MILES NORTH OF WILMINGTON TO 2 MILES EAST OF ACTON...OR ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF NEWBURYPORT TO 8 MILES SOUTH OF
LAWRENCE TO 11 MILES NORTHWEST OF WALTHAM...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...WILMINGTON AND CONCORD BY 400 PM EDT...
TOPSFIELD AND READING BY 410 PM EDT...WOBURN AND WINCHESTER BY 420 PM
EDT...WAKEFIELD AND STONEHAM BY 430 PM EDT.

FRANK

The radar

The Brookhaven radar (KOKX), 106 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:16 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hartford

When
August 5, 3:15 PM EST
Where
Hartford County, Manchester
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
41.783, -72.517

Thunderstorm Wind, Tolland

When
August 5, 3:20 PM EST
Where
Tolland County, South Willington
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
41.850, -72.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Tolland

When
August 5, 3:35 PM EST
Where
Tolland County, Coventry
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
41.783, -72.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Windham

When
August 5, 3:50 PM EST
Where
Windham County, Windham
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
41.700, -72.167

Thunderstorm Wind, Tolland

When
August 5, 3:55 PM EST
Where
Tolland County, South Willington
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
41.850, -72.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Windham

When
August 5, 4:13 PM EST
Where
Windham County, Brooklyn
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
41.783, -71.950

What these are

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 Connecticut in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Connecticut, August 2005

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: 5469378, 5469379, 5469380, 5469381, 5469383, 5469382.