Heavy Snow in Massachusetts, February 10 to 11, 2005

Name: Heavy Snow in Massachusetts, February 10 to 11, 2005
Start: 2005-02-10T06:00
End: 2005-02-11T06:00
Location: Massachusetts

February 10 to 11, 2005 · NWS BOX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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.

Low pressure tracked near the south coast of New England and brought pockets of heavy snow to the interior. The highest snowfall totals, between 4 and 8 inches, were widely observed in the higher elevations of western Massachusetts, especially in Franklin and Hampshire Counties. Amounts lessened to as little as 2 to 4 inches along the Mass Turnpike region. The weight of the snow brought down wires in a few locations, primarily in Wellesley and Weston, but no significant damage was reported.Official snowfall totals included 5.6 inches at Worcester Airport, 3.4 inches at Blue Hill Observatory in Milton, 3.1 inches at the National Weather Service office in Taunton, and 1.1 inches at Logan International Airport in Boston. Other snowfall totals, as reported by trained spotters, included 9 inches in Colrain; 7 inches in Sunderland, Amherst, and Belchertown; 6 inches in Northfield and Ware; and 4 inches in Greenfield and Worthington.

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 Feb 10, 3:25 AM EST, 2 hours 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 10, 3:25 AM EST, 2 hours 35 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
325 AM EST THU FEB 10 2005

.SHORT TERM (TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT)...
RAIN MOVED ACROSS ALL OF THE REGION OVERNIGHT WITH THE NEAREST
REPORT OF SNOW IN SPRINGFIELD VERMONT.  DEWPOINTS ARE IN THE MID AND
UPPER 30S...SO ANY EVAPORATIVE COOLING WILL STILL LEAVE AIR TEMPS
ABOVE FREEZING.

FIGURE THE AIRMASS WILL REMAIN AS IS UNTIL THE SURFACE LOW MOVES PAST
AND THE WIND SHIFT TO NORTH STARTS TO DRAW COLDER AIR DOWN ACROSS THE
REGION.  WITH THE LOW CENTER FORECAST TO REACH CAPE COD BY 18Z...THE
WIND SHIFT FIGURES TO TAKE PLACE BY MIDDAY WITH THE SUBSEQUENT CHANGE
FROM RAIN TO SNOW DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  SOONEST IN THE
NORTHWEST...AND LATEST OVER THE CAPE AND ISLANDS.

MOST OF THE GOOD ISENTROPIC LIFT SHIFTS EAST OF OUR AREA WITH THE
SURFACE LOW...AS DOES MOST OF THE FRONTOGENETIC FORCING.  SO THESE
FACTORS WILL NOT PLAY A PART IN ANY SNOW FORMATION/ACCUMULATION.

THE UPPER TROF AND ITS VORTICITY ADVECTION THEN MOVES ACROSS THE
REGION DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING...AND THE BEST PVA EXITS THE
EAST COAST BY MIDNIGHT. THIS SHOULD BE THE PRIME TIME FOR ANY
ACCUMULATING SNOW. GIVEN THE LENGTH OF TIME AND AMOUNT OF RAIN
PRECEDING THE CHANGEOVER...WE EXPECT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE LESS
THAN ORIGINALLY FORECAST.  SO WITH THIS PACKAGE WE WILL DOWNGRADE THE
WINTER STORM WARNING IN NH AND NORTHERN MASSACHUSETTS TO AN
ADVISORY...AND MAINTAIN AN ADVISORY WHERE ONE CURRENTLY EXISTS.

THE SNOW SHOULD THEN DIMINISH OVERNIGHT AS THE LOW MOVES OFF TO THE
MARITIMES.
&&

.LONG TERM (FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY)...
EXPECT LINGERING PRECIPITATION ACROSS FAR EASTERN SECTIONS FRIDAY
MORNING...BEFORE DOWNWARD VERTICAL MOTION SHUTS THINGS OFF...AT
LEAST TEMPORARILY.  AS UPPER LOW LIFTS NORTH OVER QUEBEC...500-300MB
UPPER TROUGH SWINGS THROUGH 12-18Z SATURDAY WITH MID LEVEL LIFT
AHEAD OF IT. WITH CYCLONIC FLOW AND INCREASING LAYER RELATIVE
HUMIDITY...SLIGHT CHANCE POPS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION EARLY
SATURDAY.  AFTER 18Z SATURDAY 500MB HEIGHTS ON THE RISE AND BENIGN
HIGH PRESSURE TAKES HOLD FOR SUNDAY.  THE RIDGE IS SHORT LIVED
CRESTING OVERHEAD EARLY MONDAY. LOW PRESSURE THEN MOVES ACROSS
SOUTHERN CANADA WITH ITS ATTENDANT COLD FRONT APPOACHING.  TIMING OF
THIS COLD FRONT IS QUICKER THAN PREVIOUS RUNS...THEREFORE WILL BE
INTRODUCING CHANCE POPS TO MONDAY AFTERNOON WEST OF THE CAPE COD
CANAL. COLD FRONT SWEEPS THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT...BUT BROAD CYCLONIC
FLOW REMAINS OVER EAST.
&&

.AVIATION...
IFR AND LIFR CIGS AND VSBYS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON...THEN IMPROVEMENT
AS THE LOW MOVES FARTHER OFFSHORE.  CONDITIONS SHOULD IMPROVE TO
MVFR TONIGHT WITH THE CYCLONIC FLOW ALOFT KEEPING SOME CLOUDINESS
IN THE VICINITY.

&&

.MARINE...
WINDS NEAR THE LOW CENTER HAVE BEEN LIGHT...BUT AS THE LOW DEEPENS
OFFSHORE THE PRESSURE GRADIENT SHOULD TIGHTEN.  THE ISALLOBARIC
FLOW SHOULD ALSO DRAW COLDER AIR TOWARD THE LOW AND OVER THE WATER.
THIS WILL PROMOTE WIND TRANSFER TO THE SURFACE.  WINDS ALOFT
TONIGHT ARE FORECAST TO REACH 35 KTS.  FOR THIS REASON...WE WILL BE
STARTING GALES FOR LATE TONIGHT ON ALL WATERS EXCEPT BOSTON HARBOR
AND NARRAGANSETT BAY.

STRONG NORTHWEST GALES AND ROUGH SEAS CONTINUE OVER OUTER WATERS
FRIDAY INTO MUCH OF SATURDAY.
&&

.BOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CT...NONE.
MA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR MAZ002>016-026 FROM NOON THURSDAY
     TO MIDNIGHT FRIDAY MORNING.
NH...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NHZ011-012-015 FROM NOON THURSDAY
     TO MIDNIGHT FRIDAY MORNING.
RI...NONE.
MARINE...GALE WARNING ALL ZONES EXCEPT BOSTON HARBOR AND
           NARRAGANSETT BAY
         SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MAY BE REQUIRED TONIGHT FOR BOSTON
           HARBOR AND NARRAGANSETT BAY
&&

SHORT TERM...WTB
LONG TERM...KAB
NEAR TERM...AED

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 10, 5:26 AM EST, 34 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
526 AM EST THU FEB 10 2005

CTZ002>004-MAZ002>024-026-NHZ011-012-015-RIZ001>008-111015-
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-
526 AM EST THU FEB 10 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWEST NEW HAMPSHIRE...
MASSACHUSETTS EAST OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY...NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST
CONNECTICUT...AND ALL OF RHODE ISLAND.

.DAY ONE (TODAY AND TONIGHT)...
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE
AND MUCH OF NORTHERN MASSACHUSETTS FROM NOON THROUGH MIDNIGHT.  RAIN
THIS MORNING WILL CHANGE TO SNOW DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
SNOW WILL THEN TAPER OFF DURING THE NIGHT.

HIGHEST SNOWFALL AMOUNTS SHOULD OCCUR IN NORTHWEST MASSACHUSETTS AND
THE MONADNOCKS OF SOUTHWEST NEW HAMPSHIRE...WHERE THE CHANGE TO SNOW
OCCURS EARLIEST.  TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES ARE EXPECTED
IN THIS AREA.  LOWEST SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE ALONG THE SOUTH COAST
AND THE ISLANDS...WHERE AN INCH OR LESS IS EXPECTED.

WINDS WILL INCREASE TONIGHT AS THE STORM MOVES OUT TO SEA.  GUSTS TO
40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE ON CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS.  GALE WARNINGS HAVE
BEEN ISSUED FOR TONIGHT.  GALE FORCE GUSTS TO 35 KNOTS ARE EXPECTED
OVER THE COASTAL WATERS.

MINOR COASTAL FLOODING IS POSSIBLE...MAINLY ON NORTH FACING BEACHES
DURING HIGH TIDE AROUND MIDDAY OR LATE TONIGHT. SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO
BUILD AS HIGH AS 9 FEET AND COMBINE WITH ASTRONOMICALLY HIGH TIDES. A
1.0 TO 1.5 FOOT STORM SURGE IS EXPECTED WHICH MAY LEAD TO MINOR
COASTAL FLOODING.

.DAY TWO THROUGH SEVEN (FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY)...
GALE WARNINGS WILL CONTINUE INTO FRIDAY.  GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE ALSO
POSSIBLE OVER CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS.

THERE IS A CHANCE OF FREEZING RAIN LATE MONDAY NIGHT.

OTHERWISE...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
SPOTTERS SHOULD MONITOR CONDITIONS TODAY AND TONIGHT...AND BE
PREPARED TO SEND THEIR REPORTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

WTB

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Eastern Franklin

When: February 10, 6:00 AM EST to February 11, 6:00 AM 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, Eastern Hampshire

When: February 10, 6:00 AM EST to February 11, 6:00 AM EST
Where: Eastern Hampshire forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.340, -72.664 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Massachusetts in 2005 Every state in 2005 This day in weather history Warnings in Massachusetts, February 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: 5441711, 5441712.