A strong cold front swept across southern New England from late Friday morning through the afternoon hours of 17 February 2006, producing high winds across most of Massachusetts. Southwest winds sustained between 20 and 30 MPH with gusts to around 60 MPH were common during this event.
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.
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.
The episode as NWS BOX wrote it up.
A strong cold front swept across southern New England from late Friday morning through the afternoon hours of 17 February 2006, producing high winds across most of Massachusetts. Southwest winds sustained between 20 and 30 MPH with gusts to around 60 MPH were common during this event. These winds brought down numerous trees, power poles, and wires across the state. Some of the downed trees landed on buildings and cars. One known fatality and three known injuries directly resulted from this high wind event.Part of a roof was torn off a car dealership building on Main Street in Greenfield, off an industrial building at Pleasant and Main Streets in Ashland, and off the sixteenth floor of the Green Building on the MIT campus in Cambridge. A utility pole was uprooted on River Road in Whately, on Wildwood Ave in Woburn, on Willow Road in Lynn, and on Rocky Hill Road in Hadley. Several utility poles came down in Lowell, 3 utility poles came down in Hubbardston, and one pole came down on Route 110 in Amesbury. In South Hadley, a large tree limb fell on the Mount Holyoke Wilder Hall dormitory then slid off to fall 4 stories and land on the ground floor entrance porch, injuring one female student. A tree fell down on a house at 110 Hastings Street in Framingham, at 258 Willis Road in Sudbury, at 3 Wildrose Drive in Andover, at 47 Sugar Hill Road and at Jackson Street in Methuen, at 110 Osgood Street in North Andover, on Monument Street in Wenham, on Trask Street in Peobody, and on Peter Hobert Driver in Hingham.In Haverhill, high winds brought down a large pine tree, which landed on the passenger side of a vehicle. The tree nearly cut the vehicle in half, critically injuring the 37 year old male passenger, and minorly injuring the 27 year old female driver.During this high wind event, the Bedford Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) measured a sustained wind of 44 MPH at 12:53 PM and a peak wind gust of 58 MPH at 12:52 PM. The Fitchburg ASOS measured a sustained wind of 44 MPH at 12:22 PM and a peak wind gust of 60 MPH at 1221 PM. The Beverly ASOS measured a sustained wind of 43 MPH at 1:06 PM and a peak wind gust of 58 MPH at 1:06 PM. The Boston ASOS measured a sustained wind of 48 MPH at 1:15 PM and a peak wind gust of 58 MPH at 1:15 PM. The Blue Hill Observatory ASOS measured a sustained wind of 45 MPH at 11:53 AM.One known fatality occurred when a tree fell on a pickup truck in Billerica, crushing the truck and the 46 year old man inside.In summary, this high wind event of 17 February 2006 caused lots of damage across Massachusetts, including 1 fatality and 3 known injuries across the state.
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 17, 9:15 AM EST, 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA 915 AM EST FRI FEB 17 2006 .SHORT TERM.../MESOSCALE UPDATE/... PRE-FRONTAL AREA OF SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED TSTMS WILL MOVE ACROSS CT VALLEY NEXT 2 HOURS THEN BE EAST OF BOSTON BY NOON. SOLID SUSTAINED 20-30 MPH ACRS CWA AT THIS TIME WITH GUSTS TO ABOUT 40 MPH QUITE COMMON. BASED ON VAD...PIRREPS AND LCL ETA10 AND WRF...POTENTIAL FOR 50 MPH GUSTS WITH THIS ACTIVITY THIS MORNING. MAIN EVENT IS THE FINE LINE ACRS CENTRAL NY STATE. MODELS HAVE NICE HANDLE ON SOLID +12 PRES RISE CENTER AND LEADING EDGE / FINE LINE OF HVY SHOWERS. THIS WIL LIKELY BE THE MAIN WIND EVENT AS IT MOVES ACRS OUR WRN ZONES IN THE LUNCHTIME PERIOD (1130A-130P) THEN GETS TO THE ORH-PVD CORRIDOR EARLY PM AND E OF BOS-CHH BY 20-21Z. OBS JUST BEHIND THE LINE SHOWING SOLID SUSTAINED 35-40 KTS GUST 60 KTS AND UPSTREAM OFFICES ALREADY HITTING IT HARD WITH STMTS. ALY LSR SHOWING 73 MPH HERRIKER NY. BASED ON PAST EXPERIENCE...WINDS OF THIS NATURE CAPABLE OF TIPPING OVER HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES TRAVELING OVER THE BAY BRIDGES OF RI AND MA...AND THE ELEVATED ROADWAYS IN THE INTERIOR. VALLEE && .PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 415 AM EST FRI FEB 17 2006/ SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT/... NO MAJOR CHANGES IN THE OPERATIONAL THINKING...A COLD FRONT SWINGS THROUGH TODAY BRINGING STRONG WINDS AND A 2-3 HOUR PERIOD OF SHOWERS. MODELS SHOW 50-55 KNOT SOUTHWEST WINDS AT 950 MB MOVING OVERHEAD AT 12Z AND INTENSIFYING TO 65 KNOTS EAST OF CAPE COD AT 18Z WITH 50 KNOTS EXTENDING WEST TO A MERRIMACK VALLEY-HARTFORD LINE. BUT THE LAPSE RATE FROM THERE TO THE SURFACE IS RATHER LOW THIS MORNING...ONLY 1-3C PER KM...WHICH WOULD WORK AGAINST BRINGING MUCH OF THAT WIND TO THE SURFACE. THE HIGHER HILLTOPS...REACHING 1500 FEET OR HIGHER AND STICKING ABOVE THIS LOW LAYER AIR...WOULD BE MORE PRONE TO THE STRONGER WINDS EARLY ON. BY 18Z THE LAPSE RATE IS UP TO 5-6C PER KM...CLOSE ENOUGH TO MOIST ADIABATIC TO CONSIDER WIND TRANSFER TO THE SURFACE VIA SHOWERS. SO WHILE WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS MORNING IN THE TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT THE BEST CHANCE FOR DAMAGING PREFRONTAL WIND/GUSTS WILL COME LATER THIS MORNING AS SHOWERS MOVE INTO THE AREA. AS NOTED BY OUR COLLEAGUES AT UPTON NY...A GUST TO 49 KTS OCCURED NEAR SHOWERS APPROACHING CLEVELAND EARLY THIS MORNING. THE FRONT STILL COMES THROUGH MIDDAY THROUGH MID AFTERNOON. WE THEN MOVE INTO STRONG COLD ADVECTION WITH TEMPERATURES DIVING DURING THE AFTERNOON. LOOKING UPSTREAM AGAIN TO OHIO...TOLEDO WENT FROM 57-58 DOWN TO 34 IN 4 HOURS. IN ADDITION TO TURNING US COLD...THIS WILL PROMOTE DRY ADIABATIC LAPSE RATES TO AT LEAST 900 MB AND POSSIBLY TO 850 MB...WHERE WESTERLY 50-60 KT WINDS WILL RESIDE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOME OF THAT WIND SHOULD MIX TO THE SURFACE IN THE HOURS IMMEDIATELY AFTER FROPA. WINDS SHOULD THEN DIMINISH OVERNIGHT AS THE FRONT AND THESE FAVORABLE WINDS ALOFT BOTH MOVE OFF. BASED ON ALL THIS...THE FORECAST WILL CONTINUE TO FEATURE SHOWERS TODAY AND A HIGH WIND WARNING THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS EVENING. TEMPERATURES TODAY ARE STARTING OUT IN THE 40S MOST PLACES WITH AN UPWARD TREND AT MANY STATIONS OVERNIGHT. MOS IS TYPICALLY TOO COLD ON MAX TEMPS IN THIS SITUATION SO WE WILL GO WITH MAX TEMPS IN THE 50S...WARMEST IN SOUTHEAST MASS AND RI. MOS TEMPS FOR TONIGHT LOOK FINE. LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... ARCTIC FRONT COMES THROUGH SATURDAY ROUGHLY BETWEEN 12-18Z WITH SNOW SQUALLS POSSIBLE...WINDEX TYPE SIGNATURE. ETA CROSS SECTIONS SHOW SPIKE IN LOW LEVEL OMEGA OVERLAYING RH OF 80 PERCENT OR MORE UP TO 5K FEET. BEST CHANCE APPEARS TO BE ACROSS SW NH...THEN INTO NORTHERN MASS...FROM ORE-FIT-LWM...AND COULD SWEEP ACROSS BAF-ORH-BOS BEFORE FALLING APART. HIGHS SATURDAY RANGE FROM AROUND 20 ACROSS SW NH...INTO THE LOW 30S ACROSS THE SOUTH COAST. WENT ABOVE MOS GUIDANCE FOR POPS AND CARRIED CHANCE FOR SHSN FOR MOST OF REGION EXCEPT ALONG SOUTHERN ZONES. BONE CHILLING COLD FOLLOWS FOR SATURDAY NIGHT WITH POTENTIAL FOR WIND CHILL ADVISORY CRITERIA. LOWS BY SUNDAY MORNING IN THE SINGLE DIGITS...BUT BELOW ZERO ACROSS WESTERN VALLEYS. SHELTERED VALLEYS PROTECTED FROM RESIDUAL NW WINDS COULD DIP DOWN TO -5 TO -15F. ON SUNDAY HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER NATIONS EAST AND A WESTERLY FLOW WILL ENABLE TEMPS TO REBOUND INTO THE 20S. THE HIGH SHIFTS OFFSHORE SUNDAY NIGHT. THEN ON MONDAY...THERE EXISTS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR WARM AIR ADVECTION SNOW SHOWERS TO DEVELOP OVER THE REGION. THE WAA IS WEAK...BUT WITH A SURFACE TROUGH MOVING THROUGH ACCOMPANIED BY MID LEVEL LIFT AND A SHORT WAVE MOVING OVERHEAD...SLIGHT CHANCE IS THE WAY TO GO. AND A SOUTHWEST WIND FLOW OVER SOUTH COAST COULD YIELD OCEAN EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS ALONG OUR SOUTH COAST. HIGH PRESSURE FOLLOWS FOR TUESDAY...THEN A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR WAA SNOW TUESDAY NIGHT. NO CHANGES MADE TO FORECAST BEYOND TUESDAY. AVIATION... MOSTLY 10 THOUSAND FOOT CIGS OR HIGHER EARLY THIS MORNING...BUT THE CIGS LOWER TO 5000-6000 FEET WITH THE SHOWERS TO OUR WEST AND TO 2000 FEET IN THE HEAVIER SHOWERS. THE FORECAST WILL TREND DOWN THROUGH THESE LEVELS TODAY WITH THE LOWEST CIGS/VSBYS ALONG AND JUST AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT MIDDAY AND EARLY TO MID AFTERNOON. CLEARING BEHIND THE FRONT WILL BRING CIGS AND VSBYS BACK TO UNRESTICTED BY EVENING. ANOTHER AREA OF CLOUDS ASSOCIATED WITH A SECOND COLD FRONT WILL START TO MOVE INTO THE REGION 06Z-12Z SATURDAY MORNING. STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS MOVING IN AT AND ABOVE 2000 FEET WILL RIDE OVER SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND THIS MORNING WITH SPEEDS UP TO 65 KTS OVER THE CAPE AND ISLANDS. WE ARE FORECASTING LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR AT ALL TAF SITES THIS MORNING AND UP UNTIL COLD FROPA THIS AFTERNOON. STRONG WIND GUSTS WILL CONTINUE TO BE A FACTOR THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON AND THEN DIMINISH DURING THE NIGHT. MARINE... STORM WARNINGS CONTINUE FOR ALL COASTAL WATERS. 50-65 KT WINDS WILL BE JUST A COUPLE THOUSAND FEET OFF THE DECK...AND ESPECIALLY AS ANY SHOWERS MOVE INTO THE WATERS WE MAY SEE SOME WINDS GUSTS IN THAT RANGE. A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON FOLLOWED BY A STRONG PUSH OF COLD AIR. WIND GUSTS OF 50 KNOTS WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THIS PERIOD FOLLOWING THE FRONT. EXPECT WINDS TO DIMINISH OVERNIGHT. && .BOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CT...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR CTZ002>004 UNTIL 9 PM FRIDAY. MA...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR MAZ002>024-026 UNTIL 9 PM FRIDAY. NH...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR NHZ011-012-015 UNTIL 9 PM FRIDAY. RI...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR RIZ001>008 UNTIL 9 PM FRIDAY. MARINE...STORM WARNING FOR ANZ230>237 UNTIL 9 PM FRIDAY. ...STORM WARNING FOR ANZ250-254-255 UNTIL 11 PM FRIDAY. && SHORT TERM...MCJ
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA 525 AM EST FRI FEB 17 2006 CTZ002>004-MAZ002>024-026-NHZ011-012-015-RIZ001>008-181030- 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- 525 AM EST FRI FEB 17 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN CONNECTICUT...ALL OF MASSACHUSETTS EXCEPT BERKSHIRE COUNTY... SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE...AND RHODE ISLAND. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ALL OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND FROM 8AM THIS MORNING THROUGH 9PM THIS EVENING. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WARNING STATEMENT...BOSNPWBOX...FOR MORE DETAILS. STORM WARNINGS HAVE BEEN POSTED FOR THE COASTAL WATERS TODAY THROUGH THIS EVENING. PLEASE REFER TO SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND COASTAL WATERS FORECAST...BOSCWFBOX...FOR MORE SPECIFICS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY A SECOND COLD FRONT TO MOVE THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING...WILL DELIVER AN ARCTIC CHILL TO SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND IN ITS WAKE. THE BRUNT OF THE BITTER COLD AIR WILL ARRIVE SATURDAY NIGHT WHEN TEMPERATURES FALL TO SUB-ZERO LEVELS ACROSS NORTHWEST MASSACHUSETTS AND SOUTHWEST NEW HAMPSHIRE AND SINGLE NUMBERS ELSEWHERE. THE COMBINATION OF BITTER COLD TEMPERATURES AND GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL PRODUCE WIND CHILLS RANGING FROM -5 TO -20 DEGREES SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING. WIND CHILL ADVISORIES MAY EVENTUALLY BE NEEDED FOR SATURDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED TODAY FOR DAMAGING WINDS AND WIND GUSTS. KAB
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
16 high wind, 2 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Wind, Western Middlesex | 2006-02-17 | 46 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Massachusetts in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in Massachusetts, February 2006
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: 5489679, 5489680, 5489681, 5489682, 5489750, 5489683, 5489689, 5489684, 5489685, 5489686, 5489687, 5489690, 5489688, 5489749, 5489752, 5489754, 5489751, 5489753.