Massachusetts, 2008

Heavy Snow in Massachusetts, January 14, 2008

January 14, 2008 · NWS BOX · 15 events in 15 counties and zones

Low pressure moved up the Atlantic coast and spread snow across southern New England. Six to twelve inches of heavy snow fell across much of Massachusetts, downing trees and power lines, some of which fell on cars, homes, and across commuter train/subway tracks.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 15 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
$437,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
15

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 moved up the Atlantic coast and spread snow across southern New England. Six to twelve inches of heavy snow fell across much of Massachusetts, downing trees and power lines, some of which fell on cars, homes, and across commuter train/subway tracks. In anticipation of the heaviest snow falling during the morning commute, the mayor of Boston closed 144 schools and ordered all non-essential city workers to stay home. Despite many Massachusetts communities following their lead, enough people were still on the roads to result in many minor spin-out accidents. At Boston Logan Airport, at least 100 flights were cancelled during the storm. In addition to the snow, advisory level winds blew on Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard. No wind damage was reported.

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 Jan 13, 4:43 PM EST, 8 hours 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 13, 4:43 PM EST, 8 hours 17 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 13, 4:09 PM EST, 8 hours 51 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

15 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Western Hampshire

When
January 14, 1:00 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where
Western Hampshire forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.340, -72.664 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Eastern Hampshire

When
January 14, 1:00 AM EST to 12:00 PM EST
Where
Eastern Hampshire forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.340, -72.664 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Eastern Hampden

When
January 14, 1:30 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Eastern Hampden forecast zone
Property damage
$70,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.135, -72.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Western Norfolk

When
January 14, 2:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where
Western Norfolk forecast zone
Property damage
$36,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.171, -71.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southeast Middlesex

When
January 14, 2:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where
Southeast Middlesex forecast zone
Property damage
$28,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Eastern Norfolk

When
January 14, 2:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where
Eastern Norfolk forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.171, -71.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern Worcester

When
January 14, 2:30 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Southern Worcester forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.351, -71.908 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Western Franklin

When
January 14, 3:00 AM EST to 4:26 PM EST
Where
Western Franklin forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.583, -72.592 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Eastern Franklin

When
January 14, 3:00 AM EST to 11:25 PM EST
Where
Eastern Franklin forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.583, -72.592 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northern Worcester

When
January 14, 3:00 AM EST to 5:20 PM EST
Where
Northern Worcester forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.351, -71.908 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Western Middlesex

When
January 14, 3:00 AM EST to 8:55 PM EST
Where
Western Middlesex forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northwest Middlesex County

When
January 14, 3:00 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Northwest Middlesex County forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Eastern Essex

When
January 14, 4:00 AM EST to 8:42 PM EST
Where
Eastern Essex forecast zone
Property damage
$28,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.639, -70.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Western Essex

When
January 14, 4:30 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where
Western Essex forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.639, -70.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Suffolk

When
January 14, 4:30 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where
Suffolk forecast zone
Property damage
$55,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.264, -71.125 (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

More

Every storm in Massachusetts in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Massachusetts, January 2008

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 75717, 75718, 75719, 75721, 75722, 75724, 75720, 75711, 75712, 75713, 75714, 75725, 75716, 75715, 75723.