An upper level disturbance moved through southern New England, providing a focus for a few showers and thunderstorms. Instability was limited somewhat by cloud cover and weak winds at the mid and upper levels of the atmosphere resulted in slow moving storms.
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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.
An upper level disturbance moved through southern New England, providing a focus for a few showers and thunderstorms. Instability was limited somewhat by cloud cover and weak winds at the mid and upper levels of the atmosphere resulted in slow moving storms. The atmosphere was very moist with precipitable water levels around 2 inches, this led to very heavy rainfall with storms that developed. One particular storm became severe over Greenfield and produced a microburst, downing numerous trees through the northwestern part of the city. It also produced flash flooding in Greenfield.
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 31, 3:14 AM EST, 2 hours 46 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA 414 AM EDT SAT AUG 31 2013 .SYNOPSIS... A STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY STRETCHING FROM NEW YORK STATE INTO NEW ENGLAND WILL RESULT IN SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AT TIMES SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD MONDAY INTO EARLY TUESDAY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. DRIER...COOLER AND MUCH LESS HUMID WEATHER ARRIVES MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... SHORT WAVE TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES AND NY STATE EARLY THIS MORNING DEAMPLIFIES AS IT APPROACHES AND MOVES ACROSS NEW ENGLAND TODAY. THIS IS EVIDENT IN WEAKENING WIND FIELDS ALOFT...LESS CURVATURE IN THE MID LEVEL FLOW/STREAMLINES AND WEAKENING Q-VECTOR CONVERGENCE ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE MID LEVEL TROUGH. LAST FEW RUNS OF THE HRRR OFFER THE SAME THEME WITH WEAKENING REFLECTIVITY AS CONVECTION APPROACHES NEW ENGLAND. THEREFORE EXPECTING UPSTREAM CONVECTION ACROSS NY STATE AND VT TO SLOWLY WEAKEN AS IT APPROACHES AND ENTERS SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND. HOWEVER THINK NEW CONVECTION WILL REFIRE OVER THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AS SOME SUNSHINE TODAY DESTABILIZES THE ATMOSPHERE WITH THE MORE CONSERVATIVE ECMWF AND GEFS OFFERING CAPES ON THE ORDER OF 1200-1800J/KG. FAIRLY CONFIDENT IN THIS SCENARIO AS ALL MOS GUIDANCE HAVE HIGH TEMPS TODAY IN THE LOW TO MID 80S...WITH WARMEST READINGS ACROSS NORTHEAST MA AND SOUTHEAST NH. THIS INSTABILITY COMBINED WITH WEAK BUT MOIST CYCLONIC FLOW ALOFT SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO YIELD SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. HIGHEST PROBABILITY WILL BE ACROSS THE INTERIOR...CLOSER TO FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND SURFACE CONVERGENCE. THUS CONVECTION SHOULD BE LESS NUMEROUS ACROSS SOUTHEAST MA /INCLUDING CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS/ AND POSSIBLY INTO BOSTON-PROVIDENCE CORRIDOR. MAIN ISSUE WITH ANY TSTMS TODAY WILL BE HEAVY DOWNPOURS/FLOOD POTENTIAL WITH PWATS JUST UNDER 2 INCHES ALONG WITH WEAK WINDS ALOFT RESULTING IN SLOW MOVING STORMS. TIMING OF STORMS WILL BE AFTER 16Z AND SPECIFICALLY DURING PEAK HEATING FROM 18Z-21Z. IT WILL BE WARM AND HUMID TODAY AS SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND WILL BE IN THE WARM SECTOR OF THE APPROACHING FRONTAL SYSTEM. DEW PTS WILL CLIMB INTO THE U60S AND L70S. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH 6 PM SUNDAY/... TONIGHT... EARLY EVENING SHOWERS/TSTMS ACROSS THE INTERIOR SHOULD DISSIPATE WITHIN A FEW HOURS OF SUNSET GIVEN THE LACK OF DEEP LAYER SHEAR AND MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES NEEDED TO SUSTAIN NOCTURNAL CONVECTION. HOWEVER CAN/T RULE OUT ISOLATED OR WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS OVERNIGHT GIVEN THE WEAK BUT MOIST CYCLONIC FLOW ALOFT. SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND REMAINS IN THE WARM SECTOR SO EXPECT PATCHY FOG AND LOW CLOUDS. HIGH DEW PTS WILL YIELD ANOTHER MILD TO WARM NIGHT. SUNDAY... WEAK SHORT WAVE RIDGING MAY MOVE ACROSS THE REGION BEHIND DEPARTING SHORT WAVE TROUGH OF TODAY AND BEFORE NEXT TROUGH APPROACHES SUN NGT AND MON. THIS IS EVIDENT ON MODEL CROSS AND TIME SECTIONS WITH COLUMN DRYING OUT IN THE MID AND UPPER LEVELS. SO WHILE THERE IS STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY TO SUNDAY/S FORECAST...THERE IS INCREASING CONFIDENCE THAT ANY SHOWER/TSTM ACTIVITY WILL NOT BE WIDESPREAD. THUS NOT EXPECTING A WASHOUT SUNDAY. THE AREA REMAINS IN THE WARM SECTOR SO ANOTHER WARM AND MUGGY DAY WITH HIGHS 80-85 AWAY FROM THE COAST ALONG WITH DEW PTS IN THE U60S AND L70S. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... HIGHLIGHTS... * SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY ON MONDAY AND INTO TUESDAY * SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE REGION ON TUESDAY * FALL LIKE CONDITIONS FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE WORK WEEK CONFIDENCE LEVEL/MODEL GUIDANCE... MODERATE CONFIDENCE IN OVERALL FORECAST. CONTINUE TO HAVE INCREASING CONFIDENCE FOR THE TEMPERATURE ASPECT IN THE FORECAST. MODERATE CONFIDENCE IN TIMING OF PRECIPITATION WITH HIGH CONFIDENCE THAT PRECIP WILL OCCUR MONDAY AND EARLY TUESDAY. THE 00Z MODELS MAINTAIN A NEARLY STEADY-STATE TO SLIGHTLY RETROGRADING PATTERN IN THE LOWER HALF OF THE CONUS WITH AN UPPER HIGH OVER THE CENTRAL/SOUTHERN PLAINS. WHILE ACROSS THE NORTHEAST A PROGRESSIVE FLOW INFLUENCED BY MULTIPLE SHORTWAVES AND FRONTAL PASSAGES WILL RESULT IN GENERALLY COOLER TEMPERATURES. HOWEVER THE DETAILS/TIMINGS ARE AN ISSUE DUE TO THE PATTERNS SHORT WAVELENGTH AND POSSIBILITY OF PHASING. THAT BEING SAID FELT PERSISENT WAS A GOOD WAY TO GO FOR THIS MORNINGS FORECAST. BLENDED PREVIOUS FORECAST WITH WPC AND THE ENSEMBLES. DETAILS... MONDAY... LONG WAVE TROUGH WILL SHARPEN UP ON MONDAY AS HUDSON BAY LOW PRESSURE STRENGTHENS. THIS WILL KEEP THE REGION IN A SOUTHWEST FLOW WITH INCREASING MOISTURE CAUSING VERY MUGGY CONDITIONS. MAIN FOCUS IS A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES THAT WILL APPROACH THE REGION. HOWEVER A SHORTWAVE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE FLOW ON MONDAY WHICH WILL SPARK SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THE REGION WILL BE IN THE WARM...MOIST SECTOR AS WELL AS THE BETTER JET DYNAMICS. MAIN THREAT WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE HEAVY RAIN AS PWAT VALUES WILL BE ABOVE 2 INCHES. THESE STORMS WILL BE SLOW MOVING AND/OR TRAINING AS CORFIDI VECTORS ARE AROUND 0-5 KTS. NOTICED SPC PUT THE REGION IN A SEE TEXT FOR DAY THREE OUTLOOK. HAVE LOW CONFIDENCE IN OVERALL SEVERE WEATHER AS INSTABILITY VALUES WILL BE LOWER THAN MODELS SUGGEST DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF CLOUDS ACROSS THE AREA. THIS IDEA IS ALSO SUPPORTED BY THE ENSEMBLES. THEREFORE BELIEVE THAT THE MAIN THREAT WILL STILL BE HEAVY RAIN CAUSING SOME URBAN AND POOR DRAINAGE FLOODING. SMALL STREAMS MAY ALSO BE IN A THREAT IF THUNDERSTORMS TRAIN OVER A CERTAIN REGION. THIS PORTION OF THE FORECAST WILL NEED TO BE WATCHED CLOSELY OVER THE WEEKEND. TUESDAY... COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND ON TUESDAY. MAIN QUESTION IS THE TIMING. IF THE FRONT SLOWS DOWN THEN THERE IS A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP ESP ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE REGION. IF THE FRONT SPEEDS UP THEN ONLY A FEW SHOWERS MAY OCCUR AS THE FRONT EXITS OFFSHORE. REGARDLESS HAVE A LOWER CONFIDENCE ON ANY STRONG STORMS ON TUESDAY AS BETTER JET DYNAMICS WILL BE OFFSHORE. BOTH THE ENSEMBLES INDICATE THE BETTER MOISTURE IS OFFSHORE AS WELL. TRENDED TOWARDS A FASTER SOLUTION ON TUESDAY. A FEW HEAVY SHOWERS ARE STILL POSSIBLE WITH MAIN CONCERN BEING NUISANCE FLOODING. WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... LARGE-SCALE SUBSTANCES WILL FILTER IN BEHIND THE FRONT ON WEDNESDAY. THIS WILL DROP DEWPOINTS DOWN INTO THE 40/50S MAKING IT VERY COMFORTABLE. A FEW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE NW ZONES FROM WRAP AROUND MOISTURE FROM THE LOW. OTHERWISE EXPECT MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS. MODELS ARE INDICATING A POLAR FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH ON THURSDAY BRINGING SOME ISOLATED/SCATTERED SHOWERS. HAVE A LOWER CONFIDENCE AS THERE IS A GOOD AMOUNT OF DRY AIR ACROSS THE AREA. BEHIND THIS FRONT IS A MORE FALL LIKE AIRMASS BRINGING OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE 40S AND HIGHS ONLY IN THE 60S. && .AVIATION /08Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... FORECASTER CONFIDENCE LEVELS... LOW...LESS THAN 30 PERCENT. MODERATE...30 TO 60 PERCENT. HIGH...GREATER THAN 60 PERCENT. OVERVIEW...LOW TO MODERATE CONFIDENCE ON EXACT DETAILS INCLUDING TIMING...BUT HIGHER CONFIDENCE ON OVERALL FORECAST THEME. CIGS AND VSBYS WERE DERIVED FROM A BLEND OF NAM AND GFS MOS. TODAY... IFR CIGS SHOULD BE CONFINED TO SOUTHEAST MA AND RI. THIS SHOULD IMPROVE TO VFR 14Z-16Z. SHOWERS AND TSTMS ENTERING WESTERN NEW ENGLAND AT 2 AM IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN AS IT TRAVERSES EASTWARD. ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND TSTMS WILL DEVELOP AFTER 16Z MAINLY INLAND WITH DAYTIME HEATING COMMENCING. LESS SHOWER/TSTM ACTIVITY ACROSS SOUTHEAST MA/CAPE COD AND ISLANDS. TONIGHT... ALMOST A REPEAT PERFORMANCE...IFR IN LOW CLOUDS CONFINED TO SOUTHEAST MA AND RI WITH MVFR/VFR ELSEWHERE. ISOLATED/SCATTERED SHOWERS SHOULD BE MOST NUMEROUS WELL INLAND. SUNDAY... IFR SOUTHEAST MA AND RHODE ISLAND BUT IMPROVING TOWARD MIDDAY TO VFR. VFR ELSEWHERE. NOT EXPECTING WIDESPREAD SHOWERS/TSTMS...MORE ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED. KBOS TERMINAL...IFR CIGS ACROSS SOUTHEAST MA MAY CLIP LOGAN 09Z- 13Z BUT BULK OF LOW CLOUDS SHOULD SLIDE SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. MOST SHOWER ACTIVITY SHOULD BE WEST AND NORTH OF BOSTON. KBDL TERMINAL...SHOWERS/TSTMS WILL BECOME MORE NUMEROUS 16Z-22Z. OUTLOOK...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY... SUNDAY NIGHT...MODERATE CONFIDENCE. EXPECT MAINLY MVFR CIGS/VFR VSBYS. AREAS MVFR VSBYS IN ANY SHOWERS/TSTMS. LOCAL IFR VSBYS IN ANY HEAVIER RAINFALL. MONDAY-TUESDAY...LOW CONFIDENCE MAINLY FOR TIMING. MVFR CONDITIONS WITH IFR IN SHOWERS/TSTMS. PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL WILL REDUCE VSBYS AS WELL. WEDNESDAY...HIGH CONFIDENCE. MVFR TO START...IMPROVING TO VFR BY THE AFTERNOON HOURS. && .MARINE... FORECASTER CONFIDENCE LEVELS... LOW...LESS THAN 30 PERCENT. MODERATE...30 TO 60 PERCENT. HIGH...GREATER THAN 60 PERCENT. TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY... MODEST SW WIND 10-15 KT WITH LOW RISK OF 20 KT GUST. WARM/MUGGY AIRMASS WILL YIELD LATE NIGHT/EARLY MORNING FOG. SHOWERS/TSTMS WILL BE MAINLY INLAND. FORECAST CONFIDENCE MODERATE TO HIGH. OUTLOOK...MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... PERSISTENT SOUTHERLY SWELL COMBINED WITH AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL CAUSE SEAS TO BUILD UP TO 5 FT ESP ACROSS THE OUTER WATERS THROUGH TUESDAY. BELIEVE THIS IS A LITTLE HIGH SO HAVE UNDERCUT WAVE GUIDANCE TO TOP OUT AT 4FT. LOW PROB FOR GUSTS UP TO 25 KT AHEAD OF COLD FRONT MON NIGHT AND EARLY TUE. EXPECT COLD FRONT TO MOVE ACROSS WATERS LATE TUE/TUE NIGHT. WINDS/SEAS SHOULD SLOWLY DIMINISH DURING WED. BEST CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MONDAY INTO TUESDAY MORNING. && .BOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CT...NONE. MA...NONE. NH...NONE. RI...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...NOCERA/DUNTEN NEAR TERM...NOCERA SHORT TERM...NOCERA LONG TERM...DUNTEN AVIATION...NOCERA/DUNTEN MARINE...NOCERA/DUNTEN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA 418 AM EDT SAT AUG 31 2013 CTZ002>004-MAZ002>024-026-NHZ011-012-015-RIZ001>008-010830- HARTFORD CT-TOLLAND CT-WINDHAM CT-WESTERN FRANKLIN MA- EASTERN FRANKLIN MA-NORTHERN WORCESTER MA-CENTRAL MIDDLESEX MA- WESTERN ESSEX MA-EASTERN ESSEX MA-WESTERN HAMPSHIRE MA- WESTERN HAMPDEN MA-EASTERN HAMPSHIRE MA-EASTERN HAMPDEN MA- SOUTHERN WORCESTER MA-WESTERN NORFOLK MA-SOUTHEAST MIDDLESEX MA- SUFFOLK MA-EASTERN NORFOLK MA-NORTHERN BRISTOL MA- WESTERN PLYMOUTH MA-EASTERN PLYMOUTH MA-SOUTHERN BRISTOL MA- SOUTHERN PLYMOUTH MA-BARNSTABLE MA-DUKES MA-NANTUCKET MA- NORTHERN MIDDLESEX MA-CHESHIRE NH-EASTERN HILLSBOROUGH NH- WESTERN AND CENTRAL HILLSBOROUGH NH-NORTHWEST PROVIDENCE RI- SOUTHEAST PROVIDENCE RI-WESTERN KENT RI-EASTERN KENT RI-BRISTOL RI- WASHINGTON RI-NEWPORT RI-BLOCK ISLAND RI- 418 AM EDT SAT AUG 31 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHERN CONNECTICUT...CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS...EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS...NORTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS...SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS...WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE...NORTHERN RHODE ISLAND AND SOUTHERN RHODE ISLAND. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MAY LEAD TO MINOR FLOODING ACROSS THE URBAN AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS...ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND. A FEW OF THESE STORMS MAY CONTAIN HEAVY RAINFALL LEADING TO FLOODING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ANZ230>237-250-251-254>256-010830- BOSTON HARBOR-CAPE COD BAY-NANTUCKET SOUND-VINEYARD SOUND- BUZZARDS BAY-RHODE ISLAND SOUND-NARRAGANSETT BAY-BLOCK ISLAND SOUND- COASTAL WATERS EAST OF IPSWICH BAY AND THE STELLWAGEN BANK NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY-MASSACHUSETTS BAY AND IPSWICH BAY- COASTAL WATERS FROM PROVINCETOWN MA TO CHATHAM MA TO NANTUCKET MA OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS EXTENDING OUT TO 25 NM SOUTH OF MARTHAS VINEYARD AND NANTUCKET- COASTAL WATERS FROM MONTAUK NY TO MARTHAS VINEYARD EXTENDING OUT TO 20 NM SOUTH OF BLOCK ISLAND- 418 AM EDT SAT AUG 31 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR MASSACHUSETTS COASTAL WATERS AND RHODE ISLAND COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE WATERS DURING THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. FOR THE LATEST UPDATES...PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBPAGE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BOSTON YOU CAN FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AT WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/US.NATIONALWEATHERSERVICE.BOSTON.GOV YOU CAN FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AT @NWSBOSTON
The Boston radar (KBOX), 71 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:01 UTC.
1 lightning, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
WCVB-TV Channel 5 in Boston reported that lightning struck a house on Clifton Avenue, setting the garage on fire.
A microburst occurred in the northwestern part of Greenfield and the southeastern portions of Leyden and Colrain, downing numerous trees and wires. Barton, Country Club, Bernardston, Plain, South Green River, Nelson, and Smead Hill Roads were all affected with a few trees that were downed onto houses. A utility pole was downed on Barton Road.
Heavy rain fell across Greenfield and Bernardston, flooding several roads and washing out several dirt roads in Bernardston and Stetson Drive in Greenfield. All washed out roads were closed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Massachusetts in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Massachusetts, August 2013
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: 469238, 469237, 469239, 469241.