Massachusetts, 2013

Damaging Winds in Massachusetts, October 7, 2013

October 7, 2013 · NWS ALY · 5 events in 1 county or zone

Ahead of a strong cold front, a southerly flow allowed for a warm and humid air mass to move into the region. Temperatures were quite warm for early October, with temperatures reaching well into the 60s.

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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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 ALY wrote it up.

Ahead of a strong cold front, a southerly flow allowed for a warm and humid air mass to move into the region. Temperatures were quite warm for early October, with temperatures reaching well into the 60s. As a cold front moved across the region during the afternoon hours on October 7th, a line of showers and thunderstorms moved from west to east. Strong winds accompanied these showers and thunderstorms, with widespread reports of trees and power lines downed as a result of the thunderstorm winds. There were about 1,700 power outages in western Massachusetts as a result of the thunderstorms. With the passage of the cold front late in the afternoon, the winds switched to a westerly direction as cooler air moved into the region, and the severe threat ended as storms moved eastward and away from the area.

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 Albany, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 7, 1:49 PM EST, 1 hour 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 7, 1:49 PM EST, 1 hour 6 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 7, 2:01 PM EST, 54 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Oct 7, 2:26 PM EST, 29 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 7, 2:28 PM EST, 27 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 7, 2:43 PM EST, 12 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 7, 2:46 PM EST, 9 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 7, 2:48 PM EST, 7 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 7, 2:54 PM EST, 1 minute before
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The radar

The Albany radar (KENX), 69 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:55 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Berkshire

When
October 7, 2:55 PM EST
Where
Berkshire County, 1.23 mi NW of Stockbridge
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
42.290, -73.320

A tree fell on a car in Stockbridge as a result of thunderstorm winds.

Thunderstorm Wind, Berkshire

When
October 7, 2:55 PM EST
Where
Berkshire County, 1.42 mi NNW of Lenox Dale
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
42.350, -73.257

A tree was downed onto the porch of a house on East Street near Lenox Station as a result of thunderstorm winds.

Thunderstorm Wind, Berkshire

When
October 7, 2:55 PM EST
Where
Berkshire County, 1.81 mi S of Lenox
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
42.344, -73.282

A tree was downed on Kemble Street in Lenox as a result of thunderstorm winds.

Thunderstorm Wind, Berkshire

When
October 7, 3:00 PM EST
Where
Berkshire County, 0.61 mi E of Richmond Furnace
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
42.371, -73.368

A tree was downed due to thunderstorm winds on Route 41 in Richmond.

Thunderstorm Wind, Berkshire

When
October 7, 3:00 PM EST
Where
Berkshire County, 2.12 mi N of (Psf)pittsfield Arpt
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Amateur Radio
Coordinates
42.461, -73.302

A tree and large limbs were down across West Street between Fort Hill Ave and Churchhill Street in Pittsfield due to thunderstorm winds.

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 Massachusetts in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Massachusetts, October 2013

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: 477540, 477541, 477542, 477544, 477545.