Massachusetts, 2018

High Wind and Strong Wind in Massachusetts, October 15 to 16, 2018

October 15 to 16, 2018 · NWS BOX · 18 events in 16 counties and zones

A cold front moved east from the Great Lakes on Monday October 15th. Strong southwest winds ahead of the front moved across Massachusetts during the late evening and night of the 15th, then became strong northwest after the cold front moved through.

Where it happened

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.

  • 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
$58,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
18

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.

A cold front moved east from the Great Lakes on Monday October 15th. Strong southwest winds ahead of the front moved across Massachusetts during the late evening and night of the 15th, then became strong northwest after the cold front moved through. Winds then diminished on the morning of the 16th. Coastal areas of Southeast Massachusetts reported wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph, while inland areas had gusts of 40 to 50 mph. There were several reports of trees and wires down in Eastern and Central Massachusetts.

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 Oct 15, 3:08 PM EST, 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 15, 3:08 PM EST, 45 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 15, 3:27 PM EST, 26 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

17 strong wind, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, Barnstable

When
October 15, 3:53 PM EST
Where
Barnstable forecast zone
Measured
45 kt (52 mph) measured gust
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
Amateur Radio
Coordinates
41.684, -70.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At 3:53 PM EST, a tree was reported down and blocking State Route 124 in Harwich, near the Brewster town line.

Strong Wind, Southern Bristol

When
October 15, 7:00 PM EST to October 16, 1:30 AM EST
Where
Southern Bristol forecast zone
Measured
40 kt (46 mph) measured gust
Property damage
$7,000
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
41.757, -71.088 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At 7:02 PM EST, a large tree was reported down and blocking Tucker Road in Dartmouth. At 12:33 AM EST the Automated Surface Observing System platform at New Bedford Municipal Airport measured a wind gust to 45 mph. At 12:35 AM EST a tree was down on Beeden Road in Dartmouth. At 12:44 AM EST, a tree was down and blocking one lane of State Route 79 at Presidents Avenue in Fall River. At 1:17 AM EST a tree and wires were down on Bryant Street in Dartmouth. At 1:20 AM EST a tree was down on Roseanne Street in New Bedford.

Strong Wind, Southeast Middlesex

When
October 15, 7:00 PM EST to October 16, 2:00 AM EST
Where
Southeast Middlesex forecast zone
Measured
40 kt (46 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
Amateur Radio
Coordinates
42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At 8:40 PM EST, a large tree was reported down on Fuller Road in Watertown. At 9:03 PM EST, a tree was reported down in Watertown at the intersection of Fairview Avenue and Wilson Avenue. At 11:14 PM EST, a tree was down along Massachusetts Avenue in Medford. At 11:14 PM EST, multiple trees and wires were down along Regent Street in Cambridge.At 11:16 PM EST, trees and wires were reported down along Morris Street in Everett. At 11:18 PM EST, a tree was down in Medford on Lawrence Road between Governors Avenue and Forest Street. At 11:19 PM EST, a tree was down in Malden at Cross Street and Fuller Street. At 11:36 PM EST, a tree was down along Wolcott Street in Newton. At 11:46 PM EST, a tree was down on Salem Street in Malden. At 12:41 AM EST a tree was down on Wilson Avenue at High Street in Malden.

Strong Wind, Northern Worcester

When
October 15, 8:00 PM EST to October 16, 2:00 AM EST
Where
Northern Worcester forecast zone
Measured
40 kt (46 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
Amateur Radio
Coordinates
42.351, -71.908 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At 8:48 PM EST, a tree was down on Old Princeton Road in Hubbardston. At 10:45 PM EST, a tree and wires were down on Bartlett Street in Leominster.

Strong Wind, Western Plymouth

When
October 15, 8:45 PM EST to October 16, 12:30 AM EST
Where
Western Plymouth forecast zone
Measured
39 kt (45 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$3,000
Reported by
Amateur Radio
Coordinates
41.987, -70.737 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At 8:56 PM EST, a large tree was down on power lines on Howland Road in Lakeville. At 12:23 AM EST a tree and power lines were down on Station Street in Pembroke.

Strong Wind, Western Norfolk

When
October 15, 9:00 PM EST to October 16, 1:15 AM EST
Where
Western Norfolk forecast zone
Measured
40 kt (46 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
Amateur Radio
Coordinates
42.171, -71.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At 11:54 PM EST, a tree and wires were reported down along Sheldon Road in Wrentham.

Strong Wind, Southern Worcester

When
October 15, 9:00 PM EST to October 16, 2:00 AM EST
Where
Southern Worcester forecast zone
Measured
40 kt (46 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$7,000
Reported by
Amateur Radio
Coordinates
42.351, -71.908 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At 10:11 PM EST, a large tree was down on the dirt road leading to the parking lot off Allen Hall in Westborough. At 10:17 PM EST, a tree was down and blocking Douglas Road near the Webster-Sturbridge Campground off State Route 16 in Webster. At 10:33 PM, multiple trees and wires were down on Wakefield Avenue near Lakeside Avenue. At 11:44 PM EST, a tree was down along Davidson Street in Worcester. At 12:21 AM EST, a tree was down on Brigham Street in Northborough, near a golf course parking lot.

Strong Wind, Northwest Middlesex County

When
October 15, 9:00 PM EST to October 16, 2:00 AM EST
Where
Northwest Middlesex County forecast zone
Measured
40 kt (46 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
Amateur Radio
Coordinates
42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At 10:48 PM EST, a tree was reported blocking the southbound lane of Farmers Row (State Route 111) in Groton. At 10:48 PM EST, a tree was reported down on Pepperell Road in Groton.

Strong Wind, Eastern Norfolk

When
October 15, 9:25 PM EST to October 16, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Eastern Norfolk forecast zone
Measured
42 kt (48 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
Amateur Radio
Coordinates
42.171, -71.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At 10:42 PM EST, an amateur radio operator reported a wind gust to 48 mph. At 9:29 PM EST trees and wires were reported down in Quincy along Grandview Avenue at Marion Street.

Strong Wind, Southern Plymouth

When
October 15, 9:45 PM EST to October 16, 1:30 AM EST
Where
Southern Plymouth forecast zone
Measured
46 kt (53 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
Amateur Radio
Coordinates
41.987, -70.737 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At 9:55 PM EST, a tree was reported down on the side of New Bedford Road in Rochester.

Strong Wind, Eastern Plymouth

When
October 15, 10:00 PM EST to October 16, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Eastern Plymouth forecast zone
Measured
42 kt (48 mph) measured gust
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
42.079, -70.960 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At 11:29 PM EST, the Weatherflow mesonet station at Hull reported a wind gust to 48 mph. At 10:04 PM EST a tree was reported blocking part of Pinehills Drive in Plymouth.

Strong Wind, Western Middlesex

When
October 15, 10:00 PM EST to October 16, 2:00 AM EST
Where
Western Middlesex forecast zone
Measured
40 kt (46 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$6,000
Reported by
Amateur Radio
Coordinates
42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At 11:06 PM EST, a tree was reported blocking Main Street in Acton near Wheeler Lane. At 11:41 PM EST, a tree was down along Monroe Avenue in Marlborough. At 11:41 PM EST a tree was down on Lexington Street at Old Colony Road in Burlington. At 11:48 PM EST, a tree was down on Highland Street in Holliston. At 12:00 AM EST, a large tree was down across State Route 62 in Stow. At 12:06 AM EST, a tree was down across Goldsmith Street at State Route 2A in Littleton.

Strong Wind, Eastern Essex

When
October 15, 10:30 PM EST to October 16, 2:00 AM EST
Where
Eastern Essex forecast zone
Measured
43 kt (49 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
Amateur Radio
Coordinates
42.639, -70.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At 11:28 PM EST, a large tree was down and blocking Gregg Street in Beverly. At 11:40 PM EST, a large tree was down along Maple Street in Marblehead.

Strong Wind, Northern Bristol

When
October 15, 11:00 PM EST to October 16, 1:30 AM EST
Where
Northern Bristol forecast zone
Measured
40 kt (46 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
Amateur Radio
Coordinates
41.757, -71.088 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At 12:07 AM EST, a tree was reported down along Birch Street in Norton.

Strong Wind, Suffolk

When
October 15, 11:00 PM EST to October 16, 1:30 AM EST
Where
Suffolk forecast zone
Measured
41 kt (47 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
Amateur Radio
Coordinates
42.264, -71.125 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At 11:28 PM EST, a tree was reported down on a car on Appleton Street in Boston.

Strong Wind, Barnstable

When
October 15, 11:00 PM EST to October 16, 2:00 AM EST
Where
Barnstable forecast zone
Measured
43 kt (49 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
Amateur Radio
Coordinates
41.684, -70.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At 11:28 PM EST, a tree and wires were reported down in Georgetown and blocking East Street near Central Street.

Strong Wind, Western Essex

When
October 15, 11:00 PM EST to October 16, 2:00 AM EST
Where
Western Essex forecast zone
Measured
40 kt (46 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
Amateur Radio
Coordinates
42.639, -70.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At 11:28 PM EST, a large tree and wires were down blocking East Street near Central Street in Georgetown.

High Wind, Barnstable

When
October 16, 1:10 AM EST to 2:45 AM EST
Where
Barnstable forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
41.684, -70.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At 12:10 AM EST, the Weatherflow Mesonet station at Kalmus Beach reported a sustained wind of 43 mph. At 1:03 AM EST, the Weatherflow Mesonet station at Woods Hole reported a wind gust to 58 mph. At 1:14 AM EST, a tree was reported down on Old Barnstable Road in Mashpee.

What these are

Strong Wind
Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Massachusetts in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Massachusetts, October 2018

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 787019, 787025, 787048, 787052, 787029, 787035, 787053, 787056, 787033, 787032, 787031, 787050, 787043, 787034, 787036, 787039, 787041, 787022.