Massachusetts, 2018High 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.
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
- 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.
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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</html>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.
- 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.
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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.