An upper level short wave trough over the Great Lakes was approaching New England, along with its attendant cold front. This triggered a severe thunderstorm in northwest Massachusetts during the afternoon.
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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 short wave trough over the Great Lakes was approaching New England, along with its attendant cold front. This triggered a severe thunderstorm in northwest Massachusetts during the afternoon.
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 Jun 2, 2:16 PM EST, 29 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA 316 PM EDT Sun Jun 2 2019 .SYNOPSIS... An approaching cold front will bring scattered showers and thunderstorms into this evening with a few strong to marginally severe thunderstorms possible in western MA and northern CT. Mainly dry and cooler weather Monday and Tuesday, but return of showers Tuesday night. The chance for showers and thunderstorms late Wednesday, while the remainder of the week into the following weekend remains uncertain. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... * A few strong to marginally severe thunderstorms possible until 8 pm across western MA/CT Showers and embedded t-storms are moving into western MA along the pre-frontal trough. Modest instability in place with SBCAPEs 1000-1500 J/kg and effective bulk shear around 30 kt. Environment is favorable for some strengthening through the afternoon and a few strong to marginally severe storms are possible in western MA/CT with a few multi-cellular line segments. Steep low level lapse rates support localized damaging wind gusts. Hail is also possible. Deep layer shear increases tonight as the mid level jet approaches but instability will be diminishing so severe weather threat is low after 8 pm. A few showers and weakening t-storms will move into the coastal plain tonight with the cold front, then activity may refocus over Cape/Islands late tonight along the front. Otherwise, clearing skies develop overnight in the west as drier air moves in. Stratus and fog will likely redevelop along the south coast and Cape/Islands this evening, with improving conditions toward daybreak as winds shift to west behind the front. Lows will range from the upper 40s in the west to mid 50s in the coastal plain. && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... Monday... Robust mid level trough and shortwave moves into New Eng during Mon afternoon. Pronounced mid level cooling with 500 mb temps dropping to -22C by late afternoon. This will result in lots of diurnal clouds developing in the afternoon, especially interior and can't rule out a brief shower. The column is dry so coverage of any showers will be isolated and most locations will remain dry. A surge of gusty west winds will accompany the trough passage in the mid to late afternoon, with gusts to 30 mph expected, strongest higher terrain. 850 mb temps 4-6C Mon afternoon which supports highs 65 to around 70 degrees, cooler higher elevations. Monday night... The shortwave exits in the evening, but mid level trough will remain over New Eng with another shortwave approaching from the NW. However, the column is dry with surface ridging building in from the west, so other than a few clouds dry weather expected. Chilly night with lows down into the 40s. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... */ Highlights ... - N New England showers Monday, cool overnight - Dry and seasonable Tuesday, chance showers overnight - Chance showers and thunderstorms late Wednesday - Low confidence forecast Thursday onwards */ Overview ... Seasonable to slightly below seasonable conditions with shots of wet weather in-between. Per ensembles, preferred H5 trof carves over SE Canada dipping into the NE CONUS for the start of June. But a slight nudge in the upstream Rossby wave pattern, ensemble forecast shifts in EPO/WPO/PNA teleconnections, the late-May active pattern adjusts to a cool, dry setup beneath the W-periphery of the aforementioned H5 trof into early June with storm development over SE Canada up against a stout N-Atlantic ridge. Break down the details below. */ Details ... Monday into Monday night ... Scattered showers more so over N New England. Comma-head trowaling round the mid-level low pivoting across SE Canada beneath the cold pool aloft (H5 temperatures as low as -24C, near record cold with respect to Albany sounding climatology). Moisture critical as dry air also wraps inward, atmospheric column steep through H5, an eye on K-indices. Expect diurnally driven support, chance PoPs warranted especially N of the MA border with better moisture, bit of elevated instability. With inverted-V boundary layer soundings, expect low dewpoints along with the mix-down of breezy W/NW winds. Mix of sun and clouds, thicker N. Seasonable highs in the 60s, but chilly over- night. Winds becoming light as cloud decks become scattered, there's the threat of upper-30 lows across the Berkshires, 40s elsewhere. Will lean closer to coldest guidance. Tuesday into Tuesday night ... Daytime seasonable, dry conditions. Overnight shower chances N/W. Low dewpoints and relative humidity, despite cool airmass aloft and boundary layer mixing to H8, expect 2m temperatures to overachieve with the early June sun along with breezy W winds. A lifting warm front overnight, top down moistening with isentropic over-running ascent, greater chance of showers W closer to better synoptics over the Great Lakes. 02.0z NAM furthest E with outcomes, not out of the realm of possibilities, but top-down moistening will be working up against substantially dry air from departing mid-level low over SE Canada. Some uncertainty. Mild overnight. Wednesday onward ... Chance showers and thunderstorms Wednesday, then perhaps a prolonged period of seasonable, dry weather. Believe forecast model guidance is struggling with morphology, strength and amplitude of a series of weak wave disturbances emerging out of the 4-corners region while interacting with a tropical depression out of the Yucatan peninsula all the while as a mid-level low remains situated over SE Canada, the NE CONUS within the W-periphery as out-lined in the OVERVIEW section above. While chance PoPs around late Wednesday, its not certain we remain dry Thursday thru the weekend. Low confidence forecast. Preference to ECens. && .AVIATION /19Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... Forecaster Confidence Levels... Low - less than 30 percent. Moderate - 30 to 60 percent. High - greater than 60 percent. Short Term /through Monday Night/... Moderate confidence. Through 00z... Mainly VFR, but scattered showers/t-storms moving into western New Eng with brief MVFR conditions. A few of the stronger storms may contain strong wind gusts and hail and brief heavy downpours. Stratus and fog will likely redevelop over ACK 22-00z. Tonight...Moderate confidence. Scattered showers and a few t-storms move east across SNE while weakening, then possibly refocusing over Cape/Islands overnight. Brief MVFR possible in any evening storms, otherwise VFR interior with clearing overnight. IFR stratus and fog will likely expand north across Cape Cod and south coast this evening, improving late south coast as winds shift to W. Monday...High confidence. VFR. Lingering MVFR/IFR ACK early will quickly improve to VFR. Sct-bkn cigs 5-7k ft developing in the afternoon. An isolated shower is possible, mainly interior. W gusts to 25 kt developing after 18z. Monday night...High confidence. VFR. Diminishing wind, but a period of W gusts to 25 kt developing on Cape/Islands before midnight. KBOS Terminal...Moderate confidence. Wind shift to S this evening should keep conditions VFR. A brief t-storm possible this evening. KBDL Terminal...Moderate confidence. A few t-storms possible 20-23z. Outlook /Tuesday through Friday/... Tuesday: VFR. Breezy. Tuesday Night through Wednesday: VFR. Breezy. Slight chance SHRA. Wednesday Night: Mainly VFR, with local MVFR possible. Breezy. Chance SHRA, slight chance TSRA. Thursday: VFR. Slight chance SHRA. && .MARINE... Forecaster Confidence Levels... Low - less than 30 percent. Moderate - 30 to 60 percent. High - greater than 60 percent. Short Term /through Monday Night/... High confidence. Tonight... Winds turning southerly this evening ahead of the cold front then shifting to W late tonight. Speeds below 20 kt. Poor vsbys developing in areas of dense fog tonight, especially south coastal waters. Monday... W wind gusts to 20 kt, with a few G25 kt over Boston Harbor and eastern MA nearshore waters in the afternoon. Seas over outer waters may reach 5 ft. SCA may be needed. Monday night... A period of NW gusts to 25 kt developing over the waters in the evening. Outlook /Tuesday through Friday/... Tuesday Night: Winds less than 25 kt. Areas of seas approaching 5 ft. Slight chance of rain showers. Wednesday: Moderate risk for Small Craft Advisory winds with gusts up to 25 kt. Areas of seas approaching 5 ft. Slight chance of rain showers. Wednesday Night: Low risk for Small Craft Advisory winds with gusts up to 25 kt. Local rough seas. Chance of rain showers, slight chance of thunderstorms. Thursday: Winds less than 25 kt. Local rough seas. Chance of rain showers. && .BOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CT...None. MA...None. RI...None. MARINE...None. && SYNOPSIS...KJC NEAR TERM...KJC SHORT TERM...KJC LONG TERM...Sipprell AVIATION...KJC/Sipprell MARINE...KJC/Sipprell
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA 803 AM EDT Sun Jun 2 2019 CTZ002>004-MAZ002>004-008>012-026-031215- Hartford CT-Tolland CT-Windham CT-Western Franklin MA- Eastern Franklin MA-Northern Worcester MA-Western Hampshire MA- Western Hampden MA-Eastern Hampshire MA-Eastern Hampden MA- Southern Worcester MA-Northern Middlesex MA- 803 AM EDT Sun Jun 2 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northern Connecticut, central Massachusetts, eastern Massachusetts and western Massachusetts. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. A few strong to severe thunderstorms are possible mainly across western Massachusetts and northern Connecticut this afternoon and evening. The highest risk for this will be west of the Connecticut River. While widespread severe weather is not expected, localized damaging wind gusts and hail are possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. Hazardous weather is not expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed. MAZ005>007-013>024-RIZ001>008-031215- Central Middlesex MA-Western Essex MA-Eastern Essex 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-Northwest Providence RI- Southeast Providence RI-Western Kent RI-Eastern Kent RI-Bristol RI- Washington RI-Newport RI-Block Island RI- 803 AM EDT Sun Jun 2 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for eastern Massachusetts, northeastern Massachusetts, southeastern Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. ANZ230>237-250-251-254>256-031215- 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- 803 AM EDT Sun Jun 2 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Massachusetts and Rhode Island coastal waters. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .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
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
322 PM EDT Sun Jun 2 2019
MAZ002>004-021945-
Western Franklin MA-Northern Worcester MA-Eastern Franklin MA-
322 PM EDT Sun Jun 2 2019
...STRONG THUNDERSTORM...
At 321 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Shelburne, or near Greenfield, moving east at 30 mph.
Winds in excess of 40 mph will accompany this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Greenfield, Orange, Deerfield, Athol, Montague, Northfield,
Bernardston, Buckland, Conway, Shelburne, Erving, Ashfield, Colrain,
Gill, Charlemont, New Salem, Wendell, Warwick, Leyden and Heath.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Get indoors when this storm approaches. Winds may be strong enough to
produce minor damage, such as a few downed branches.
Do not drive through flooded roads or underpasses. Avoid low lying
areas near small streams.
&&
LAT...LON 4272 7230 4272 7229 4252 7225 4253 7285
4274 7276
TIME...MOT...LOC 1921Z 264DEG 26KT 4264 7271
LECThe Albany radar (KENX), 134 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:46 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
In Northfield, MA, two large trees were down on wires on West Northfield Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Massachusetts in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Massachusetts, June 2019
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: 820196.