Massachusetts, 2020

Heavy Snow in Massachusetts, January 18 to 19, 2020

January 18 to 19, 2020 · NWS BOX · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A robust Pacific shortwave moved east from the Great Lakes with attendant|primary low tracking well to the north on the 18th bringing accumulating snow Saturday afternoon and night. A secondary low developed in the Gulf of Maine late Sat night which was too far north to stop low level warming from advancing northward across southern New England Saturday night which changed snow to rain/wintry…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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 robust Pacific shortwave moved east from the Great Lakes with attendant|primary low tracking well to the north on the 18th bringing accumulating snow Saturday afternoon and night. A secondary low developed in the Gulf of Maine late Sat night which was too far north to stop low level warming from advancing northward across southern New England Saturday night which changed snow to rain/wintry mix before ending. The precipitation ended by early Sunday as the storm moved away, followed by drier and colder weather.

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 Jan 18, 4:19 PM EST, 1 hour 41 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 18, 4:19 PM EST, 1 hour 41 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 18, 4:24 AM EST, 13 hours 36 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

4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Northern Worcester

When
January 18, 6:00 PM EST to January 19, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Northern Worcester forecast zone
Reported by
Amateur Radio
Coordinates
42.351, -71.908 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Final snow totals generally ranged from 4-6 inches in northern Worcester County. A ham radio operator reported 6.6 inches in Royalston. Several CO-OP observers in Ashburnham, Winchendon, Hubbardston, Fitchburg, and Lunenburg all reported 5.5 inches.

Heavy Snow, Western Middlesex

When
January 18, 6:00 PM EST to January 19, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Western Middlesex forecast zone
Reported by
Amateur Radio
Coordinates
42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Final snow totals ranged from 4 to 6 inches in western Middlesex County. Trained spotters reported 6 inches in Hudson and 5.7 inches in Dracut.

Heavy Snow, Western Essex

When
January 18, 6:00 PM EST to January 19, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Western Essex forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.639, -70.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Final snow totals ranged from 4 to 6 inches. Trained spotters reported 6 inches in Topsfield and Groveland as well as 5.5 inches in Haverhill, Middleton, Bradford, and Methuen.

Heavy Snow, Northwest Middlesex County

When
January 18, 6:00 PM EST to January 19, 2:00 AM EST
Where
Northwest Middlesex County forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.486, -71.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Final snow totals ranged from 4 to 6 inches. Trained spotters reported 5.6 inches in Pepperell and 5.1 inches in Ayer.

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Massachusetts in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Massachusetts, January 2020

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: 869386, 869387, 869388, 869399.