Low pressure just south of the New England coast intensified early on March 4 and moved off the coast during the day. Heavy snow occurred in the higher terrain of northern and western MA, while mixed precipitation occurred elsewhere.
Every event with a place to put it; 11 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
Low pressure just south of the New England coast intensified early on March 4 and moved off the coast during the day. Heavy snow occurred in the higher terrain of northern and western MA, while mixed precipitation occurred elsewhere. Initial snow began before midnight on March 3. Then another round occurred with the comma head during the late morning/afternoon on March 4. Winds gusted to 45 to 55 mph near the coast, with a few higher gusts. The were a couple of reports of coastal flooding.
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 Mar 3, 6:51 PM EST, 1 hour 9 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 heavy snow, 1 high wind, 1 coastal flood, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall totals ranged from 8 to 12 inches in western Franklin County. Some specific amounts included 12.1 inches in Ashfield, 11.8 inches in Rowe, 11.0 inches in Hawley, 9.5 inches in Buckland, 9.3 inches in Colrain, 9.0 inches in both Shelburne and Leyden, and 8.0 inches in Conway.
Snowfall amounts averaged 5.5 to 6.0 inches in eastern Franklin County. Some specific totals included 7.0 inches in Montague, 5.8 inches in Greenfield, 5.4 inches in Leverett, 5.0 inches in Bernardston, 4.5 inches in both Sunderland and Shutesbury, and 4.4 inches in New Salem.
Snowfall totals in western Hampshire County included 8.6 inches in Plainfield and 8.0 inches in Westhampton.
Snowfall totals generally ranged from 7 to 8 inches in western Hampden County. In Chester, 8.0 inches was reported by an amateur radio operator. In neighboring Westfield (MA Zone 11), 7.2 inches was reported by a CoCoRaHS observer.
Generally, six to nine inches of snow fell in northern Worcester County. Some specific totals included 9.3 inches in Ashburnham, 8.7 inches in Westminster, 8.4 inches in Royalston, 8.1 inches in Lunenburg, 7.6 inches in Paxton, 7.1 inches at the Fitchburg Airport, 6.2 inches in Ashburnham, 6.0 inches in Charlton, East Brookfield, and Leicester, and 5.8 inches in Princeton.
Some snowfall totals from northwest Middlesex County included 8.4 inches in Ashby, 7.5 inches in Pepperell, and 7.0 inches in Townsend.
Marginal heavy snow amounts of 5.5 inches in Methuen and 6.0 inches in Haverhill were reported.
Snowfall in eastern Hampshire County ranged from 5 to 8 inches west of the Connecticut River to 3 to 5 inches east of the Connecticut River. Some specific amounts included 7.8 inches in Southampton, 7.0 inches in Northampton, 5.1 inches in Easthampton, 4.5 inches in South Hadley, and 3.0 inches in Amherst.
At 444 AM EST, the ASOS and Nantucket Airport (KACK) recorded a wind gust to 59 mph.
At 830 AM EST, a NWS employee noticed flooding on webcam video at the Chappaquiddick Ferry in Edgartown and at Five Corners in Vineyard Haven.
In Acushnet at 320 PM EST, a large tree was down on power lines near the intersection of Main Street and Heritage Road. Winds generally were gusting to 50 to 55 mph along the south coast of Massachusetts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Massachusetts in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Massachusetts, March 2023
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: 1083048, 1083072, 1083082, 1083089, 1083075, 1083078, 1083080, 1083083, 1083041, 1083045, 1083044.