Massachusetts, 2024

Winter Weather in Massachusetts, December 20, 2024

December 20, 2024 · NWS BOX · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A storm system moved up the east coast outside of the benchmark bringing light to moderate snow to southern New England. This was combined with ocean effect snow over eastern MA.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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 storm system moved up the east coast outside of the benchmark bringing light to moderate snow to southern New England. This was combined with ocean effect snow over eastern MA. Most locations saw only a coating to an inch, but a swath from northern RI, through Boston, into northeast MA saw 2-5 inches and caused travel problems during the Friday evening commute.

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 Dec 20, 12:51 PM EST, 1 hour 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 20, 12:51 PM EST, 1 hour 9 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 20, 12:14 PM EST, 1 hour 46 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 20, 1:10 PM EST, 50 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 20, 1:18 PM EST, 42 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 20, 1:49 PM EST, 11 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

3 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Eastern Norfolk

When
December 20, 2:00 PM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Eastern Norfolk forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
42.171, -71.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Generally 2 to 5 inches of snow fell, but it fell leading up to and during the evening commute which caused travel issues. Some notable reports were 9.4 inches on Blue Hill and 6.5 inches in Milton.

Winter Weather, Western Norfolk

When
December 20, 2:00 PM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Western Norfolk forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
42.171, -71.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Generally 2 to 5 inches of snow fell, but it fell leading up to and during the evening commute which caused travel issues. Some notable accumulations included 6 inches in Needham and 5.5 inches in Westwood.

Winter Weather, Suffolk

When
December 20, 2:00 PM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Suffolk forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
42.264, -71.125 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Generally 2 to 5 inches of snow fell, but it fell leading up to and during the evening commute which caused travel issues. Some notable accumulations include 5.2 inches in Boston, 6 inches in Fenway, and 5 inches in Brighton.

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Massachusetts in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Massachusetts, December 2024

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: 1221121, 1221122, 1221123.