A weak mid level shortwave moved through during the afternoon initiating a few strong storms which produced scattered wind damage reports in western MA.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
A weak mid level shortwave moved through during the afternoon initiating a few strong storms which produced scattered wind damage reports in western MA.
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 30, 1:38 PM EST, 14 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
238 PM EDT Tue Jun 30 2026
.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
The Extreme Heat Watch has been upgraded to an Excessive Heat
Warning for all of southern New England except the south coast and
Berkshires.
&&
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Dangerous prolonged heat and humidity Wed through Sat with
afternoon heat indices in the 98 to 112 degree range with
little relief at night. Peak of the heat Thu into Fri.
- A cluster of scattered showers and a few t-storms may work
into parts of our region very late today and tonight. Activity
likely weakening with main severe weather risk to our northwest,
but can not rule out a low risk in western MA/CT.
- W/NW flow aloft may bring a low convective/severe weather risk
given high Cape/remnant EML Wed-Fri...but limited forcing and cap
may keep us mainly dry. Greatest risk for thunderstorms/severe
weather potential might wait until Sat July 4th with the actual
cold front.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
KEY MESSAGE 1...Dangerous prolonged heat and humidity Wed through
Sat with afternoon heat indices in the 98 to 112 degree range with
little relief at night. Peak of the heat Thu into Fri.
High confidence forecast in dangerous prolonged heat and humidity
Wed through Sat. This continues to be supported by the NAEFS
situational awareness table which indicates many parameters outside
the models climatology. The EFI/shift of tails also indicates both
min/max temperatures on the edge or outside of the models
climatology. 925T peak on Thu and Fri in the +28C to +30C degree
range and that is when we expect the worst of the extreme heat and
humidity.
Today will be very warm and with 850T climbing to +16C/+17C we
should see highs top out in the upper 80s to the lower 90s away from
the south coast. The dangerous heat and humidity starts on Wed when
850T climb to +20C/+21C and expect highs to reach the middle 90s
away from the south coast and possibly upper 90s in a few spots.
This coupled with dewpoints rising to 70+ will result in dangerous
heat and humidity. Heat indices will rise to between 98 and 108
degrees away from the south coast. The worst of the heat and
humidity will likely be in the CT River Valley and Merrimack
Valleys. The extreme heat and humidity peak on Thu and Fri when 850T
reach between +22C and +24C. High temperatures will likely reach
between 97 and 103 away from the south coast and any very localized
sea breezes. Heat indices will reach dangerous levels in the 102 to
113 degree range. It will remain hot and humid on Sat July 4th as
well. While it may be a few degrees lower than Thu/Fri...dangerous
heat and humidity may continue and will be determined by the timing
of a cold front.
Not only will this be a dangerous prolonged heatwave...there will be
little relief at night. Low temperatures will only drop into the
middle 70s in most locations and 75 to 80 degrees in the urban
centers. In fact...Boston may not drop below 80 degrees during the
peak of the heat and humidity!
Given the above...we opted to upgrade most of our region to an
Extreme Heat Warning Wed through Sat. While some areas may
technically not hit warning criteria until Thu and may not on Sat
depending on the timing of the cold front...the overall message
remains the same. We did hold the excessive heat watch along the
Berks and south coast of MA/RI. However...this area will still
experience dangerous heat and humidity but wanted to go with the
warning where our confidence was highest at this point.
KEY MESSAGE 2...A cluster of scattered showers and a few t-storms
may work into parts of our region very late today and tonight.
Activity likely weakening with main severe weather risk to our
northwest, but can not rule out a low risk in western MA/CT.
The other concern for late today and especially tonight is a
shortwave that will be dropping southeast in northwest flow aloft
around the developing ring of fire. Effective shear of 30-40 knots
is favorable for this activity to work into our region...but
instability will be rather marginal. So expect a cluster of
weakening scattered showers and perhaps a few thunderstorms to
impact portions of our region. The greatest risk is across western
MA/CT. The overall severe weather threat is low given the limited
instability in our region...but given northwest flow aloft and
lingering momentum can not rule out a low probability for some
severe weather in western MA/CT. However...currently thinking
greatest risk is northwest of our region.
KEY MESSAGE 3...W/NW flow aloft may bring a low convective/severe
weather risk given high Cape/remnant EML Wed-Fri...but limited
forcing and cap may keep us mainly dry. Greatest risk for
thunderstorms/severe weather potential might wait until Sat July 4th
with the actual cold front.
Anomalous heat and humidity will result in rather high instability
across our region Wed through Fri. In addition...a remnant EML in
northwest flow aloft is present. If somehow we can get a few
thunderstorms going they could quickly become severe even during the
overnight/morning hours. However...lack of overall synoptic forcing
and a mid level cap may keep this risk low but it will still need to
watched. Greatest risk for convection and potentially some severe
weather may wait until Sat July 4th when the cold front/strong
forcing arrives.
&&
.AVIATION /18Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
Forecaster Confidence Levels...
Low - less than 30 percent.
Moderate - 30 to 60 percent.
High - greater than 60 percent.
12z TAF Update...
Today and tonight...High confidence.
Mainly VFR after areas of low clouds/ground fog mainly across
RI/SE MA by mid morning. Otherwise...will need to watch for a
cluster of weakening scattered showers and perhaps a few
t-storms toward evening and into tonight. Greatest risk for this
activity will be across western MA/CT. S-SW winds 6-13 knots
this afternoon into tonight...but 10-20 knots later tonight
across the Cape/Islands.
Wednesday...High confidence.
Mainly VFR but can not rule out widely scattered
showers/t-storms later Wed into wed night. SW winds 10 to 15
knots with 20 to 25 knot gusts in the afternoon. Strongest of
those gusts toward the Cape/Islands.
KBOS Terminal...High Confidence in TAF. Sea breeze develops by
mid to late morning but should be knocked out and turn S-SW by
mid to late afternoon.
KBDL Terminal...High Confidence in TAF. Showers approach the
termianl 21-23z, with some rumbles of thunder possible around
00z tonight.
Outlook /Thursday through Sunday/...
Wednesday Night: VFR. Breezy. Slight chance SHRA, isolated
TSRA.
Thursday through Friday Night: VFR. Breezy.
Independence Day: VFR. Chance SHRA, chance TSRA.
&&
.MARINE...
Forecaster Confidence Levels...
Low - less than 30 percent.
Moderate - 30 to 60 percent.
High - greater than 60 percent.
Today through Wednesday...High confidence.
Bermuda high pressure will result in a persistent SW flow across our
waters. Despite the inversion enough mixing especially by
Wednesday...particularly near shore should yield SW wind gusts up to
25 knots. In addition....long southwest fetch should build seas to 3-
6 feet across our southern waters. Small craft headlines have been
posted for our southern waters and sounds towards daybreak and
through Wednesday.
Outlook /Thursday through Sunday/...
Wednesday Night: Low risk for Small Craft Advisory winds with
gusts up to 25 kt. Areas of rough seas. Slight chance of rain
showers, isolated thunderstorms.
Thursday through Thursday Night: Low risk for Small Craft
Advisory winds with gusts up to 25 kt. Seas up to 5 ft.
Friday: Winds less than 25 kt.
Friday Night: Winds less than 25 kt. Slight chance of rain
showers.
Independence Day: Winds less than 25 kt. Slight chance of rain
showers, slight chance of thunderstorms.
&&
.CLIMATE...
Record High Temperatures:
July 1:
KBOS: 98/1872
KBDL: 101/1964
KPVD: 97/1964
KORH: 94/1913
July 2:
KBOS: 98/1963
KBDL: 99/1966
KPVD: 98/1941
KORH: 97/1901
July 3:
KBOS: 102/1911
KBDL: 102/1966
KPVD: 98/2002
KORH: 96/1911
July 4:
KBOS: 104/1911
KBDL: 99/1911
KPVD: 99/1919
KORH: 102/1911
Record High Minimum Temperatures:
July 1:
KBOS: 73/1958
KBDL: 73/1968
KPVD: 71/1968
KORH: 72/2018
July 2:
KBOS: 76/2002
KBDL: 73/2018
KPVD: 75/1941
KORH: 73/1963
July 3:
KBOS: 80/2002
KBDL: 73/2018
KPVD: 78/2002
KORH: 72/2002
July 4:
KBOS: 77/2002
KBDL: 74/2018
KPVD: 77/2002
KORH: 73/2018.CLIMATE...
July 5:
KBOS: 81/1999
KBDL: 77/1999
KPVD: 78/1999
KORH: 73/1999
&&
.BOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CT...Air Quality Alert until 11 PM EDT this evening for CTZ002.
Air Quality Alert from 11 AM to 11 PM EDT Wednesday for
CTZ002>004.
Extreme Heat Warning from 10 AM Wednesday to 8 PM EDT Saturday
for CTZ002>004.
MA...Extreme Heat Warning from 10 AM Wednesday to 8 PM EDT Saturday
for MAZ002>021-026.
Heat Advisory from 10 AM Wednesday to 8 PM EDT Saturday for
MAZ022-023.
RI...Extreme Heat Warning from 10 AM Wednesday to 8 PM EDT Saturday
for RIZ001>007.
MARINE...Small Craft Advisory from 8 AM to 11 PM EDT Wednesday for
ANZ231>237.
Small Craft Advisory from 5 AM Wednesday to 1 AM EDT Friday
for ANZ254>256.
&&
DISCUSSION...Belk
AVIATION...Belk
MARINE...Belk
CLIMATE...FTThe Boston radar (KBOX), 124 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:49 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
In North Amherst, there were several trees down on Pine St, Bridge St, and Leverett Rd.
In Amherst, a tree was down on North East St.
In Belchertown, several trees were down on Blue Meadow Rd.
In Montgomery, a tree was down near the Westfield Reservoir.
In Southwick, a tree was downed onto Eden Hill Rd.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Massachusetts in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Massachusetts, June 2026
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: 1335962, 1335963, 1335964, 1335965, 1335966.