Winter Weather in Massachusetts
Every winter weather event the National Weather Service has filed in Massachusetts, year by year, with the most significant episodes. Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
The most significant on the map
The most significant winter weather episodes in Massachusetts.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 748
- Deaths
- 3
- Injuries
- 90
- Damage
- $2.6 million
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Massachusetts, February 5, 2016Low pressure traveling along a cold front stalled south of southern New England brought heavy rain, which changed over to heavy snow as temperatures dropped. This snow was extraordinarily wet and heavy, bringing down trees and wires across portions of southern New England.
- Winter Weather in Massachusetts, December 1, 2013A weak clipper type low pressure system produced light freezing drizzle and light freezing rain across much of Southern New England. This resulted in hazardous driving conditions and caught some drivers unaware, resulting in numerous accidents across the area.
- High Wind and Winter Weather in Massachusetts, April 3, 2016An intensifying clipper low pressure system passed north of southern New England, bringing an arctic cold front through the area. This resulted in snow across much of the region and strong, damaging winds near the coast.
- Winter Weather in Massachusetts, March 12, 1998A fast moving snow squall suddenly dropped visibility to near zero on Interstate Route 495 in Boxborough and resulted in a pile-up of 30 to 35 vehicles and the deaths of two people. A 45-year-old man and a 3-month-old infant died. Motorists were blinded by the snow.
- Winter Weather in Massachusetts, February 8, 2017Low pressure wave developed east of Massachusetts along a warm front during the early morning of the 8th. This drew a surge of colder air across the Metropolitan Boston area during the early morning. The colder air combined with wet surface to create icy road surfaces.
- Winter Weather in Massachusetts, November 28, 1997A sudden heavy snow squall reduced visibilities to near zero and resulted in a major multi-vehicle pileup on Interstate 91 in Deerfield. At least 21 people were injured. Several accidents also occurred in Greenfield. Route 2 from Greenfield to Shelburne was closed briefly.
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Massachusetts, February 2, 2015Low pressure passed south of New England bringing snow and gusty winds to much of Southern New England. Up to a foot and a half of snow fell on much of eastern Massachusetts. This came just one week after a blizzard (January 27) brought over two feet of snow to the same area.
- Coastal Flood and Heavy Snow in Massachusetts, October 29 to 30, 2011A rare and historic October Nor'easter brought very heavy snow to portions of southern New England on Saturday October 29. Low pressure tracked northeast from the North Carolina coast Saturday morning, rapidly strengthening as it passed well south of Nantucket Saturday evening.
- Coastal Flood and Heavy Snow in Massachusetts, March 7 to 9, 2013This storm brought heavy snow and significant coastal flooding to the forecast area. This was an unusual synoptic set-up, with low pressure lingering off the coast of southern New England for several days.
- Winter Weather in Massachusetts, December 22 to 23, 2017A series of weak moved from the Ohio Valley across Southern New England. This drew warm air north over Southern New England even as colder air moved south at the surface.
- Winter Weather in Massachusetts, December 4, 2005A fast-moving winter storm passing south of New England produced between 1 and 3 inches of snow across interior Massachusetts on 4 December 2005.
- Blizzard and Coastal Flood in Massachusetts, January 23 to 24, 2016Low pressure intensified as it moved off the coast of North Carolina and tracked northeastward, passing south of southern New England. This brought accumulating snow to areas south of Interstate 90 in Massachusetts, including Connecticut and Rhode Island.
- Winter Weather in Massachusetts, January 18, 2015A cold front approached southern New England bringing rain to the region. A low level jet brought warmer air into the area just above the surface and temperatures remained below freezing at the surface.
- Heavy Snow and High Wind in Massachusetts, November 26 to 27, 2014A strong coastal storm moved up the east coast and over Nantucket bringing a heavy wet snow to much of the area. This resulted in tree damage and scattered power outages across the region.
- High Wind and Winter Weather in Massachusetts, November 7 to 8, 2012Low pressure moved up the east coast spreading snow, rain, and wind across southern New England.
- Winter Weather in Massachusetts, February 7, 2018A storm moved out of the Gulf of Mexico, crossing Southern New England on the night of the 7th. This brought a period of snow changing to freezing rain across Western, Central, and Northeast Massachusetts.
- Debris Flow and Flooding in Massachusetts, December 9 to 10, 2014A strong coastal storm brought wintry precipitation, heavy rain, and strong winds to much of southern New England.
- Winter Storm and High Wind in Massachusetts, January 15, 2006An intensifying area of low pressure passing south of New England and into the Gulf of Maine produced a wintry mix of precipitation and gusty northeast winds across Massachusetts during the morning of 15 January 2006.
- High Wind and Winter Weather in Massachusetts, December 25, 2017Fast-moving low pressure moved up the coast from the Carolinas and passed near Nantucket before moving into the Gulf of Maine. This brought a several inches of snow to much of Southern New England, along with some rain to southeast areas.
- Winter Weather in Massachusetts, December 31, 2011Two separate low pressure systems moved across Southern New England. This served to keep temperatures at the surface cold while temperatures warmed aloft. As a result, freezing rain developed over portions of Massachusetts and New Hampshire on New Year's Eve.
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Massachusetts, January 3, 2006A weakening area of low pressure centered over the Ohio Valley redeveloped into a coastal low off the Delmarva Coast during the early morning hours of 3 January.
- Winter Weather in Massachusetts, February 6, 2006Bands of lake effect snow showers brought briefly heavy snow squalls to central Massachusetts during the mid to late morning of 6 February 2006.
- Blizzard and Coastal Flood in Massachusetts, February 8 to 9, 2016A very powerful low pressure system tracked up the east coast, passing southeast of Southern New England. This storm brought heavy snow and gusty winds, resulting in blizzard conditions along the Massachusetts east coast.
- Blizzard and Coastal Flood in Massachusetts, February 14 to 16, 2015Low pressure off the Delmarva peninsula intensified rapidly as it moved northeastward. Its path just southeast of Nantucket brought heavy snow to all of southern New England and blizzard conditions and coastal flooding to coastal areas.
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Massachusetts, October 30, 2020Immediately after winds and rainfall associated with post-tropical cyclone Zeta (which passed well to our southeast) diminished, a new system approached.
More
Winter Weather everywhereEvery kind of event in Massachusetts
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 2026-09-24.