The Dexes / Winter Storm, Blizzard & Heavy Snow / 5625769
Eventdex · Winter Storm, Blizzard & Heavy Snow
EASTERN NORFOLK
5625769
The record
Everything the slot carries, as measured. Series arrays are drawn above and listed here in full.
| Event typeevent_type | Heavy Snow |
|---|---|
| NOAA NCEI event IDncei_event_id | 5,625,769 |
| Episode IDepisode_id | 2,071,362 |
| Begin UTCbegin_utc | 1997-12-23T14:00:00+00:00 |
| End UTCend_utc | 1997-12-23T20:00:00+00:00 |
| Statestate | MASSACHUSETTS |
| County/zone typecz_type | Z |
| County/zone namecz_name | EASTERN NORFOLK |
| Deaths directdeaths_direct | 0 |
| Deaths indirectdeaths_indirect | 0 |
| Injuries directinjuries_direct | 0 |
| Injuries indirectinjuries_indirect | 0 |
| Episode narrativeepisode_narrative | A low pressure system developing off the Delaware coast brought over a foot of heavy snow over a large area, including western and central Massachusetts and much of Norfolk, Middlesex, and Essex Counties in the eastern part of the state. A portion of northern Worcester County and northern Middlesex County received nearly 2 feet of snow! Parts of Bristol and Suffolk Counties received 6 to 8 inches of snow. The heavy snowfall caught everyone by surprise and was also a surprise to weather forecasters. The low pressure system slowed its forward movement and intensified more than expected. What was very unusual was the extreme intensity of the snowfall, with phenomenal hourly snowfall totals reported by many observers during the morning between 9:30 AM and about Noon. A total of 8 inches fell during one hour in Ayer while 6 inches fell during an hour in both Chelmsford and Shrewsbury. Maximum storm totals occurred in northern Middlesex County, where Dracut had 23.5 inches. Other totals from that area included: Pepperell, 22.0 inches; Ayer and Townsend, 21.0 inches; and Chelmsford, 20.4 inches. In Essex County, totals ranged from 14.5 inches in Methuen to 8 inches in Gloucester and Newburyport. In Worcester County, some totals included: Clinton, 19 inches; Worcester Airport, 18 inches; Shrewsbury, 16.8 inches; Northbridge, 14..0 inches; Ashburnham, 13.5 inches; and Barre Falls, 9.0 inches. Maximum totals in Franklin County included 8 inches in Charlemont and Greenfield. In Hampden County, the maximum was 13.0 inches in East Brimfield. In Hampshire County, Amherst had 16.0 inches. Maximum totals in Norfolk County included 11.1 inches atop Blue Hill in Milton and 10 inches in Bellingham. Hundreds of autos and trucks became stuck on hilly sections of Route 495 and Route 9. More than 20,000 electric customers lost power at one time or another in Burlington, Waltham, Woburn, Somerville, Newton, and surrounding towns as heavy, wet snow brought down numerous tree limbs. About 3,400 electric customers lost power in the Merrimack Valley. Most power was restored by the end of the day. Holiday travelers were stranded at Logan International Airport in Boston, where the storm total reached 6.8 inches. |
| Yearyear | 1,997 |
Provenance
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Storage: spine