Heavy Snow — Northern Worcester, Massachusetts

2023-01-23 · Northern Worcester, Massachusetts

Event narrative

Snowfall amounts ranged from 5.7 to 7.8 inches in northern Worcester County. Some specific totals included 7.8 inches in Sterling, 7.5 inches in Ashburnham, 7.2 inches in Princeton, 6.0 inches in Lunenburg, 5.9 inches at Fitchburg Airport (KFIT ASOS), and 5.7 inches in New Braintree. In Ashburnham at 1215 AM EST, five large trees were down on Oakmont Drive near the Oakmont Regional High School (per police). In Hubbardston at 200 AM EST, trees and wires were down on both New Westminster Road and Worcester Road. In West Boylston between 320 AM EST and 520 AM EST, police reported a tree down on Malden Street and a tree down on Woodland Street near Woodland Park. In Westminster between 335 AM EST and 530 AM EST, a tree down on Route 31 a quarter-mile from the Princeton line; a large tree down on Oaklawn Avenue; and a tree down on wires on Bolton Road. In Fitchburg at 350 AM EST, police reported a large tree branch and wires down on Ashby State Road (Route 31). In Lancaster at 415 AM EST, police reported a tree was down on Shirley Road by Route 2 and large limbs and wires were down near Brockelman Road. In Rutland at 450 AM EST, police reported a tree down between Maple and Walnut Streets. In Paxton at 530 AM EST, the Fire Dept. reported a large branch down on Richards Avenue. In Holden, between 540 AM EST and 1030 AM EST, police reported a tree down on Union Street, a tree down on Highland Street, and a large branch down on Mason Road; the Holden Highway Dept. reported a large tree down on Mixter Road that struck the back of a house, causing minor damage. No injuries were reported. Also, a large limb was down on John Street in Holden. In Phillipston at 615 AM EST, the Fire Dept. reported several trees down across the town, including one on Blake Corner Road. In Lunenburg at 1150 AM EST, amateur radio operators reported numerous trees and limbs down due to the weight of the snow at the junction of Route 2A and Route 13; wires were down on Main Street; and trees and wires were down on North Street.

Wider weather episode

Low pressure, tracking from the New Jersey coast to Nantucket, produced heavy, wet snow that was pretty much confined to the higher elevations in western and northern Massachusetts. The weight of the snow, especially when combined with snow from a few days prior, caused some tree damage. There was also coastal flooding around the time of high tide in eastern Massachusetts.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1070760. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.