Heavy Snow — Western Franklin, Massachusetts

2023-03-03 to 2023-03-04 · Western Franklin, Massachusetts

Event narrative

Snowfall totals ranged from 8 to 12 inches in western Franklin County. Some specific amounts included 12.1 inches in Ashfield, 11.8 inches in Rowe, 11.0 inches in Hawley, 9.5 inches in Buckland, 9.3 inches in Colrain, 9.0 inches in both Shelburne and Leyden, and 8.0 inches in Conway.

Wider weather episode

Low pressure just south of the New England coast intensified early on March 4 and moved off the coast during the day. Heavy snow occurred in the higher terrain of northern and western MA, while mixed precipitation occurred elsewhere. Initial snow began before midnight on March 3. Then another round occurred with the comma head during the late morning/afternoon on March 4. Winds gusted to 45 to 55 mph near the coast, with a few higher gusts. The were a couple of reports of coastal flooding.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1083048. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.