Strong Wind — Southern Berkshire, Massachusetts

2023-12-18 · Southern Berkshire, Massachusetts

Event narrative

The combination of gusty winds and soft ground surfaces resulted in some downed trees and branches which hit power lines and resulted in some power outages.

Wider weather episode

An area of low pressure tracked up the East Coast and intensified in the process as it brought widespread moderate to heavy rainfall across western Massachusetts on December 18, 2023. The rain fell light to moderate in intensity during the early morning hours, then became heavier during the later morning and early afternoon hours before tapering off. Rainfall totals were between 2 and 4 inches. This rain led to both areal and river flooding across the region.

In addition, wind gusts between 30 and 45 mph combined with the soft ground surfaces resulted in downed trees and branches which hit some wires causing power outages. Some of the communities impacted included Egremont, Sandisfield, New Marlborough, Lee and Lanesborough.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1151177. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.